If some links only connect to part of a note, the note…
Apply the 'link test' by checking whether all links from a note feel relevant to the entire note—if some links connect only to parts, the note contains multiple units requiring separation.
When This Fires
- Reviewing existing notes during knowledge base maintenance
- Linking a note and realizing the link only applies to one paragraph
- Noticing that a note keeps appearing in search results for unrelated queries
- Any time a note feels "too big" but you're unsure where to split it
Common Failure Mode
Leaving compound notes intact because splitting "feels like too much work." The compound note will create progressively more problems: imprecise links, noisy search results, difficulty referencing specific ideas in conversation or writing. The split takes 5 minutes now; the compound note costs 5 minutes of friction every time you interact with it — forever.
The Protocol
For each note in review: (1) List all outbound and inbound links. (2) For each link, ask: "Is this link relevant to the entire note, or just a section?" (3) If any links are section-specific, those sections are candidate split points. (4) Split compound notes into atomic notes, one per idea. (5) Re-link: the original links now point to the specific atomic note they were actually about, making the graph structure cleaner and more precise.