claude-memory-engine

---

WHAT — Every new conversation, Claude starts from zero

• That bug you spent 30 minutes on last session — it hits the same wall again
• Your preferences, your project rules — gone the moment a new session starts
• Switch from Project A to Project B — it can't tell which is which
• Long conversations get fuzzy — important decisions vanish after compression
• Memory files pile up — no one organizes them, they just keep growing
• Your computer dies — local memory gone, no backup

Memory tools can help it "remember." But remembering is not the same as learning.

---

WHY — Because it learns

Memory Engine doesn't just help Claude remember — it teaches Claude to learn like a student:

• Mistakes don't repeat — it saves both the problem and the fix
• Switching projects doesn't mean starting over — it knows what you're working on
• It gets better over time — each cycle, it understands you a little more
• You can see how it learns — everything is markdown and JS, no black box

---

HOW — Through the Student Loop

• Student Loop — 8-step learning cycle, like cramming for finals but it keeps getting better
• Smart Context — auto-loads the right project's memory based on your working directory
• Auto Learn — saves both the problem and the fix when it hits a wall, won't repeat the same mistake

:brain: The Student Loop

Think of it like exam prep. I'm trying to make Claude Code act like a student cramming for finals — take notes after every class, organize them, review for patterns, build an error notebook, and do a big end-of-term review. Each cycle, it gets a little better.

In class (automatic, runs every session)

There is no real "end" to a Claude Code conversation — it might close, idle out, or get compressed. So Memory Engine doesn't rely on any single moment. Instead, it saves at three different points:

1. Every 20 messages (mid-session-checkpoint) — saves a checkpoint + mini analysis. The most reliable save point, because it counts messages itself
2. Before context compression (pre-compact) — fires right before context is compressed. Saves a snapshot, detects pitfalls, runs backup. This is when context is fullest, so pitfall detection is most accurate here
3. When the conversation ends (session-end) — saves a final summary + backup. Nice to have, but not guaranteed to fire (window might just close)

You don't need to remember to run any command before closing — your important stuff is already saved before you close.

On top of that, Claude also:

• Takes notes — records what was done, which files changed, key decisions made
• Links them — tags the project, connects to previous notes
• Spots patterns — scans for pitfall signals (retrying 5+ times, errors followed by fixes, user corrections)

Final exam review (manual, run /reflect)

After a few days of notes, run /reflect and Claude will:

4. Review — read the past 7 days of notes and pitfall records, mark what's still useful and what's outdated
5. Refine — apply four decision questions: Keep it? -> Condense it? -> Already covered by a rule? -> Delete only as last resort
6. Re-study — re-analyze the cleaned-up data to find patterns that were buried in noise
7. Slim down — list items that can be removed, wait for your confirmation before deleting anything
8. Wrap up — produce a report: what was learned, what changed, what to watch for next cycle

This isn't a one-time thing. Each cycle makes the notes sharper, the patterns clearer, the mistakes fewer. It's a loop that keeps improving.

:pencil2: Correction Cycle

Some mistakes don't show up in error logs. You correct its output, and only then does it realize — "oh, that was wrong." These mistakes don't get remembered automatically. Unless someone builds it an error notebook.

Record (/analyze, manual — run right after you correct something)

• You fix its work, type /analyze
• It compares both versions against existing rules
• Known rules it missed → logged, counted
• Patterns not in the rules yet → distilled into new ones
• The sooner you run it, the fresher the context

Review (automatic: before each task / manual: type /correct anytime)

• Before starting work, it scans the error notebook automatically
• Not re-learning — just a reminder: "I got this wrong last time, don't repeat it"
• Want to review on your own? Type /correct — no need to wait for a task or a cycle

Clean up (/reflect step 6, manual)

• Periodically scan the full notebook
• Same mistake 3+ times → upgrade to a hard rule
• Already internalized → mark cleared, free up space

But you know that from here on, your AI has grown a little more.

Can I just type /correct directly? Yes. /correct works anytime — no need to wait for a task or a cycle. It simply opens the error notebook and shows you what's active.

How often should I run /reflect? There's no fixed schedule. A good rhythm is once a week, or whenever the notebook feels cluttered. Step 6 of /reflect handles cleanup — upgrading repeat offenders to hard rules and clearing ones you've already internalized.

Do I have to run /analyze first before /correct works? No. /analyze records new mistakes; /correct reviews existing ones. They're independent. Even if you never run /analyze, /correct still shows whatever is already in the notebook.

