Delete Span
vault_delete_spanDelete a block of whole lines from a note using short anchor substrings instead of pasting the full text. Ideal for removing table rows, callouts, or list runs safely by start and end anchors.
Instructions
Delete a contiguous block of whole lines from a note's body by referencing short anchor substrings instead of reproducing the full block text. Each anchor locates a full line — the entire line is selected, not just the matching substring. Case-sensitive matching. Properties are preserved; YAML formatting may be normalized to block style on first edit. Operates on the body only.
Example: vault_delete_span({ path: "Tracker.md", start_anchor: "| 2024-03-02 | Acme" }) — deletes the one table row whose line contains that fragment. Example: vault_delete_span({ path: "Notes/Plan.md", start_anchor: "> [!warning] Stale", end_anchor: "remove after launch" }) — deletes from the start anchor line through the end anchor line.
When to use: Removing a block you have already read — a table row, callout, or run of list items — where reproducing it exactly as old_text would be error-prone. Pick a short, unique fragment of the first line for start_anchor and, for a multi-line block, the last line for end_anchor. Prefer vault_replace_in_note for small in-place edits (this tool only deletes). To replace a block, prefer vault_replace_span (one atomic step); otherwise delete it here, then vault_patch_note to add the new content.
Parameters:
start_anchor + end_anchor define a line range, not a text range — each anchor locates a full line, and entire lines are removed (never cuts mid-line). Omit end_anchor for a single-line delete.
end_anchor is searched at or after the start line, so the span can never run backward. If both match the same line, only that one line is deleted.
first_match applies to both anchors independently — when an anchor matches multiple lines, takes the first instead of erroring.
Blank-line runs left by the deletion are collapsed to a single blank line.
Errors:
"note not found" — verify path with vault_list_notes
"anchor not found" — fragment not on any line; verify with vault_read_note
"ambiguous start anchor …" / "ambiguous end anchor …" — the anchor matches multiple lines; use a longer fragment or set first_match: true
"absolute path blocked" — the path starts at the filesystem root; use a vault-relative path
"hidden path blocked" — the path targets a hidden (dot-prefixed) file or folder like ".obsidian/"; hidden paths are not editable, matching Obsidian
"concurrent write in progress" — another write to this note is in flight; re-read the note and retry
Returns: Confirmation with lines removed and a truncated preview of the deleted text.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| path | Yes | Vault-relative path to the note, including the ".md" extension (e.g. "Tracker.md", "Notes/Plan.md") | |
| end_anchor | No | Short, unique substring that identifies the LAST line of the block, searched at or after the start_anchor line. The entire line is selected. Omit to delete just the single line containing start_anchor. | |
| first_match | No | If an anchor matches more than one line, delete using the first match instead of erroring (default: false — ambiguity is an error). | |
| start_anchor | Yes | Short, unique substring that identifies the first line of the block (case-sensitive). The entire line is selected, not just the substring. Pick a brief fragment — do not paste the whole block. |