---
name: ingest
description: >-
  Process unprocessed items from an intake inbox into reference notes, projects,
  a task tracker, or a calendar. Classifies each item as task, idea, reference,
  reminder, or noise; enriches with research; routes clear items and sends
  ambiguous ones to a clarification queue. Idempotent with stable processing ids.
  Use when the user says ingest, /ingest, process raw, or triage raw.
---

# Ingest

Turn provisional capture into enriched, routed knowledge and tasks. This is not filing: add context, connect to what you already know, research externally when useful, then route.

**Triggers:** `/ingest`, `ingest`, `process raw`, `triage raw`

## Suggested layers

Adapt names to the vault. The pattern matters more than the labels.

| Layer | Role |
|-------|------|
| Intake inbox | Unprocessed capture (lists, dumps, short notes) |
| Digesting | Interpretation and research in progress |
| Clarifications | Uncertain items awaiting a user choice |
| Processed log | Append-only audit trail of where items went |
| Destinations | Reference notes, project notes, task tracker, calendar |
| State | Idempotency ledger and failure records (local, gitignored) |

## Hard rules

1. **Enrich, don't transcribe** - outputs must be more useful than the raw line.
2. **Task tracker for action** - backlog, tries, and follow-ups belong in the tracker with context, not as a raw paste.
3. **Calendar only on explicit ask** - event only when raw names a date, reminder, or deadline. Never infer.
4. **No aggressive guessing** - ambiguity goes to clarification, not forced routing.
5. **Idempotent** - content-hash before create; never duplicate issues or notes.
6. **Safe failure** - leave intake intact (or keep digest stub), log failure, do not half-delete.
7. **Remove from intake only on success** - routed, clarified, or ignored with reason.
8. **Clear intake files after success** - leave capture files blank; no processed summaries in intake.
9. **Log to the processed audit trail** - append each run's routing table there.

## Steps

### 1. Discover

Scan intake. Skip digesting, the processed log, and already-processed items. One item per list line, `---` block, short note, or URL-only line.

Variants: `/ingest` all; `/ingest [file]` one file; `/ingest retry` failures; `/ingest resolve` after clarification answer.

### 2. Claim

Hash source + content. Skip if completed or clarifying (unless resolving). Write a digest stub; leave the raw line until completion.

```markdown
---
ingest_id: <hash>
source: intake/path
status: digesting
captured: YYYY-MM-DD
---

# Short title

## Raw capture
> verbatim raw text

## Classification
- Type: task | idea | reference | reminder | noise
- Project: (required for task/idea)

## Light score
*(task and idea only)*

| Size | Urgency | Class | Confidence |
|------|---------|-------|------------|

## Interpretation
## Research
## Planned outputs
```

### 3. Classify and lightly score

| Type | Primary destination |
|------|---------------------|
| Reference | Notes - not the task tracker |
| Idea | Ideas list; tracker only if Quick win or explicit "do it" |
| Task | Task tracker issue |
| Reminder | Calendar (explicit date only) |
| Noise | Ignore with reason |

Prefer task/idea over reference when the line implies ship, fix, investigate, or try.

**Light score** (task/idea): size, urgency, class - **Quick win**, **Strategic**, **Maintenance**, or **Distraction**. Relative priority only; no expected-value scorecard unless the user's system already defines one. Ambiguous home or Distraction vs Quick win that changes routing -> clarification. Search vault and tracker first.

### 4. Research

Always: related notes and open tracker issues. When useful: fetch URLs; look up people or tools. Cite in the stub.

### 5. Route or clarify

| Type | Destination |
|------|-------------|
| Reference | Notes only |
| Idea | Ideas list (+ tracker if Quick win / explicit action) |
| Task | Tracker issue (verb + object; context + `ingest_id`) |
| Reminder | Calendar only if date explicit |
| Clarification | Ambiguous home or material routing fork |
| Ignore | Duplicate or noise - log reason |

Clarification: move stub, ask short MCQ, create no destinations until resolved. Then create outputs, record, append processed log, delete clarification stub.

### 6. Complete

Create notes and issues (search first); calendar only when asked. Record destinations, remove from intake, append processed log, clear empty capture files, clean resolved clarifications.

```markdown
## YYYY-MM-DD - `To do.md`

3 items · 2 processed · 1 clarification

| Item | Type | Class | Result | Destinations |
|------|------|-------|--------|--------------|
| refresh landing copy | task | Quick win | done | tracker #142 · projects/site |
| new market experiment | idea | Strategic | clarifying | clarifications/<id> |
| article bookmark | reference | - | done | notes/topics/... |
```

On failure: mark stub failed; keep intake or stub; `/ingest retry` picks up failed hashes only.

## Do not

- Treat intake as lasting source of truth downstream
- Create calendar events without explicit date language
- File actionable tasks or ideas as reference-only
- Create tracker issues for pure references
- Leave processed summaries in intake
- Process digesting or the processed log as intake
- Skip idempotency on retry
- Auto-run every chat - only on trigger or schedule

## Related skills

- [vault-janitor](../vault-janitor/SKILL.md) - weekly hygiene
- [mine](../mine/SKILL.md) - landscape insights
- [prospect](../prospect/SKILL.md) - CI Accept/Reject gate