:detective: Smart Context + Auto Learn

Smart Context (automatic, no config needed)

• Whatever folder you're working in, it loads that project's memory
• Switch projects and it switches automatically

Auto Learn (automatic, on session end)

• Hit a wall and figured it out? It saves both the problem and the fix
• Reminds itself next time a new conversation starts
• Same kind of mistake 3+ times across different days → suggests writing it into permanent rules

:link: Day-to-day tools

Memory and learning are the core, but day-to-day work needs more:

Feature	Description
Health	/check daily scan + /full-check weekly audit to keep the memory system healthy
Tasks	/todo tracks pending items across all projects
Backup	/backup /sync connect to GitHub — bidirectional sync, safe even if your machine dies
Cross-device	Set up a GitHub memory repo, and your memory works across machines. New device? Run /recover and it's all there
Recovery	/recover restores lost memory from GitHub backup
Search	/memory-search keyword search across all memory files
Bilingual	Every command has an English + Traditional Chinese version (36 files)

Not sure what commands are available? Type /overview (/全覽) to see them all.

Daily Operations

EN	ZH	Function
/save	/存記憶	Save memory across sessions — auto-dedup and route to the right file
/reload	/讀取	Load memory into the current conversation
/todo	/待辦	Cross-project task tracking
/backup	/備份	Push local memory to GitHub
/sync	/同步	Bidirectional sync — push local, pull remote

Reflection & Learning

EN	ZH	Function
/diary	/回顧	Generate a reflection diary
/reflect	/反思	Analyze pitfall records and find recurring patterns
/learn	/學習	Manually save a pitfall experience

Health Checks

EN	ZH	Function
/check	/健檢	Quick scan — capacity, broken links, orphan files
/full-check	/大健檢	Full audit — commands, git repos, environment config
/memory-health	/記憶健檢	Memory file line counts, update dates, capacity warnings

Search & Maintenance

EN	ZH	Function
/memory-search	/搜尋記憶	Keyword search across all memory files
/recover	/想起來	Restore memory from GitHub backup
/compact-guide	/壓縮建議	Guide for when to compress and when not to
/overview	/全覽	List all available commands

Collaboration

You have three Claude Code windows open. One's fixing a bug, one's writing docs, one's cleaning up code. You switch over — and that window has zero clue what you were just doing.

/save is for things you want to remember long-term. /backup pushes everything to GitHub. /handoff is for right now — what you were working on, what's done, what's not.

EN	ZH	Function
/handoff	/交接	Generate a handoff file so another session can pick up where you left off

How it works: Run /handoff in window A. It saves a handoff file with your progress, decisions, and unfinished tasks. Window B picks it up automatically — no command needed on the receiving end. If B is already mid-conversation, it detects the new handoff in real time. If B starts a new conversation, it loads the handoff on startup. Either way, B sees it once and moves on.

Engine maintenance (new in v2.0)

EN	ZH	Function
/bb-pause	/暫停同步	Pause SessionEnd auto-commit while refactoring engine internals

When you're editing memory-backup.sh, hooks/*.js, or CLAUDE.md, the SessionEnd hook might auto-commit a half-finished version. /bb-pause on creates a .bb-pause lock file that makes the script exit early. Run /bb-pause off when you're done.

Hook	Trigger	What it does
session-start	New conversation	Load last summary + project memory + pending handoffs
session-end	Conversation ends	Save summary + backup (best-effort, may not fire)
pre-compact	Context compression (auto or manual)	Save snapshot + pitfall detection + backup — the real safety net
memory-sync	Every message sent	Detect cross-session memory changes + new handoffs
write-guard	Before file writes	Sensitive file interception
pre-push-check	Before git push	Safety check
mid-session-checkpoint	Every 20 messages	Save checkpoint + mini analysis

---

:arrows_counterclockwise: Cross-device Sync (rewritten in v2.0)

Memory Engine supports cross-device sync through a GitHub repo. Set it up once, and your memory works on every machine.

How it works:

1. /backup pushes local memory to your private GitHub repo (memory-backup.sh push)
2. /sync does bidirectional sync — pull remote updates, then push local changes (memory-backup.sh sync)
3. /recover on a new device pulls everything back and distributes to all local projects (memory-backup.sh pull)

What this means: Switch laptops, reinstall your OS, set up a new workstation — run /recover and Claude picks up right where you left off. No re-explaining your preferences, no lost context.

