Logseq Outline Formatting Skill

Format notes, lists, or any structured content as Logseq-compatible outlines. Uses nested bullet points (outline hierarchy) instead of markdown headers, with plain text styling.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when the user needs to format content for Logseq:

• Structured notes or outlines
• Research summaries
• Reading lists
• Project documentation
• Meeting notes
• Any hierarchical content for import into Logseq

Key indicator phrases:

• "Format this for Logseq"
• "Create a Logseq outline"
• "Make this Logseq-compatible"
• "Save this to paste into Logseq"
• "Format as an outline" (when context suggests Logseq)

Core Formatting Philosophy

Logseq uses outline hierarchy, not markdown headers.

• ✓ Use nested bullet points with tabs/spaces for indentation
• ✓ Use plain text throughout (no bold, no italics unless semantically required)
• ✓ Use proper markdown links for URLs
• ✓ Organize by nesting depth, not visual styling
• ✗ Never use # markdown headers
• ✗ Never use bold (**text**) for emphasis
• ✗ Never use horizontal rules (---)

Universal Logseq Formatting Rules

Structure

Hierarchy through nesting only:

- Top Level Item
	- Second Level Item
		- Third Level Item
			- Fourth Level Item

Never use headers:

❌ WRONG:
# Main Topic
## Subtopic

✓ CORRECT:
- Main Topic
	- Subtopic

Text Styling

Plain text only:

❌ WRONG:
- **Important Item**
- *Emphasized point*

✓ CORRECT:
- Important Item
- Emphasized point

Exception: Use bold/italics only when semantically meaningful (e.g., book titles, technical terms), not for visual emphasis.

Links

Use proper markdown links:

✓ CORRECT:
- Item with link: [Link Text](https://example.com)
- Reference: [Document Name](file:///path/to/file.pdf)

Lists and Sub-items

Use consistent indentation:

- Main point
	- Supporting detail
		- Further detail
		- Another detail
	- Another supporting detail
- Next main point

What NOT to Include

Avoid these common mistakes:

• ❌ No markdown headers (#, ##, ###) - use nested bullets instead
• ❌ No bold styling (**text**) for emphasis - use plain text
• ❌ No summary sections at the end (no totals, no statistics)
• ❌ No horizontal rules (---) for section breaks
• ❌ No item counts ("Total: 23 items") at the end
• ❌ No meta-commentary ("Organized by themes", "Sources include...")

Output Format by Environment

Claude Desktop

Create a markdown artifact containing the Logseq-formatted outline.

• Use artifact format for easy copying
• User can copy and paste directly into Logseq
• No file system access needed

Claude Code

Save to file and open in BBEdit for review.

Steps:

1. Location: Save to Desktop
   • Path: /Users/niyaro/Desktop/
2. Filename: Descriptive name with topic
   • Format: Topic_Name_Outline.md
   • Example: Research_Notes.md
3. Extension: Always use .md (markdown)
4. Open in editor:
   • Command: bbedit /path/to/file.md
5. Confirm to user: Report filename and location

Example:

# Save file
cat > /Users/niyaro/Desktop/Research_Notes.md <<'EOF'
- Research Topic
	- Key Points
		- Point 1
		- Point 2
	- Next Steps
		- Action 1
		- Action 2
EOF

# Open in BBEdit
bbedit /Users/niyaro/Desktop/Research_Notes.md

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Research Notes

User request: "Create a Logseq outline of my research notes"

Output structure:

- Research Project: [Topic]
	- Background
		- Key concept 1
			- Definition
			- Examples
		- Key concept 2
			- Definition
			- Examples
	- Findings
		- Finding 1
			- Evidence
			- Source
		- Finding 2
			- Evidence
			- Source
	- Next Steps
		- Action item 1
		- Action item 2

Use Case 2: Reading List

User request: "Make a Logseq-formatted reading list"

Output structure:

- Reading List: [Topic]
	- Must Read
		- Book Title, Author (Year)
			- Why read: reason
			- Length: X pages
		- Another Book, Author (Year)
			- Why read: reason
	- Recommended
		- Book Title, Author (Year)
			- Why read: reason
	- Optional
		- Book Title, Author (Year)

Use Case 3: Meeting Notes

User request: "Format these meeting notes for Logseq"

Output structure:

