/migrating-memory

name: migrating-memory
description: Migrate memory blocks from an existing agent to the current agent. Use when the user wants to copy or share memory from another agent, or during /init when setting up a new agent that should inherit memory from an existing one.

Migrating Memory

This skill helps migrate memory blocks from an existing agent to a new agent, similar to macOS Migration Assistant for AI agents.

> **Requires Memory Filesystem (memfs)** > > This workflow is memfs-first. If memfs is enabled, do **not** use the legacy block commands — they can conflict with file-based edits. > > **To check:** Look for a `memory_filesystem` block in your system prompt. If it shows a tree structure starting with `/memory/` including a `system/` directory, memfs is enabled. > > **To enable:** Ask the user to run `/memfs enable`, then reload the CLI.

When to Use This Skill

• User is setting up a new agent that should inherit memory from an existing one
• User wants to share memory blocks across multiple agents
• User is replacing an old agent with a new one
• User mentions they have an existing agent with useful memory

Migration Method (memfs-first)

Export → Copy → Sync

This is the recommended flow:

1. **Export the source agent's memfs to a temp directory**

   letta memory export --agent <source-agent-id> --out /tmp/letta-memory-<source-agent-id>

2. **Copy the files you want into your own memfs**

• `system/` = attached blocks (always loaded)
• root = detached blocks

Example:

   cp -r /tmp/letta-memory-agent-abc123/system/project ~/.letta/agents/$LETTA_AGENT_ID/memory/system/
   cp /tmp/letta-memory-agent-abc123/notes.md ~/.letta/agents/$LETTA_AGENT_ID/memory/

3. **Commit and push the memory repo**

   cd ~/.letta/agents/$LETTA_AGENT_ID/memory
   git add system/project notes.md
   git commit -m "Import memory from source agent"
   git push

This gives you full control over what you bring across and keeps everything consistent with memfs.

If MemFS Is Disabled

The legacy block-level CLI commands have been removed. Enable MemFS first, then use the export → copy → sync workflow above.

If you run into duplicate filenames while copying memory files, rename the incoming file or merge its contents manually before committing.

Workflow

Step 1: Identify Source Agent

Ask the user for the source agent's ID (e.g., `agent-abc123`).

If they don't know the ID, invoke the **finding-agents** skill to search:

Skill({ skill: "finding-agents" })

Example: "What's the ID of the agent you want to migrate memory from?"

Example: Migrating Project Memory

Scenario: You're a new agent and want to inherit memory from an existing agent "ProjectX-v1".

1. **Get source agent ID from user:** User provides: `agent-abc123`

2. **Export their memfs:**

   letta memory export --agent agent-abc123 --out /tmp/letta-memory-agent-abc123

3. **Copy the relevant files into your memfs:**

   cp -r /tmp/letta-memory-agent-abc123/system/project ~/.letta/agents/$LETTA_AGENT_ID/memory/system/

4. **Commit and push:**

   cd ~/.letta/agents/$LETTA_AGENT_ID/memory
   git add system/project
   git commit -m "Import project memory"
   git push