The GitHub repo is private by default. Your memory never touches any external service beyond your own GitHub account.

v2.0 — Full Environment Engine

v1.6 only synced memory files, which meant your second machine forever ran an older CLAUDE.md, missing slash commands, and stale hooks. v2.0 rewrites the sync as a full environment engine — the entire ~/.claude/ working environment travels with you:

Synced Artifact	v1.6	v2.0
MEMORY.md + per-project memory	✅	✅
CLAUDE.md (top-level rules)	❌	✅
commands/ (slash commands)	❌	✅
hooks/ (the engine itself)	push only	✅ bidirectional
settings.json (hook registry)	❌	✅ (auto-backup before overwrite)
skills/ and skills/learned/	partial	✅

Core architecture: SYNC_TABLE

A single source-of-truth table inside memory-backup.sh. Both push and pull read the same table, fixing the asymmetric bug where push synced X but pull silently skipped X. Adding a new sync target is one line:

SYNC_TABLE=(
  "$CLAUDE_DIR/CLAUDE.md|$REPO_DIR/CLAUDE.md|file|CLAUDE.md (top-level rules)"
  "$CLAUDE_DIR/commands|$REPO_DIR/commands|dir-md|slash commands"
  # ... add a line, push/pull both pick it up
)

v2.0 Features

Feature	Usage	Purpose
Dry-run	bash memory-backup.sh push --dry-run	Preview what would change before doing it. No real copies.
Status	bash memory-backup.sh status	Show local-vs-repo diff + git commits behind/ahead
Machine-id	echo "laptop" > ~/.claude/machine-id	Tags commits with machine name for multi-device attribution
.bb-pause lock	/bb-pause on / off	Pause SessionEnd auto-commit while refactoring engine itself
.bak.* filter	automatic	settings backup files stay out of the repo

---

:package: Installation

Step 1 — Create a GitHub repo for memory backup (cross-device sync):

Without a backup repo, /backup, /sync, and /recover won't work. Memory only lives locally — if your machine dies, it's all gone. With a repo, your memory works across devices.

gh repo create claude-memory --private
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/claude-memory.git ~/.claude/claude-memory

Step 2 — Copy files:

cp hooks/*.js ~/.claude/scripts/hooks/
cp hooks/*.sh ~/.claude/scripts/hooks/
cp commands/*.md ~/.claude/commands/
cp -r skill/ ~/.claude/skills/learned/memory-engine/

Step 3 — Create directories:

mkdir -p ~/.claude/sessions/diary
mkdir -p ~/.claude/scripts/hooks

Step 4 — Add hooks config to ~/.claude/settings.json:

{
  "hooks": {
    "SessionStart": [
      {
        "matcher": "*",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "node ~/.claude/scripts/hooks/session-start.js"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "SessionEnd": [
      {
        "matcher": "*",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "node ~/.claude/scripts/hooks/session-end.js"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "UserPromptSubmit": [
      {
        "matcher": "*",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "node ~/.claude/scripts/hooks/memory-sync.js"
          },
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "node ~/.claude/scripts/hooks/mid-session-checkpoint.js"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "PreCompact": [
      {
        "matcher": "*",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "node ~/.claude/scripts/hooks/pre-compact.js"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "PreToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "Bash",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "node ~/.claude/scripts/hooks/pre-push-check.js"
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "matcher": "Write",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "node ~/.claude/scripts/hooks/write-guard.js"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Step 5 — Restart Claude Code. Done!

---

:rocket: Quick Start

Done installing? Here's what to do next.

1. Just start working — open Claude Code and go. session-start loads your last session's context automatically
2. Just close when done — session-end saves a summary if it fires; mid-session-checkpoint and pre-compact already have your back
3. Want to remember something? — /save stores it in long-term memory
4. Switching windows? — /handoff passes your progress to the next window
5. After a few days — /reflect reviews your notes, finds patterns, cleans up

That's it. Everything else runs in the background.

---

:zap: Token Impact

Memory Engine adds almost no token overhead to your daily usage.

Hook	When it runs	Token cost
session-start	Once per conversation	~200–500 tokens (loads last summary + project memory)
memory-sync	Every message	0 unless another session changed memory files
mid-session-checkpoint	Every message	0 unless it's the 20th message
write-guard	Before file writes	0 unless writing a sensitive file
pre-push-check	Before git push	0 unless pushing
session-end / pre-compact	End of conversation / compression	Output not injected into context

SKILL.md (136 lines) is a learned skill — Claude Code only loads it when relevant, not every conversation.

Bottom line: ~200–500 extra tokens at the start of each conversation. Everything else is zero unless triggered.

---

:wrench: Customization

What	Where
Context map	Smart Context auto-resolves per-project memory directory (no config needed). Override in session-start.js
Keywords	correctionKeywords in shared-utils.js
Sensitive files	PROTECTED_PATTERNS in write-guard.js
Retention	MAX_SESSIONS in session-end.js (default: 30)

---

:bulb: Design Philosophy

Why not a database?

• Markdown — you can open it, read it, edit it, git commit it
• Claude Code already reads .md natively — why add complexity?

Why not a Plugin?

