claude-mem

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:32:22 +0800

thedotmack/claude-mem

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Persistent memory compression system built for Claude Code.

Quick Start • How It Works • Search Tools • Documentation • Configuration • Troubleshooting • License

Claude-Mem seamlessly preserves context across sessions by automatically capturing tool usage observations, generating semantic summaries, and making them available to future sessions. This enables Claude to maintain continuity of knowledge about projects even after sessions end or reconnect.

Quick Start

Install with a single command:

`1`	`npx claude-mem install`

Or install for Gemini CLI (auto-detects ~/.gemini):

`1`	`npx claude-mem install --ide gemini-cli`

Or install from the plugin marketplace inside Claude Code:

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/plugin marketplace add thedotmack/claude-mem

/plugin install claude-mem

Restart Claude Code or Gemini CLI. Context from previous sessions will automatically appear in new sessions.

Note: Claude-Mem is also published on npm, but npm install -g claude-mem installs the SDK/library only — it does not register the plugin hooks or set up the worker service. Always install via npx claude-mem install or the /plugin commands above.

🦞 OpenClaw Gateway

Install claude-mem as a persistent memory plugin on OpenClaw gateways with a single command:

`1`	`curl -fsSL https://install.cmem.ai/openclaw.sh \| bash`

The installer handles dependencies, plugin setup, AI provider configuration, worker startup, and optional real-time observation feeds to Telegram, Discord, Slack, and more. See the OpenClaw Integration Guide for details.

Key Features:

🧠 Persistent Memory - Context survives across sessions
📊 Progressive Disclosure - Layered memory retrieval with token cost visibility
🔍 Skill-Based Search - Query your project history with mem-search skill
🖥️ Web Viewer UI - Real-time memory stream at http://localhost:37777
💻 Claude Desktop Skill - Search memory from Claude Desktop conversations
🔒 Privacy Control - Use <private> tags to exclude sensitive content from storage
⚙️ Context Configuration - Fine-grained control over what context gets injected
🤖 Automatic Operation - No manual intervention required
🔗 Citations - Reference past observations with IDs (access via http://localhost:37777/api/observation/{id} or view all in the web viewer at http://localhost:37777)
🧪 Beta Channel - Try experimental features like Endless Mode via version switching

Documentation

📚 View Full Documentation - Browse on official website

Getting Started

Installation Guide - Quick start & advanced installation
Gemini CLI Setup - Dedicated guide for Google’s Gemini CLI integration
Usage Guide - How Claude-Mem works automatically
Search Tools - Query your project history with natural language
Beta Features - Try experimental features like Endless Mode

Best Practices

Context Engineering - AI agent context optimization principles
Progressive Disclosure - Philosophy behind Claude-Mem’s context priming strategy

Architecture

Overview - System components & data flow
Architecture Evolution - The journey from v3 to v5
Hooks Architecture - How Claude-Mem uses lifecycle hooks
Hooks Reference - 7 hook scripts explained
Worker Service - HTTP API & Bun management
Database - SQLite schema & FTS5 search
Search Architecture - Hybrid search with Chroma vector database

Configuration & Development

Configuration - Environment variables & settings
Development - Building, testing, contributing
Troubleshooting - Common issues & solutions

How It Works

Core Components:

5 Lifecycle Hooks - SessionStart, UserPromptSubmit, PostToolUse, Stop, SessionEnd (6 hook scripts)
Smart Install - Cached dependency checker (pre-hook script, not a lifecycle hook)
Worker Service - HTTP API on port 37777 with web viewer UI and 10 search endpoints, managed by Bun
SQLite Database - Stores sessions, observations, summaries
mem-search Skill - Natural language queries with progressive disclosure
Chroma Vector Database - Hybrid semantic + keyword search for intelligent context retrieval

See Architecture Overview for details.

MCP Search Tools

Claude-Mem provides intelligent memory search through 4 MCP tools following a token-efficient 3-layer workflow pattern:

The 3-Layer Workflow:

search - Get compact index with IDs (~50-100 tokens/result)
timeline - Get chronological context around interesting results
get_observations - Fetch full details ONLY for filtered IDs (~500-1,000 tokens/result)

How It Works:

Claude uses MCP tools to search your memory
Start with search to get an index of results
Use timeline to see what was happening around specific observations
Use get_observations to fetch full details for relevant IDs
~10x token savings by filtering before fetching details

Available MCP Tools:

search - Search memory index with full-text queries, filters by type/date/project
timeline - Get chronological context around a specific observation or query
get_observations - Fetch full observation details by IDs (always batch multiple IDs)

Example Usage:

// Step 1: Search for index
search(query="authentication bug", type="bugfix", limit=10)

// Step 2: Review index, identify relevant IDs (e.g., #123, #456)

// Step 3: Fetch full details
get_observations(ids=[123, 456])

See Search Tools Guide for detailed examples.

Beta Features

Claude-Mem offers a beta channel with experimental features like Endless Mode (biomimetic memory architecture for extended sessions). Switch between stable and beta versions from the web viewer UI at http://localhost:37777 → Settings.

See Beta Features Documentation for details on Endless Mode and how to try it.

System Requirements

Node.js: 18.0.0 or higher
Claude Code: Latest version with plugin support
Bun: JavaScript runtime and process manager (auto-installed if missing)
uv: Python package manager for vector search (auto-installed if missing)
SQLite 3: For persistent storage (bundled)

Windows Setup Notes

If you see an error like:

`1`	`npm : The term 'npm' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet`

Make sure Node.js and npm are installed and added to your PATH. Download the latest Node.js installer from https://nodejs.org and restart your terminal after installation.

Configuration

Settings are managed in ~/.claude-mem/settings.json (auto-created with defaults on first run). Configure AI model, worker port, data directory, log level, and context injection settings.

See the Configuration Guide for all available settings and examples.

Development

See the Development Guide for build instructions, testing, and contribution workflow.

Troubleshooting

If experiencing issues, describe the problem to Claude and the troubleshoot skill will automatically diagnose and provide fixes.

See the Troubleshooting Guide for common issues and solutions.

Bug Reports

Create comprehensive bug reports with the automated generator:

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cd ~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/thedotmack
npm run bug-report

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch
Make your changes with tests
Update documentation
Submit a Pull Request

See Development Guide for contribution workflow.

License

This project is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL-3.0).

See the LICENSE file for full details.

What This Means:

You can use, modify, and distribute this software freely
If you modify and deploy on a network server, you must make your source code available
Derivative works must also be licensed under AGPL-3.0
There is NO WARRANTY for this software

Note on Ragtime: The ragtime/ directory is licensed separately under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. See ragtime/LICENSE for details.

Support

Documentation: docs/
Issues: GitHub Issues
Repository: github.com/thedotmack/claude-mem
Official X Account: @Claude_Memory
Official Discord: Join Discord
Author: Alex Newman (@thedotmack)

Built with Claude Agent SDK | Powered by Claude Code | Made with TypeScript

What About $CMEM?

$CMEM is a solana token created by a 3rd party without Claude-Mem’s prior consent, but officially embraced by the creator of Claude-Mem (Alex Newman, @thedotmack). The token acts as a community catalyst for growth and a vehicle for bringing real-time agent data to the developers and knowledge workers that need it most. $CMEM: 2TsmuYUrsctE57VLckZBYEEzdokUF8j8e1GavekWBAGS

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