Glossary

Key terms explained in plain language, with analogies for the abstract ones.

Core Concepts

Term	What It Means	Analogy
Agent	A specialized AI assistant with a specific expertise (like “email expert” or “calendar manager”)	Like a specialist on a team — the accountant handles finances, the designer handles visuals
Workflow	A sequence of steps that accomplishes a goal, often involving multiple agents	Like a business process — “prepare the board deck” triggers research, drafting, review
Skill	A reliable, repeatable tool that does the same thing every time (no AI reasoning needed)	Like a calculator — the AI decides WHAT to calculate, the skill does the computation
Command	A shortcut you type (like `/morning-brief`) that triggers a workflow	Like a speed-dial button on a phone — one press does a complex task
Context	Information the system loads to understand you and the current task	Like the briefing notes you’d give a new team member before a meeting

Term	What It Means	Analogy
Vault	Your organized knowledge base where the system stores everything it knows	Like a well-organized filing cabinet with labeled drawers
PARA	The organizational system: Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives	Like organizing your desk: active work (projects), ongoing responsibilities (areas), reference material (resources), and completed items (archives)
Profile / Self-Knowledge	Your personal information that helps the system understand you	Like the “user manual for you” you’d write for a new assistant
System Map / Agent Guide	A table of contents for your entire vault	Like the directory sign in a hospital lobby — tells everyone where to find everything
Domain Module	A focused section of your vault for one area of life (work, health, finance)	Like tabs in a browser — you open the relevant one, not all of them at once

Term	What It Means	Analogy
Nightly Pipeline / NightCrew	Automated tasks that run overnight to collect data and prepare your morning brief	Like a night cleaning crew — everything is fresh and organized when you arrive
Scheduled Task / LaunchAgent	A task set to run automatically at a specific time	Like setting an alarm — it goes off at the scheduled time without you doing anything
Hook	A check that runs automatically before or after an action to verify quality	Like a spell-checker that runs before you send an email

Term	What It Means	Analogy
API	A way for the system to talk to other services (Gmail, Calendar, etc.)	Like a translator between two people who speak different languages
API Key / Token	A password that lets the system access a service on your behalf	Like a key card for a building — proves you have permission to enter
OAuth	A secure way to give the system limited access to your accounts without sharing your password	Like giving valet parking your car key but not your house key
Terminal	The text-based interface where you type commands	Like texting your computer instead of clicking buttons
CLAUDE.md	A file that tells Claude how to behave — your rules and preferences	Like a handbook you’d give to a new employee
Markdown (.md)	A simple text format that can include headers, lists, and formatting	Like writing a document in plain text with simple formatting marks
MCP	Model Context Protocol — a way to connect external tools to Claude	Like a universal adapter that lets Claude plug into different services
1Password CLI	A command-line tool for securely accessing your saved passwords	Like asking a trusted vault keeper to retrieve a specific key for you
Symlink	A shortcut that points to a file or folder stored somewhere else	Like a bookmark in your browser — it’s not the page itself, just a pointer to it

These terms appear in the Developer Guide. You won’t need them for everyday use.

Term	What It Means
JSONL	A file format for storing structured data (conversation logs are stored this way)
InnerOS	The personal operating system layer in your vault (identity, values, goals)
Skill Pack	A complex skill with multiple sub-tools bundled together
TCC	Apple’s privacy system that controls which apps can access your data
JXA	JavaScript for Automation — a way to control Mac apps via scripts
n8n	An automation tool that can trigger workflows based on events

Check the FAQ for common questions, or just ask Claude directly — it’s designed to explain concepts in ways that make sense to you.