| name | hmem-curate |
| description | Curate an .hmem file (your own or foreign) — mark obsolete/irrelevant, fix titles, consolidate duplicates, repair broken links. **Requires the `hmem-curate` MCP server** (skill prompts the user to enable it on entry). Use whenever the user says 'aufräumen', 'memory aufräumen', 'Speicher aufräumen', 'hmem aufräumen', 'clean up memory', 'tidy up hmem', 'curate memory', 'consolidate duplicates', 'merge duplicate entries', 'fix broken links', 'kümmer dich um die Memory', or invokes /hmem-curate. Also trigger when `memory_health()` flags BLOCKER/WARNING issues, when a P-entry's load_project output exceeds 4k tokens (session-start noise check defers to this skill), or before any batch cleanup of L, E, D, P entries. Skipping this skill and editing memory directly bypasses health checks, severity triage, and obsolete-chain integrity — never curate without it. |
hmem Curation
Prerequisite: Activate hmem-curate MCP Server
Curation tools (memory_health, memory_stats, update_many, tag_bulk, tag_rename,
move_memory, rename_id, move_nodes, export_memory, import_memory, reset_memory_cache)
are in the separate hmem-curate MCP server — not in the daily hmem server. They are not
available by default; curation cannot start until the user enables them.
Check the available tools first. If memory_health is not callable, tell the user:
"I need the hmem-curate MCP server to be active. It is not enabled by default because curation
writes destructively. To register it once:
npx hmem mcp-add-curate
Then run /mcp to enable it, and come back. (Fallback if the hmem CLI isn't on PATH:
claude mcp add hmem-curate -s user -- npx hmem-curate.)"
Wait for confirmation before proceeding. Do not attempt curation calls until the tools are available —
they will fail silently or with cryptic errors. Once confirmed, continue with Step 0 below.
Curate hmem memory — mark obsolete/irrelevant/favorite, fix titles, consolidate duplicates, fix broken links.
Two modes:
- Self-curation (default): you curate your own memory. No extra params.
- Foreign-file curation: pass
hmem_path=/absolute/path/to/file.hmem to read_memory, update_memory, memory_health, find_related. Sync and session cache are disabled. All updates land in that file.
Step 0: Health Check First
memory_health() # own store
memory_health(hmem_path="...") # foreign file
Shows:
- Broken links — entries with refs to deleted IDs
- Orphaned entries — roots with no sub-nodes (likely draft stubs)
- Stale favorites/pinned — not accessed in >60 days (demote or verify)
- Broken obsolete chains —
[✓ID] pointing to deleted entries
Severity classification — prioritize fixes in this order:
| Severity | Examples | Action |
|---|
| BLOCKER | Broken links, broken obsolete chains | Fix before any other curation |
| WARNING | Orphaned stubs, stale favorites >90 days, P-entry token bloat | Fix in current session |
| INFO | Vague titles, duplicate candidates, minor tag cleanup | Fix if time allows |
Useful before starting:
memory_stats()
read_memory(stale_days=60) # stale entries in own store
read_memory(stale_days=60, hmem_path="...") # same, foreign file
Workflow: Prefix by Prefix
Work one prefix at a time. Load all entries of a prefix with full depth:
read_memory(prefix="P", show_all=true)
read_memory(prefix="P", show_all=true, hmem_path="...")
show_all=true bypasses the bulk-read algorithm and session cache — every entry is expanded with L2+L3 children visible. Review the output directly.
Order: Start with the prefix with the most entries (usually P), then L, E, D, etc.
If context overflows mid-prefix, continue with the remaining entries — memory survives compression.
For Each Entry: Decide and Act
| Decision | Action |
|---|
| Still valid and useful | Skip |
| Important reference (every session) | update_memory(id="X", content="...", favorite=true) |
| Outdated — a better entry exists | Mark obsolete (see below) |
| Just noise — not wrong, but irrelevant | update_memory(id="X", content="...", irrelevant=true) |
| Title vague or misleading | update_memory(id="X", content="Better wording") |
| Sub-node has valuable reference info | update_memory(id="X.N", content="...", favorite=true) |
Add hmem_path="..." to every call when curating a foreign file.