- Meeting: [Date] - [Topic]
	- Attendees
		- Person 1
		- Person 2
	- Discussion Points
		- Topic 1
			- Decision: action decided
			- Owner: person responsible
		- Topic 2
			- Decision: action decided
	- Action Items
		- Item 1 (Owner: Person)
			- Due: date
		- Item 2 (Owner: Person)

Use Case 4: Project Plan

User request: "Create a Logseq outline for my project"

Output structure:

- Project: [Name]
	- Goals
		- Goal 1
		- Goal 2
	- Milestones
		- Phase 1: [Name]
			- Task 1
			- Task 2
		- Phase 2: [Name]
			- Task 3
			- Task 4
	- Resources
		- Resource 1
		- Resource 2
	- Risks
		- Risk 1
			- Mitigation: plan

Converting Existing Content

From Markdown with Headers

Input:

# Main Topic

## Subtopic 1
Content here

## Subtopic 2
More content

Output:

- Main Topic
	- Subtopic 1
		- Content here
	- Subtopic 2
		- More content

From Bold-Heavy Format

Input:

- **Section 1**
  - **Point 1:** Details
  - **Point 2:** More details

Output:

- Section 1
	- Point 1: Details
	- Point 2: More details

From Flat List to Hierarchy

Input:

- Item 1
- Item 1a (related to Item 1)
- Item 1b (related to Item 1)
- Item 2
- Item 2a (related to Item 2)

Output:

- Item 1
	- Item 1a
	- Item 1b
- Item 2
	- Item 2a

From Numbered Lists

Input:

1. First main point
   1.1 Sub-point
   1.2 Another sub-point
2. Second main point

Output:

- First main point
	- Sub-point
	- Another sub-point
- Second main point

Quality Checklist

Before delivering Logseq-formatted content, verify:

• Uses nested bullets (tabs/indentation), not headers
• No bold styling except when semantically required
• All links use proper markdown format [text](url)
• No summary sections at the end
• No horizontal rules or visual separators
• Claude Code only: File saved to Desktop with .md extension
• Claude Code only: File opened in BBEdit for user review
• Claude Code only: Confirmed filename and location to user

Examples

Complete Research Notes Example

- Embodied Cognition Research Notes
	- Core Concepts
		- Embodiment
			- Definition: Cognitive processes are deeply rooted in the body's interactions with the world
			- Key theorists: Lakoff, Johnson, Varela
		- Grounded Cognition
			- Definition: Mental representations are grounded in sensory-motor experiences
			- Key theorists: Barsalou
	- Key Studies
		- Lakoff & Johnson, 1980. Metaphors We Live By
			- Main argument: Abstract concepts structured by bodily experiences
			- Example: "Argument is war" metaphor
		- Varela et al., 1991. The Embodied Mind
			- Main argument: Mind emerges from body-environment interaction
			- Approach: Enactivist perspective
	- Applications
		- Education
			- Gesture-based learning
			- Physical manipulation in math education
		- Robotics
			- Embodied AI systems
			- Sensorimotor grounding

Complete Project Plan Example

- Website Redesign Project
	- Objectives
		- Improve user experience
		- Increase conversion rate by 20%
		- Mobile-first design
	- Timeline
		- Phase 1: Research (Weeks 1-2)
			- User interviews
			- Competitor analysis
			- Requirements gathering
		- Phase 2: Design (Weeks 3-5)
			- Wireframes
			- Mockups
			- User testing
		- Phase 3: Development (Weeks 6-10)
			- Frontend development
			- Backend integration
			- QA testing
		- Phase 4: Launch (Week 11)
			- Deployment
			- Monitoring
			- Iteration
	- Team
		- Designer: Jane
		- Developer: John
		- PM: Sarah
	- Budget
		- Design: $10,000
		- Development: $25,000
		- Total: $35,000

Important Notes

• Universal skill: Works in both Claude Code and Claude Desktop
• Environment-aware output: Artifacts for Desktop, files for Code
• Plain text focus: Logseq handles styling; content structure matters most
• No summaries: Logseq users can create their own summaries/queries
• Nesting depth: No theoretical limit, but 3-4 levels is most readable
• Flexibility: Can format any hierarchical content, not just specific types

Related Skills

• zotero-mcp: For formatting bibliographies with Zotero-specific metadata and translations
• zotero-tagging: For tagging Zotero items after bibliography generation

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Remember: Logseq uses outline hierarchy, not visual styling. Structure through nesting, not through headers or bold text.