hindsight-self-hosted

name	hindsight-self-hosted
description	Store team knowledge, project conventions, and learnings from tasks. Use to remember what works and recall context before new tasks. Connects to a self-hosted Hindsight server. (user)

Hindsight Memory Skill (Self-Hosted)

You have persistent memory via a self-hosted Hindsight server. This memory bank can be shared with the team, so knowledge stored here benefits everyone working on this codebase.

Proactively store team knowledge and recall context to provide better assistance.

Setup Check (First-Time Only)

Before using memory commands, verify the Hindsight CLI is configured:

cat ~/.hindsight/config

If the file doesn't exist or is missing credentials, help the user set it up:

1. Install the CLI (if hindsight command not found):

   curl -fsSL https://hindsight.vectorize.io/get-cli | bash
   

2. Create the config file - ask the user for:

   • API URL: Their self-hosted Hindsight server URL (e.g., https://hindsight.mycompany.com)
   • API Key: Their authentication key

   mkdir -p ~/.hindsight
   cat > ~/.hindsight/config << 'EOF'
   api_url = "<user's server URL>"
   api_key = "<user's API key>"
   EOF
   chmod 600 ~/.hindsight/config
   

3. Get the bank ID - ask the user for their bank ID (e.g., team-myproject)

After setup, use the bank ID in all commands below.

Commands

Replace <bank-id> with the user's actual bank ID (e.g., team-frontend).

Store a memory

Use memory retain to store what you learn:

hindsight memory retain <bank-id> "Project uses ESLint with Airbnb config and Prettier for formatting"
hindsight memory retain <bank-id> "Running tests requires NODE_ENV=test" --context procedures
hindsight memory retain <bank-id> "Build failed when using Node 18, works with Node 20" --context learnings
hindsight memory retain <bank-id> "Alice prefers verbose commit messages with context" --context preferences

Recall memories

Use memory recall BEFORE starting tasks to get relevant context:

hindsight memory recall <bank-id> "project conventions and coding standards"
hindsight memory recall <bank-id> "Alice preferences for this project"
hindsight memory recall <bank-id> "what issues have we encountered before"
hindsight memory recall <bank-id> "how does the auth module work"

Reflect on memories

Use memory reflect to synthesize context:

hindsight memory reflect <bank-id> "How should I approach this task based on past experience?"

IMPORTANT: When to Store Memories

This is a shared team bank. Store knowledge that benefits the team. For individual preferences, include the person's name.

Project/Team Conventions (shared)

• Coding standards ("Project uses 2-space indentation")
• Required tools and versions ("Project requires Node 20+, PostgreSQL 15+")
• Linting and formatting rules ("ESLint with Airbnb config")
• Testing conventions ("Integration tests require Docker running")
• Branch naming and PR conventions

Individual Preferences (attribute to person)

• Personal coding style ("Alice prefers explicit type annotations")
• Communication preferences ("Bob prefers detailed PR descriptions")
• Tool preferences ("Carol uses vim keybindings")

Procedure Outcomes

• Steps that successfully completed a task
• Commands that worked (or failed) and why
• Workarounds discovered
• Configuration that resolved issues

Learnings from Tasks

• Bugs encountered and their solutions
• Performance optimizations that worked
• Architecture decisions and rationale
• Dependencies or version requirements

Team Knowledge

• Onboarding information for new team members
• Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
• Architecture decisions and their rationale
• Integration points with external systems
• Domain knowledge and business logic explanations

IMPORTANT: When to Recall Memories

Always recall before:

• Starting any non-trivial task
• Making decisions about implementation
• Suggesting tools, libraries, or approaches
• Writing code in a new area of the project
• When answering questions about the codebase
• When a team member asks how something works

Best Practices

1. Store immediately: When you discover something, store it right away
2. Be specific: Store "npm test requires --experimental-vm-modules flag" not "tests need a flag"
3. Include outcomes: Store what worked AND what did not work
4. Recall first: Always check for relevant context before starting work
5. Think team-first: Store knowledge that would help other team members
6. Attribute individual preferences: Store "Alice prefers X" not just "User prefers X"
7. Distinguish project vs personal: Project conventions apply to everyone; personal preferences are per-person