# Markdown Vault Preflight Checklist

A methodical checklist for auditing, repairing, and preparing a Markdown vault before migration, reorganization, or syncing.

## 1. Inventory & Backup
- [ ] Create a full, immutable zip backup of the entire vault before making any changes.
- [ ] Count total Markdown (`.md`) files and non-text attachments (images, PDFs, audio).
- [ ] Verify directory structure depth and naming conventions.

## 2. Link Resolution & Health
- [ ] Identify all broken wikilinks (`[[Target]]`) and standard links (`[Label](path.md)`).
- [ ] Disambiguate duplicate note filenames (resolve short links by adding explicit relative folder paths).
- [ ] Verify heading anchors (`[[Note#Heading]]`) match existing headings in target files.
- [ ] Verify case sensitivity: confirm target filenames match link casings on case-sensitive file systems.

## 3. Attachments & Assets
- [ ] Locate all embedded media (`![[image.png]]` and `![](assets/image.png)`).
- [ ] Identify dangling asset references where the source media file is missing.
- [ ] Consolidate attachment storage (e.g. dedicated `attachments/` or co-located assets).

## 4. Syntax & Compatibility
- [ ] Distinguish standard CommonMark links from tool-specific wikilink extensions.
- [ ] Ensure links inside code fences (```...```) are not mistakenly treated as active navigation.
- [ ] Review frontmatter YAML blocks for standard formatting and valid syntax.
- [ ] Identify plugin-specific block syntax (e.g. Dataview queries, Canvas files) that won't render in standard Markdown viewers.

## 5. Portability Verification
- [ ] Open the audited vault in an independent plain-text editor to ensure notes remain legible without special plugins.
- [ ] Run the inspection report again to verify zero unresolved references remain.