CRM Documents

This skill covers document management, cross-nesting, and entry detail pages. For workspace fundamentals, see the parent crm skill (crm/SKILL.md). For creating objects, see object-builder (crm/object-builder/SKILL.md).

Document Management

Documents are markdown files in {{WORKSPACE_PATH}}/**. The DuckDB documents table tracks metadata only; the .md file IS the content.

Default Rule: Every Entry Needs a Connected Document

Treat the entry document as the default long-form companion to the row.

Mandatory defaults:

• Create or reuse a connected entry document whenever you create an entry and have enough information to derive a sane filename/title.
• When updating an entry, ensure a connected document exists before finishing the task. If it is missing, create it.
• Keep the document registered in DuckDB documents with entry_id, parent_object_id, and file_path.
• If the user asks to add or change anything on an entry, update the connected document too.
• Append a concise timestamped activity log entry for every meaningful mutation so the document acts as an edit log, not just a static page.

Create Document

1. Write the .md file: write {{WORKSPACE_PATH}}/projects/roadmap.md
2. Insert metadata into DuckDB:

INSERT INTO documents (title, icon, file_path, parent_id, sort_order)
VALUES ('Roadmap', 'map', 'projects/roadmap.md', '<parent_doc_id>', 0);

Cross-Nesting

• Document under Object: Set parent_object_id on the document. Place .md file inside the object's directory.
• Object under Document: Set parent_document_id on the object. Place object directory inside the document's directory.

Notes Field vs Entry Documents

These are not the same thing:

• Notes field: a richtext value stored in DuckDB entry_fields
• Entry document: a standalone .md file on disk, linked to the entry through the documents table

When the user says:

• "fill in notes for each entry"
• "add notes to this row"
• "add a note to this entry"
• "write descriptions for all rows"
• "add detailed writeups"
• "put the outreach draft into each influencer notes page"
• "create entry docs"

default to the connected entry document.

If the user truly means the Notes field, they will usually talk about:

• a table column
• richtext field values
• filtering/sorting by Notes
• SQL updates to entry_fields

If they explicitly ask to update the Notes field/column, update that DuckDB value and sync the connected entry document unless they clearly ask you not to.

If they mean entry documents, they are talking about:

• markdown pages
• the entry detail panel
• prose content, drafts, meeting notes, SOPs, long-form notes
• files visible under the object in the sidebar

Entry Detail Pages

Each entry in an object should have a markdown file that acts as its detail page and running edit log in the entry panel.

CRITICAL: New entry documents should use human-readable filenames, not raw UUID filenames. The file must also be registered in DuckDB documents with entry_id, parent_object_id, and file_path.

Required storage model

For every entry document:

1. Reuse the existing linked document if one already exists for the entry
2. Otherwise write a human-readable markdown file inside the object directory
3. Insert/update a row in documents linking the entry to that file
4. Update the markdown content and append the mutation log entry

Before creating a new file, resolve any existing document:

SELECT id, title, file_path
FROM documents
WHERE entry_id = '<entry_id>'
ORDER BY updated_at DESC
LIMIT 1;

INSERT INTO documents (title, file_path, parent_object_id, entry_id)
VALUES (
  'Mike Murphy',
  'marketing/influencer/yt-mikemurphy-001.md',
  (SELECT id FROM objects WHERE name = 'influencer'),
  'yt-mikemurphy-001'
);

Naming convention (MANDATORY)

Use this filename structure for entry documents:

{human_readable_slug}-{sequence}.md

Examples:

• acme-corp-001.md
• jane-smith-001.md
• q2-renewal-deal-001.md

If the entry clearly belongs to a source/domain where a prefix helps, include it:

• yt-mikemurphy-001.md for YouTube creators
• x-somehandle-001.md for X/Twitter creators

How to choose the slug

Use the first strong human-readable identifier available:

1. Document Slug, Slug, or File Slug field if it exists
2. For YouTube creators: extract the handle from YouTube URL and prefix yt-
3. Otherwise use the primary text label, such as:
   • Title
   • Channel Name
   • Creator Name
   • Full Name
   • Name
   • Company Name
   • Deal Name
   • Case Number
   • Invoice Number

Examples:

• https://www.youtube.com/@MikeMurphy -> yt-mikemurphy-001.md
• Creator Name = Jane Smith -> jane-smith-001.md
• Company Name = Acme Corp -> acme-corp-001.md

Default content model

Keep the entry document readable for humans and useful as an audit trail. A good default shape is:

# Jane Smith

## Summary
Current state of the entry in plain English.

## Notes
User-facing notes, drafts, follow-ups, or other long-form details.

## Activity Log
### 2026-03-30T12:34:56Z - Entry updated
- Changed `Status`: `New` -> `Qualified`
- Added note: Follow up on Thursday about pricing

Update the current sections in place and append new log items instead of rewriting history.

