# Notes Vault — Liu Terminal

> Liu Terminal Notes Vault. A unified local markdown workspace connected via wikilinks and shared with AI agents.

URL: https://liu.software/docs/vault/  
Language: en  
Updated: 2026-10-17

A unified local markdown workspace where notes connect via wikilinks, accessible anywhere via palette and shared with your terminal AI agents.

## What is the Notes Vault?

Every note lives in one Vault. It acts as a single knowledge base, shared by you and your agents. You can browse, search, and connect markdown files instantly.

## Opening the Vault

- Command Palette: Open Note / Search Notes jump anywhere in your vault.

## Two separate stores

Liu uses “Vault” for two different features. Smart Vault is the encrypted SQLite credential store (hosts, keys, snippets and secrets) described in Quick start. Notes Vault is a normal Markdown folder for notes and graphs. Unlocking Smart Vault does not encrypt or unlock the Notes Vault; changing notes\_vault\_path only moves the Markdown workspace.

## Creating notes

Use ⌘+K → Create Note to let a local agent draft Markdown straight into your Vault, or manually create new files.

## Wikilinks & connections

Use \[\[wikilinks\]\] syntax to connect notes. These links feed the Graph view, allowing you to visualize relationships between different pieces of knowledge.

## $LIU\_VAULT Environment Variable

Terminal agents inherit $LIU\_VAULT (the absolute Notes Vault path) and $LIU\_VAULT\_HINT (a ready directive for standalone notes, plans and documentation) automatically. These variables are for the notes workspace, not for files inside the current project.

## @source Integration

Press ⌘+⇧+A (Cmd+Shift+A) to feed any note back as an @source. This quickly brings the content of a note into the context of your current AI session.

## Configuration

Set your designated vault path in settings (config.json) so Liu always knows where your Markdown brain lives.

[Next Configuration →](https://liu.software/docs/config.md)