Choosing Your AI Knowledge Base Folder Structure¶
Purpose: Share this file with your AI assistant (Claude Code, Codex CLI, etc.) to help it create the right folder structure for your needs.
How to Use This Reference¶
Tell your AI:
"Read this reference file and help me create a folder structure based on my role: [describe yourself]"
The AI will recommend and create an appropriate structure.
The Essential Files (Required for All Structures)¶
No matter which structure you choose, you need these files at the root:
📄 AGENTS.md # Universal AI context (all tools read this)
📄 CLAUDE.md # Claude-specific instructions (optional)
📄 CODEX.md # Codex/GPT-specific instructions (optional)
📄 GEMINI.md # Gemini-specific instructions (optional)
AGENTS.md is the universal context file. Tool-specific files extend it for customization.
Popular Folder Structure Systems¶
1. PARA Method (Tiago Forte)¶
Best for: General productivity, life management, mixed personal/professional use
📁 your-vault/
├── 📁 Projects/ # Active, time-bound work with deadlines
├── 📁 Areas/ # Ongoing responsibilities (Health, Finance, Career)
├── 📁 Resources/ # Reference material, topics of interest
├── 📁 Archive/ # Completed or inactive items
├── 📄 AGENTS.md
└── 📄 CLAUDE.md
Philosophy: Organize by actionability, not topic. Projects are active, Areas are ongoing, Resources are reference, Archive is done.
2. Johnny Decimal¶
Best for: People who want strict organization, large file collections, team environments
📁 your-vault/
├── 📁 10-19 Administration/
│ ├── 📁 11 Company/
│ ├── 📁 12 Finance/
│ └── 📁 13 Legal/
├── 📁 20-29 Clients/
│ ├── 📁 21 Active Clients/
│ └── 📁 22 Past Clients/
├── 📁 30-39 Projects/
│ ├── 📁 31 Current/
│ └── 📁 32 Completed/
├── 📄 AGENTS.md
└── 📄 CLAUDE.md
Philosophy: Every item gets a unique ID (XX.XX). Maximum 10 areas, 10 categories per area. Forces constraints to prevent sprawl.
3. ACE Method (Nick Milo)¶
Best for: Obsidian power users, networked thinking, knowledge workers
📁 your-vault/
├── 📁 Atlas/ # Maps of Content, indexes, navigation
├── 📁 Calendar/ # Time-based notes (daily, weekly, meetings)
├── 📁 Efforts/ # Active work, projects, initiatives
├── 📁 Sources/ # Books, articles, references (optional)
├── 📄 AGENTS.md
└── 📄 CLAUDE.md
Philosophy: Atlas = navigation layer, Calendar = time layer, Efforts = action layer. Relies heavily on linking between notes.
4. Minimal / Steph Ango Approach¶
Best for: Beginners, people who over-engineer, bottom-up thinkers
📁 your-vault/
├── 📁 notes/ # All your notes, flat
├── 📁 daily/ # Daily notes (YYYY-MM-DD.md)
├── 📁 templates/ # Note templates
├── 📁 attachments/ # Images, PDFs, files
├── 📄 AGENTS.md
└── 📄 CLAUDE.md
Philosophy: Start simple, add structure only when needed. Use links and tags over folders. Let organization emerge from usage.
