find_orphaned_notes_tool
Identify and locate notes in your Obsidian vault that lack connections, tags, or metadata to help with organization and cleanup.
Instructions
Find orphaned notes that may need organization or cleanup.
When to use:
Regular vault maintenance and cleanup
Finding forgotten or disconnected notes
Identifying notes that need better organization
Preparing for vault reorganization
Finding candidates for archival or deletion
Orphan types explained:
no_backlinks: Notes with no incoming links (most common definition)
no_links: Notes with no incoming OR outgoing links (completely isolated)
no_tags: Notes without any tags (untagged content)
no_metadata: Notes with minimal/no frontmatter properties
isolated: Notes with no links AND no tags (truly disconnected)
Default exclusions:
Templates folder (usually contains reference notes)
Archive folder (already organized)
Daily folder (daily notes often standalone)
When NOT to use:
Finding specific notes (use search_notes)
Getting all notes in a folder (use list_notes)
Finding notes by content (use search tools)
Performance note:
Scans entire vault and checks links/metadata for each note
For vaults >1000 notes, this may take 10-30 seconds
Returns: List of orphaned notes with paths, reasons, and metadata. Results are sorted by modification date (oldest first).
Example response: { "count": 23, "orphaned_notes": [ { "path": "Random Thoughts/Old Idea.md", "reason": "No incoming links", "modified": "2023-06-15T10:30:00Z", "size": 245, "word_count": 42 } ], "stats": { "total_notes_scanned": 500, "excluded_folders": ["Templates", "Archive", "Daily"], "orphan_type": "no_backlinks" } }
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| orphan_type | No | What makes a note 'orphaned'. Choose the criteria that best fits your organization needs. | no_backlinks |
| exclude_folders | No | ||
| min_age_days | No | ||
| ctx | No |