rū

A protocol for seeding and resolving context with AI agents.

Three primitives. One syntax. Works with any AI surface.

#context   — seed and retrieve your personal knowledge
@mention   — address a specific agent
/command   — execute a workflow

The idea

AI agents are powerful, but they're stateless by default. Every conversation starts cold. You re-explain who you are, what you're working on, what matters. That friction compounds.

rū fixes this by giving you a simple way to seed context intentionally — and retrieve it anywhere, automatically.

A #tag in your message is a signal. It resolves to knowledge you've already curated — from any connected source — and delivers it to the agent before it responds. You stop repeating yourself.

rū is not tied to any single app. Your context can live in Obsidian, Apple Notes, Granola, a browser extension, or anything else. The # primitive resolves across all of them.

The # primitive — two modes

The # primitive has a private mode and a public mode.

Private (#tag) Resolves from your local vault. Never leaves your machine. Only you can call it.

#project    → your notes on a specific project
#research   → your curated research context
#me         → your background, preferences, working style

Public (#folder/document.namespace) A path you've claimed under your namespace and chosen to share. Other users — or agents — can call it to retrieve your published context.

#rū/onboarding.yourusername      → your public onboarding guide
#research/summary.yourusername   → your public research summary

Private is the default. Public requires a deliberate claim under a namespace you own. You decide what's shareable.

Context sources

rū resolves #tags from any connected source. Sources are pluggable — connect one or many.

| Source | Status | |---|---| | Obsidian (via Local REST API plugin) | Available now | | Apple Notes | Planned | | Granola AI | Planned | | Browser extension (native rū harvester) | Phase 4 |

Install

Requires: Claude Desktop, Node.js 18+, and at least one connected source (see above).

To connect Obsidian: also requires the Local REST API plugin.

npx ru-mcp setup

The wizard will:

1. Ask for your Obsidian API key (found in Obsidian → Settings → Community Plugins → Local REST API)
2. Verify the connection to your vault
3. Write the config to Claude Desktop automatically

Then fully quit and relaunch Claude Desktop (Cmd+Q, not just close the window).

How it works

rū runs as a local MCP server. Claude Desktop connects to it on startup. When you start a conversation, attach the auto_context prompt (paperclip icon → Add from rū → auto_context). From that point on, any #tag in your message automatically retrieves matching context from your vault before Claude responds.

No cloud. No account. Your context stays on your machine.

Smart retrieval: If a tag appears at the top of a note (page-level), rū fetches the full note. If it appears inline, rū returns just the surrounding snippet. You always get the right amount of context.

Using rū in Claude Desktop

1. Start a new conversation
2. Click the 📎 paperclip icon at the bottom of the input box
3. Select "Add from rū" → choose auto_context
4. From this point on, any #tag you write will automatically pull context from your vault

Example: If you have notes tagged #project in Obsidian (replace with any tag you use):

What should I focus on this week? #project

Claude retrieves your #project context and factors it into the response.

Note: Add auto_context once per conversation. It doesn't persist across new chats.

Tagging your notes

In Obsidian, add #tag anywhere in a note. rū finds it.

For page-level context (the whole note is about this topic), put the tag on line 1:

#project

This project is about building a tool that...

For inline context (the tag marks a section within a larger note):

## Meeting notes — Feb 2025

#project The client confirmed the scope...

Finding your API key

1. Open Obsidian
2. Go to Settings (gear icon, bottom left)
3. Scroll to Community Plugins → click Local REST API
4. Your API key is shown under "API Key"

Troubleshooting

"Couldn't reach Obsidian at port 27124"

• Make sure Obsidian is open and Local REST API plugin is enabled
• If you see a different port in the plugin settings, re-run setup

rū doesn't appear in Claude Desktop

• Fully quit Claude Desktop (Cmd+Q) and relaunch after setup

"OBSIDIAN_API_KEY environment variable is not set"

• Re-run npx ru-mcp setup

Coming next

• Namespace registry — claim your namespace, publish #folder/document.namespace paths, share context with anyone
• Browser extension — harvest context from anything you read

See SPEC.md for the full protocol specification.

Creator

rū was created by Diana Angelica Valdes Contreras.

Protocol design, architecture, and vision: Diana Angelica Valdes Contreras MIT License © 2025