---
title: Promote Session Output to Notes
type: runbook
system: atlas-swarm
status: active
tags:
  - type/runbook
  - assistant
  - atlas
created: 2026-05-14
updated: 2026-05-14
related: [[Ops Home]], [[Swarm Operating Manual]], [[Project Context Index]], [[Context Pack]]
---

# Runbook - Promote Session Output to Notes

## When to use

Use this when a chat, agent run, Kanban handoff, or meeting output contains durable knowledge that should be discoverable from Obsidian without rereading the original conversation.

Do not use it for transient execution logs, one-off tool output, failed experiments with no lesson, or raw transcripts.

## Preconditions

- You know the audience and future use of the note.
- You can summarize the durable facts without copying secrets, credentials, raw PII, or unnecessary chat history.
- You have checked whether a relevant note already exists.

## Destination rules

Preserve the [[Ops Home]] capture flow:

- Thread summary or stable reference -> `Resources/`.
- Active implementation or project state -> `Projects/`.
- Operational procedure -> `Runbooks/`.
- Important architectural/product/workflow choice -> `Decisions/`.
- Loose capture needing triage -> `Inbox/`.

## Naming rules

- One-off session summaries: `Notes/YYYY-MM-DD Topic.md` or `Resources/YYYY-MM-DD Topic Summary.md` when it should remain reference material.
- Durable references, runbooks, projects, and decisions: title-case stable names, e.g. `Swarm Operating Manual.md`.
- Avoid names that encode temporary task ids unless the note is specifically about that task.

## Steps

1. Classify the output by destination rules.
2. Search the target folder for an existing note before creating a new one.
3. Summarize durable content into one of these shapes:
   - Project update: goal, current status, changed artifacts, next actions, blockers.
   - Runbook: when to use, preconditions, steps, verification, rollback or recovery.
   - Decision: context, options, decision, consequences, links.
   - Resource: concise explanation, source links, related projects/runbooks.
4. Add frontmatter consistent with [[Vault Conventions]] or the local folder template.
5. Link back to the source project, runbook, decision, or [[Project Context Index]] row.
6. Update navigation where needed:
   - Project notes link to new specs, runbooks, context packs, and decisions.
   - [[Project Context Index]] row links to new project-critical artifacts.
   - Home notes get links only when the artifact is a major entry point.
7. Record remaining uncertainty as `TBD (owner: ...)`, not guessed facts.

## Verification

- The note exists in the correct folder.
- The title and frontmatter are consistent with the vault conventions.
- The note links to related project/runbook/decision/resource notes.
- No secrets, tokens, private keys, credentials, raw PII, or auth state were copied.
- No raw transcript dump was pasted; the note contains a concise synthesis.
- Any project-critical artifact is discoverable from [[Project Context Index]] or the project note.

## Rollback

If a promoted note is wrong or unsafe:

1. Remove any sensitive content immediately.
2. If the note should not exist, move it to `Archive/` or delete it per Will's instruction.
3. Remove or correct links from home notes, project notes, and the project index.
4. Leave a short correction note in the related project or decision if others may have seen the incorrect information.

## Related

- [[Swarm Operating Manual]]
- [[Project Context Index]]
- [[Context Pack]]
- [[Ops Home]]
- [[Vault Conventions]]
