---
name: my-notes-qa
description: "Answer questions from the user's own notes folder — grep-first search over local markdown/text, cite the file, never invent."
tags: [notes, search, personal, knowledge, local]
platforms: [linux]
---

# Answer From My Notes

## When to use
- The user asks something that sounds personal/project-specific ("what did I decide about…",
  "where did I write down…", "what's my…", "when did we…")
- The user names a note or asks what their notes say on a topic

## Where the notes live
`~/notes/` (markdown and .txt, possibly nested). If the folder is missing or empty, say so and ask
where their notes actually live — do not guess another location.

## How
1. Search BEFORE reading — never load the whole folder into context:
   ```bash
   grep -ril --include='*.md' --include='*.txt' "<key term>" ~/notes/ | head -10
   ```
   Try 2-3 phrasings of the term if the first finds nothing (synonyms, singular/plural).
2. Read ONLY the top matching file(s), and only the relevant section:
   ```bash
   grep -in -B2 -A6 "<key term>" "<file>"
   ```
3. Answer from what the notes actually say, and **cite the file** ("from `projects/kitchen-reno.md`").
4. If the notes contradict each other, show both with their files and dates rather than picking one.

## Rules
- **Never invent an answer the notes don't contain.** "Your notes don't mention that" is a good answer.
- Notes are the user's private material — quote them back to the user freely, but never into any
  outbound channel (posts, emails, other people's threads) unless explicitly told to.
- Don't editorialize about note quality or organization unless asked.