Memory

Persistent memory layers for project and agent context.

Source filee52c524Updated Apr 24, 2026, 7:11 PM

Memory System

Memory is where Knowns stores durable context that should be recalled later.

The three layers

  • working memory: short-lived, session-scoped context
  • project memory: decisions, patterns, and conventions specific to one repository
  • global memory: user-level preferences or reusable rules across projects

When to use memory instead of docs

Use memory when the information is:

  • short enough to recall quickly
  • decision-oriented rather than explanatory
  • useful across many future interactions

Use docs when the information needs longer narrative explanation or structured sections.

Typical examples

  • “We use repository pattern for data access”
  • “Always validate before marking a task done”
  • “This team prefers semantic search before manual grep for exploratory work”

Commands

bash
knowns memory add "We use repository pattern" --category decision
knowns memory list --plain
knowns memory <id> --plain