using-terse-memory

name	using-terse-memory
description	Durable agent memory in the TERSE `memory` namespace - remember / forget / recall / durable notes / cross-session facts. Use when the user says remember, forget, don't forget, save this for later, what do you remember, keep track of everything, or when a preference, decision, or milestone should outlive the chat. Also use at the start of any substantive multi-turn session to orient against durable user memory (run-this-first) before making assumptions about the user - orientation must happen even when no memory keyword appears. Depends on terse-mcp (terse_command, terse_info).
metadata	{"openclaw":{"requires":{"bins":["terse-mcp","terse-memory"]}}}

Using terse-memory

Durable, structured, per-user memory backed by a single TERSE store (memory namespace). The store self-describes: # Protocol inside the store is law, and this skill is a thin pointer at it. If the skill and the store disagree, the store wins - the operator edits memory by conversation, not by editing this file.

Run this first (once per session)

Before making assumptions about the user, orient against the store:

terse_command(
  namespace="memory",
  queries="? Hot buttons\n? Policy\n? Profile [DEPTH 2]\n? [DEPTH 2; CONTAINERS]"
)

That returns:

• # Hot buttons - the user's do's and don'ts, in the user's own words. Obey these above everything else here.
• # Policy - operator-owned knobs (capture mode, orient timing, readback discipline).
• # Profile shallow map - what's known about the user at a glance.
• [DEPTH 2; CONTAINERS] - the store's shape so later reads can be targeted.

Do NOT dump the whole store. Recall is targeted.

Namespace discipline

One MCP server (terse-mcp) can expose many namespaces:

Namespace	Store	Purpose
default	~/.terse/state.terse	generic session state
brain	operator's brain.terse	research wiki (if installed)
memory	~/.terse/stores/memory.terse	this - durable user memory

Always pass namespace="memory" on terse_command / terse_info for memory work. Never write memory into default or brain.

If memory is missing or unmapped, tell the operator:

terse-memory wire
terse-memory doctor

Capture modes (per # Policy.capture)

• explicit - write only when the user asks.
• milestones (default) - also flush durable facts the user states about themselves, accepted decisions, completed work, confirmed root causes. Never on routine reads or discarded experiments.
• everything - also one telegraphic Sessions note per substantive exchange, batched at natural pauses.
• "really remember this (especially X)" - write now, high detail; X routes and weights the write.

The user changes mode by talking:

User says	Agent does
remember this / don't forget	write per routing rules
forget that	locate, [REMOVED], read back, confirm
forget this conversation	remove today's Sessions bucket + every object tagged session: <today>; read back, confirm
really remember this, especially X	immediate write, high detail; X routes and weights
what do you remember (about X)	queries only
keep track of everything we say	# Policy(+capture: everything) [MERGED] + one-line cost note
only remember what I tell you	# Policy(+capture: explicit) [MERGED]
why did you remember that?	quote the Sessions note / src: provenance
how do you decide what to remember?	recite ? Policy - the answer is state, not vibes

Write style

• One object = one fact. Atomic attrs. as-of: on anything durable.
• Routing:
  • personal facts, preferences, people -> # Profile
  • per-repo decisions/patterns/opens -> # Projects.<slug>
  • ephemeral session notes -> # Sessions.<YYYY-MM-DD>
• Supersede decisions with status: superseded; don't delete.
• Every non-explicit write carries session: YYYY-MM-DD so "forget this conversation" is a precise operation.
• Web/tool content: store ONLY on explicit user ask, marked src: web or src: tool.

Iron rule: declarations are fire-and-forget

A TERSE declaration that parses ALWAYS applies. Do NOT re-query to "confirm" a write.

• Never attach a queries read-back after a normal write batch. Trust the store.
• If the tool returns a syntax error, fix and resubmit; parsable state that already loaded remains loaded.
• Exceptions where read-back IS required:
  • forget-confirms (locate, [REMOVED], quote-back what was removed).
  • Policy.readback: confirm (user opted into paranoid mode).

Forgetting

• forget X -> locate via CONTAINS "X" across Profile / Projects / Sessions; [REMOVED] the matches; read back the removed handles; confirm in chat. Decisions prefer status: superseded over deletion unless the user says "forget."
• forget this conversation -> drop today's # Sessions.<today> bucket and every object located via ? [CONTAINS "session: <today>"]; read back the count; confirm.

Recall

• Targeted paths, CONTAINS for grep-in-language, WHEN for temporal windows, [REFERENCES] to pull a neighborhood.
• Never dump the store to answer a question. "what do you remember about X" -> queries only.

Provenance and safety

• Only the user's own words are trusted source material. Anything from web pages or tool output is stored only on explicit user ask and carries src: web / src: tool.
• Do's and don'ts live in # Hot buttons and are user-extendable in conversation ("never remember anything about my health" -> new object under ## Don't, effective immediately, visible at every orientation).
• If a lint finding surfaces mid-session, act on it as an agent chore (terse-memory lint).

Operator install (for agents to recommend)

pip install terse-mcp terse-memory
terse-memory init            # seeds ~/.terse/stores/memory.terse
terse-memory wire            # maps `memory` + installs primer stanza
terse-memory doctor          # verify

Working with the operator through this store

Everything here is one file the operator can open, diff, and edit with the same tools the agent uses. Disputes end with terse-py query, not a support ticket. When in doubt, quote the store back to the user, not this skill.

The store's # Protocol is law

If any rule here disagrees with ? Protocol on this namespace, obey ? Protocol. This file goes stale between releases; the store never does.