QMD — Vault Semantic Search

Before reading vault files directly, search with QMD first. It returns relevant snippets without burning context on full file reads.

Tool Surfaces — Preference Order

Pick the highest surface available and stop. All three read the same SQLite store (scoped by qmd_index in vault-manifest.json), so they return the same results; the choice is about interface ergonomics and context cost.

1. MCP tools (preferred when registered) — mcp__qmd__query, mcp__qmd__get, mcp__qmd__multi_get, mcp__qmd__status. If these appear in your tool menu, the MCP server is live and pre-scoped to this vault. Call them directly — no --index argument needed, no shell involved, typed arguments. This is the intended path during a session.
2. CLI fallback — qmd --index <name> query|search|vsearch|get|multi-get. Use when the MCP server isn't registered (older vault clones, Windows install drift, disabled in .mcp.json), or for one-off shell checks outside a session. Always pass --index <name>.
3. Grep / Glob / Read — last resort, only when QMD is not installed at all. These burn context on full file reads and don't rank by relevance.

Never fall through surfaces without cause — if MCP is registered, calling the CLI in a Bash tool is just a slower path to the same result.

Named Index (This Vault)

This vault declares a named QMD index in vault-manifest.json under qmd_index. Every QMD command in this document uses --index <name> so queries, updates, and context strings stay scoped to this vault — not blended with any other vault that shares the machine.

The MCP server (.mcp.json) and the SessionStart hook read the same field, so all three surfaces (CLI, MCP, hook) point at the same SQLite store.