memory-management

name	memory-management
description	Guidelines for when and how to use the Memento memory system effectively
version	0.1.0

Memory Management

You have access to the Memento MCP server for persistent memory. Use it proactively.

When to store

• After completing a significant task: what was built, key decisions, file paths
• When the user shares preferences or conventions
• After debugging: root cause and solution
• When discovering architecture patterns or project structure
• After research that produced useful findings

When to recall

• At the start of a session: search for context about the current project
• When the user references past work or decisions
• Before making architectural decisions: check for prior context

How to search effectively

1. Start with memory_list_namespaces to see what domains exist
2. Search with a focused query scoped to a specific namespace
3. Use tags as pre-filters (they narrow before BM25 scoring)
4. Only memory_recall the 1-3 most relevant results
5. Never recall all search results

How to write good memories

• Front-load the key fact (first 150 chars become the snippet)
• Be specific: "Use JSONL for storage" not "We decided on a storage format"
• One concept per memory
• Always include at least one tag

Namespace strategy

Namespace	Use for
global	Cross-project knowledge
projects/<name>	Project-specific context
people	Person-related information
decisions	Architectural/design decisions
procedures	Repeatable workflows

Tag vocabulary

Tag	Use for
architecture	Design decisions, system structure
preference	User preferences, settings
procedure	How-to, workflows
person	People information
project	General project context
temporary	Short-lived, pair with TTL
bug	Known issues, workarounds
learned	Lessons, insights
config	Configuration, settings
api	API details, endpoints

What NOT to store

• Conversation transcripts (store conclusions, not chats)
• Trivial changes (typo fixes, single-line edits)
• Temporary debugging output
• Information already in CLAUDE.md or project docs

Anti-patterns

• Dumping everything into global
• Storing without tags
• Recalling all search results
• Searching without a specific information need
• Writing narrative instead of distilled facts