NEVER do these

• Do NOT default to {entry_id}.md for new documents
• Do NOT confuse entry documents with the Notes richtext field
• Do NOT create a markdown file without also inserting/updating the documents table row
• Do NOT write human-readable files and leave them orphaned from metadata

Backward compatibility

Older workspaces may still have legacy {entry_id}.md files. Those can continue to work, but new entry documents should follow the human-readable naming convention above.

Creating One Entry Document

Create or repair the connected entry .md file whenever the user creates an entry, mentions notes on the row/entry, or makes a mutation and no document exists yet.

Example:

cat > {{WORKSPACE_PATH}}/marketing/influencer/yt-mikemurphy-001.md << 'MD'
# Draft Outreach Email

To: hello@mikemurphy.co
Subject: Partnership idea

Hi Mike,

I loved your AI Handyman breakdowns. DenchClaw is launching a workflow-native AI platform for builders who want serious control over execution, memory, and automation.

Would you be open to testing it and discussing a possible sponsorship?
MD

Then register it:

INSERT INTO documents (title, file_path, parent_object_id, entry_id)
VALUES (
  'Mike Murphy',
  'marketing/influencer/yt-mikemurphy-001.md',
  (SELECT id FROM objects WHERE name = 'influencer'),
  'yt-mikemurphy-001'
)
ON CONFLICT (file_path) DO UPDATE
SET title = excluded.title,
    parent_object_id = excluded.parent_object_id,
    entry_id = excluded.entry_id,
    updated_at = now();

Batch Creating Entry Documents

When the user asks for docs for many entries, or asks to add notes/details across many entries, create/update markdown files plus documents rows. Only update the Notes field in SQL when they explicitly want that field changed too.

Workflow

1. Query entries and the fields needed to build filenames/titles
2. Derive a human-readable filename for each entry
3. Write one .md file per entry under the object directory
4. Insert/update one documents row per file
5. Append or update each file's ## Notes and ## Activity Log sections to capture the requested changes

Example: create docs for every influencer

duckdb {{WORKSPACE_PATH}}/workspace.duckdb -json "
SELECT
  entry_id,
  \"Creator Name\",
  \"Channel Name\",
  \"YouTube URL\"
FROM v_influencer
ORDER BY \"Creator Name\"
"

Then for each row:

# Example row:
# entry_id = yt-mikemurphy-001
# youtube url = https://www.youtube.com/@MikeMurphy

cat > {{WORKSPACE_PATH}}/marketing/influencer/yt-mikemurphy-001.md << 'MD'
# Influencer Notes

## Outreach draft

...
MD

Register each file:

INSERT INTO documents (title, file_path, parent_object_id, entry_id)
VALUES (
  'Mike Murphy',
  'marketing/influencer/yt-mikemurphy-001.md',
  (SELECT id FROM objects WHERE name = 'influencer'),
  'yt-mikemurphy-001'
)
ON CONFLICT (file_path) DO UPDATE
SET title = excluded.title,
    parent_object_id = excluded.parent_object_id,
    entry_id = excluded.entry_id,
    updated_at = now();

Standalone Documents vs Entry Documents

Not every markdown file under an object directory is automatically an entry document.

• Entry document: has a corresponding documents row with entry_id set
• Standalone document under an object: has no entry_id link; it is just a nested document in that folder

Examples:

• marketing/influencer/yt-mikemurphy-001.md with documents.entry_id = 'yt-mikemurphy-001' -> entry document
• marketing/influencer/outreach-playbook.md with no entry_id -> standalone object-level document

If a markdown file is meant to be the entry page, always register it in documents.

Sync on Entry Mutations

After any meaningful entry mutation:

1. Resolve the linked entry document by documents.entry_id
2. Create the document if it does not exist yet
3. Update the relevant prose sections (Summary, Notes, drafts, follow-ups, etc.)
4. Append a timestamped Activity Log entry describing the delta

This applies to:

• field value changes
• explicit Notes field updates
• status/owner/priority changes
• user requests to "add", "note", "log", "remember", or otherwise attach information to an entry