ZettelControl (ztlctl) is a local knowledge operating system for human users and AI agents. It separates agent-assisted capture and synthesis from human-led enrichment so research workflows and knowledge-garden workflows stay distinct — and coexist without interference.

ztlctl stores durable notes, references, and tasks as markdown files, indexes them in SQLite, and exposes them through a CLI, an MCP server, and generated workflow assets.

What Makes ztlctl Different¶

• Local-first SQLite — your vault is a directory of markdown files backed by a single .ztlctl/ztlctl.db; no cloud account required
• Graph-native — every note, reference, and task is a node; links and reweave scores are edges; graph traversal and structural analysis are first-class commands
• Agent-native MCP — 59 MCP tools, 6 resources, and 4 prompts let AI agents query, create, and navigate your vault without custom glue code
• Plugin ecosystem — pluggy-based hook system with a stable versioned API; extend via local plugins or published packages

For Knowledge Workers¶

Build and tend a knowledge vault using the CLI and Obsidian.

• Quick Start — your first vault in 5 minutes
• Tutorial — step-by-step guide to building a knowledge vault
• Core Concepts — content types, lifecycle states, vault structure, knowledge graph
• Knowledge Paradigms — capture/synthesis and enrichment, mapped to Zettelkasten, second-brain, and garden approaches
• Best Practices — workflow patterns and anti-patterns

For Developers and Plugin Authors¶

Extend ztlctl or integrate it into your tooling.

• Development — architecture, ActionRegistry, and local setup
• Plugin Authoring — hookspecs, plugin lifecycle, publishing
• API Reference — auto-generated from source
• MCP Server — 59 tools, resources, prompts, and client export

For AI Agents¶

Consume and operate a ztlctl vault from an agentic context.

• agents.md — machine-readable system manual: tool inventory, ID formats, state machines, error codes
• llms.txt — full documentation corpus for agent ingestion
• Agentic Workflows — sessions, context assembly, batch operations, scripting

Quick Links¶