/memory

name: memory
description: AI DevKit · Use the memory CLI as a durable knowledge layer. Search before non-trivial work, store verified reusable knowledge, update stale entries, and avoid saving transcripts, secrets, or one-off task progress.

AI DevKit Memory CLI

Use `npx ai-devkit@latest memory ...` as the durable knowledge layer.

Workflow

1. For implementation, debugging, review, planning, or documentation tasks, search before deep work unless the task is trivial:

   npx ai-devkit@latest memory search --query "<task, subsystem, error, or convention>" --limit 5

For broad or risky tasks, search multiple angles: subsystem, error text, framework, command, and task intent.

2. Use results as context:

• Trust repo files, tests, fresh command output, and explicit user instructions over memory.
• If memory conflicts with verified evidence, use the evidence and update the stale memory.
• Mention memory only when it changes the plan or avoids asking the user again.

3. Search before storing:

   npx ai-devkit@latest memory search --query "<knowledge to store>" --table

4. Store or update only after the quality gate passes.

Quality Gate

Before storing, all must be true:

• Future sessions are likely to reuse it.
• It is verified by code, docs, tests, command output, or explicit user instruction.
• It is not merely a restatement of obvious nearby files unless it prevents repeated agent mistakes.
• It is scoped narrowly enough.
• Existing memory does not already cover it.
• It contains no secrets, credentials, private customer data, personal data, raw logs, or temporary paths.

Store:

• Project conventions, user preferences, durable decisions.
• Reusable fixes, testing patterns, commands, setup gotchas.
• Non-obvious constraints, architecture rules, failure patterns.

Do not store:

• Task progress, transcripts, speculation, generic programming facts.
• Raw errors without diagnosis.
• Anything the user did not intend to persist.

Commands

Search

npx ai-devkit@latest memory search \
  --query "<query>" \
  --tags "<tags>" \
  --scope "<scope>" \
  --limit 5

Use `--table` to get IDs for updates:

npx ai-devkit@latest memory search --query "<query>" --table

Options: `--query/-q` required; `--tags`; `--scope/-s`; `--limit/-l` from 1-20; `--table`.

Store

npx ai-devkit@latest memory store \
  --title "<actionable title, 10-100 chars>" \
  --content "<context, guidance, evidence, exceptions>" \
  --tags "<lowercase,tags>" \
  --scope "<global|project:name|repo:org/repo>"

Use this content shape when helpful:

Context: Where this applies.
Guidance: What to do.
Evidence: File, command, test, or user instruction.
Exceptions: When not to apply it.

Update

Find the ID with `search --table`, then update only changed fields:

npx ai-devkit@latest memory update \
  --id "<memory-id>" \
  --title "<updated title>" \
  --content "<updated content>" \
  --tags "<replacement,tags>" \
  --scope "<updated scope>"

`--tags` replaces all existing tags.

Scoping

Use the narrowest useful scope:

• `repo:<org/repo>` for one repository.
• `project:<name>` for one app, product, or workspace.
• `global` only for knowledge that applies across unrelated projects.

If unsure, use a narrower scope.

Troubleshooting

• CLI missing: run `npx ai-devkit@latest --version`.
• Duplicate title: search, then update the existing item if it is the same knowledge.
• Empty results: broaden terms, remove filters, or search symptoms and subsystem names separately.
• Validation error: check title/content lengths, query length, and `--limit` range.
• DB path: default is `~/.ai-devkit/memory.db`; project config can override it automatically.