Role-Based Starter Templates¶
For Consultants / Agencies¶
📁 your-vault/
├── 📁 00-INBOX/ # Quick capture
├── 📁 10-CLIENTS/ # Client workspaces
│ ├── 📁 client-alpha/
│ │ ├── context.md # Client background
│ │ ├── projects/ # Their projects
│ │ └── meetings/ # Meeting notes
│ └── 📁 client-beta/
├── 📁 20-INTERNAL/ # Your business operations
│ ├── processes/
│ ├── templates/
│ └── finance/
├── 📁 30-KNOWLEDGE/ # Reference & learning
├── 📁 40-ARCHIVE/ # Completed work
├── 📄 AGENTS.md
└── 📄 CLAUDE.md
For Content Creators / YouTubers¶
📁 your-vault/
├── 📁 00-INBOX/ # Ideas, inspiration
├── 📁 10-CONTENT/ # Content by status
│ ├── 📁 ideas/ # Raw ideas
│ ├── 📁 drafts/ # In progress
│ ├── 📁 ready/ # Ready to publish
│ └── 📁 published/ # Live content
├── 📁 20-AUDIENCE/ # Community, comments, feedback
├── 📁 30-BRAND/ # Style guides, assets, voice
├── 📁 40-RESEARCH/ # Topics, trends, competitors
├── 📁 50-BUSINESS/ # Sponsors, analytics, revenue
├── 📄 AGENTS.md
└── 📄 CLAUDE.md
For Developers / Engineers¶
📁 your-vault/
├── 📁 00-INBOX/ # Quick notes, snippets
├── 📁 10-PROJECTS/ # Active project docs
│ ├── 📁 project-x/
│ │ ├── architecture.md
│ │ ├── decisions.md # ADRs
│ │ └── todos.md
│ └── 📁 project-y/
├── 📁 20-LEARNING/ # Tech notes, tutorials, TILs
├── 📁 30-REFERENCE/ # Docs, cheatsheets, configs
├── 📁 40-TEMPLATES/ # Code templates, boilerplate
├── 📄 AGENTS.md
└── 📄 CLAUDE.md
For Knowledge Workers / Researchers¶
📁 your-vault/
├── 📁 00-INBOX/ # Capture everything
├── 📁 10-PROJECTS/ # Active research/work
├── 📁 20-NOTES/ # Evergreen notes (Zettelkasten-style)
├── 📁 30-SOURCES/ # Books, papers, articles
├── 📁 40-OUTPUTS/ # Writing, presentations, deliverables
├── 📁 50-META/ # Templates, workflows, logs
├── 📄 AGENTS.md
└── 📄 CLAUDE.md
For Solopreneurs / Small Business¶
📁 your-vault/
├── 📁 00-INBOX/ # Quick capture
├── 📁 10-BUSINESS/ # Core business
│ ├── strategy/
│ ├── finance/
│ └── operations/
├── 📁 20-CLIENTS/ # Client work (if applicable)
├── 📁 30-MARKETING/ # Content, campaigns, brand
├── 📁 40-PRODUCTS/ # Products/services
├── 📁 50-LEARNING/ # Skills, courses, notes
├── 📁 60-PERSONAL/ # Personal notes (optional)
├── 📄 AGENTS.md
└── 📄 CLAUDE.md
Principles for Any Structure¶
1. Start Simple, Evolve¶
Don't create 50 folders on day one. Start with 3-5, add when you feel friction.
2. Numbered Prefixes (Optional but Helpful)¶
10-, 20-, 30- keeps folders in order regardless of name. Skip numbers (10, 20, 30 not 1, 2, 3) to leave room for insertion.
3. INBOX is Your Friend¶
A catch-all folder for quick capture. Process weekly. Prevents "where does this go?" paralysis.
4. Flat > Deep¶
2-3 levels max. Deep nesting = lost files. If you're going 4+ levels deep, rethink the structure.
5. The Folder Isn't the Point¶
The AI reads AGENTS.md regardless of folder structure. The structure helps YOU navigate. The AI just needs good context files.
Quick Decision Guide¶
| If you are... | Start with... |
|---|---|
| Unsure / new to this | Minimal (notes, daily, templates, attachments) |
| A consultant with clients | Client-based structure |
| A content creator | Content pipeline structure |
| A developer | Project-based with learning |
| Managing life + work | PARA method |
| Want strict organization | Johnny Decimal |
| Obsidian power user | ACE method |
How to Ask Your AI to Create a Structure¶
Example prompts:
"I'm a freelance consultant with 5 active clients. Create a folder structure for my knowledge base."
"I'm a YouTuber who makes tech tutorials. Set up a folder structure for content creation."
"I'm new to this. Give me the simplest possible structure to start with."
"I want to use PARA method. Create the folders and a starter AGENTS.md."
The AI will create the folders and initial files based on your description.
Sources / Inspiration¶
- PARA Method - Tiago Forte (Building a Second Brain)
- Johnny Decimal - Johnny Noble (johnny.decimal)
- ACE Method - Nick Milo (Linking Your Thinking)
- Minimal Approach - Steph Ango (Obsidian CEO)
- Zettelkasten - Niklas Luhmann (via Sönke Ahrens)
Remember: The best structure is the one you'll actually use. Start simple, iterate based on friction.