• Plugins are black boxes
• Hooks + Commands are transparent — every .js file is right there to inspect
• Don't like something? Change it. Think it's unnecessary? Delete it
• Tools should be something you control, not something that controls you

---

:pray: Credits

All code was written from scratch. No code was copied, forked, or adapted from any source project.

Project	What it inspired
contextstream/claude-code	Smart Context, auto-learning from mistakes
memvid/claude-brain	Memory statistics, lightweight design
rlancemartin/claude-diary	Reflection diary, pattern analysis

---

v1.6 — Cross-Device Sync

• Added memory-backup.sh — bidirectional sync script with push, pull, and sync modes
• pull mode distributes global memory files from the backup repo into every local project directory (newer file wins, won't overwrite local changes)
• push mode auto-detects all project directories instead of hardcoding paths
• /sync command updated: now runs pull + push in one step
• /recover command updated: uses memory-backup.sh pull for automatic distribution
• New troubleshooting entry: "Memory from another device not showing up"

v1.5.2 — Save System Rewrite

• Pitfall detection moved from session-end to pre-compact (runs before compression, catches more context)
• Save system documented with three save points ranked by reliability
• reflect.md, 反思.md, 交接.md generalized for public use
• Correction Cycle FAQ added (EN + ZH, 3 questions each)
• Design Philosophy converted to bullet-point format

v1.5.1 — Quick Reference

• Added /overview (/全覽) to command tables and SKILL.md
• 36 bilingual command files (18 pairs EN + ZH)

v1.5 — Session Handoff + Shared Core

• Session Handoff — switch between Claude Code windows without losing context. /handoff saves a handoff file, the next session picks it up automatically
• Correction Cycle — /analyze compares your edits against rules, logs mistakes, builds an error notebook that auto-reviews before each task
• shared-utils.js — extracted shared functions from session-end.js and pre-compact.js, eliminating ~80% duplicated code
• Smart Context now resolves the correct memory directory per-project automatically — no hardcoded paths
• Backup scope expanded: hooks, engine skill, and all project memories included in /backup and /sync
• 36 bilingual command files (EN + ZH), up from 28

v1.4 — The Real Safety Net

• PreCompact hook — saves snapshot before context compression (auto or manual)
• Cross-device sync — GitHub memory repo works across machines, /recover on new device pulls everything back
• Fires one step before compression — always has a save point, no matter how the conversation ends

v1.3 — The Student Loop

• 8-step learning cycle (first 3 automatic, last 5 via /reflect)
• Mid-session checkpoints (every 20 messages)
• /reflect 4-question decision tree
• SessionEnd fixes (transcript parsing, IDE noise filtering, pitfall threshold raised to 5)

v1.2 — Full Command Suite

• 14 bilingual commands (daily ops / reflection / health checks / search & recovery)
• Two-tier health checks (/check + /full-check)
• Cross-project tasks, backup sync, disaster recovery, compression guide

v1.1 — Smart Context Auto-detect

• No manual config needed — auto-scans project memory directories
• Chinese correction detection (13 Chinese keywords)
• Pitfall records include solutions, session summaries revamped, weekly auto-digest

claude-memory-engine/
  hooks/
    session-start.js          # New session -> load recall + smart-context + handoff
    session-end.js            # Session end -> save summary + backup (best-effort)
    pre-compact.js            # Context compression -> snapshot + pitfall detection + backup
    shared-utils.js           # Shared functions (transcript, pitfall, backup)
    memory-sync.js            # Every message -> cross-session memory sync + handoff
    write-guard.js            # Before file write -> sensitive file warning
    pre-push-check.js         # Before git push -> safety check
    mid-session-checkpoint.js # Every 20 messages -> checkpoint
    memory-backup.sh          # Bidirectional sync (push/pull/sync) — v1.6
  commands/
    save.md / 存記憶.md        # Save memory across sessions
    reload.md / 讀取.md        # Load memory
    todo.md / 待辦.md          # Cross-project tasks
    backup.md / 備份.md        # Push to GitHub
    sync.md / 同步.md          # Bidirectional sync
    diary.md / 回顧.md         # Reflection diary
    reflect.md / 反思.md       # Pattern analysis
    learn.md / 學習.md         # Pitfall learning
    check.md / 健檢.md         # Quick health check
    full-check.md / 大健檢.md   # Full audit
    memory-health.md / 記憶健檢.md
    memory-search.md / 搜尋記憶.md
    recover.md / 想起來.md
    compact-guide.md / 壓縮建議.md
    handoff.md / 交接.md        # Session handoff
  skill/
    SKILL.md
    references/
      smart-context.md
      auto-learn.md

---

Requirements

• Claude Code (with hooks support)
• Node.js 18+
• Zero dependencies

License

MIT — see LICENSE for details.

---