Marking Obsolete
Obsolete requires a correction reference. Three patterns:
A: Replacement exists already
update_memory(id="E0023", content="Wrong approach — see [✓E0076]", obsolete=true)
B: No replacement exists yet
write_memory(prefix="L", content="Correct approach is XYZ\n\tDetails...") # -> L0090
update_memory(id="L0042", content="Superseded — see [✓L0090]", obsolete=true)
C: Just stale, no correction needed
update_memory(id="T0005", content="...", irrelevant=true)
Foreign file: curator may mark obsolete without [✓ID] for stale entries where no correction exists.
Consolidate Duplicates
- Pick the keeper (more complete, usually older)
- Copy unique info:
append_memory(id="P0029", content="Carry-over\n\tDetail")
- Mark duplicate obsolete:
update_memory(id="P0031", content="Merged into [✓P0029]", obsolete=true)
Fragmented P-entries (same project, multiple entries): same workflow. One P per project.
Links — Cross-References
When two entries have a clear causal/contextual relationship (e.g. a P and the L/E entries that resulted from it), add links at both so drill-down resolves them:
update_memory(id="P0001", content="...", links=["L0023", "E0009"])
update_memory(id="L0023", content="...", links=["P0001"])
Don't over-link — only where navigation benefits.
Title/Body Quality
Every node has a title (short, ~50 chars) and optional body (blank line separator). During curation:
Root entries (L1):
Child nodes (L2+):
Rewrite when: auto-title is truncated mid-word, node has >200 chars crammed in one line, content is valuable but unscannable.
Don't rewrite when: title is already clear, or entry has low access count and marginal value.
P-Entry Standard-Schema (R0009)
P-entries follow the standard L2 structure:
.1 Overview, .2 Codebase, .3 Usage, .4 Context, .5 Deployment, .6 Bugs, .7 Protocol, .8 Open tasks, .9 Ideas
Check P-entries during curation:
- Missing section:
append_memory(id="P00XX", content="\tOverview\n\t\tCurrent state: ...")
- Wrong order: Restructure — order is fixed per R0009
- Empty section: OK to omit, but content must be in the right section if present
- L1 body: One-line project summary:
Name | Status | Stack | Description
O-Entries (Session Logs)
O-entries accumulate via the Stop hook. They're excluded from bulk reads by default — leave them alone. Focus curation time on L, E, D, P.
Special tagged nodes — do not modify:
#checkpoint-summary — auto-generated [CP] summaries#skill-dialog — skill activation exchanges
Exception — old O-entries with bad titles/missing tags:
update_memory(id="O0042", content="Descriptive session title")update_memory(id="O0042", content="...", tags=["#session", "#release"])
Bulk Operations
For large-scale changes across many entries:
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|
update_many(updates=[...]) | Batch flag updates across multiple IDs |
tag_bulk(ids=[...], add_tags=[...], remove_tags=[...]) | Add/remove tags across many entries |
tag_rename(old_tag, new_tag) | Rename a tag globally |
(These operate on your own store only — for foreign files, iterate manually with update_memory(hmem_path=...).)
Relocate Misplaced Nodes
move_memory cuts and re-inserts a sub-node under a new parent, rewriting all IDs + links + [✓ID] refs.
move_memory(source_id="P0029.15", target_parent_id="L0074")
move_memory(source_id="P0029.15", target_parent_id="P0029.20")
Constraints: source must be a sub-node (not root); cannot move into own subtree. Operates on own store only.
Favorite Audit
- Too many? >10% favorites → demote less important:
update_memory(id="X", content="...", favorite=false)
- Missing? Reference entries (API endpoints, key decisions, patterns) should be favorites.
- Sub-node better than root? Favorite the sub-node instead.
Stale Entries
Entries older than 1 month with access_count = 0: mark obsolete.
update_memory(id="L0042", obsolete=true)
Exception: unique lessons or error patterns with no equivalent — keep even if never accessed.
The V2 algorithm uses time-weighted scoring (access_count / log2(age_in_days + 2)) — old+low-access entries naturally sink; old+high-access stay visible.
Limits
| Store | Max entries | Action when over |
|---|
| Personal | 300 | Triage: duplicates → low-access old → generic lessons |
| Company | 200 | Same |
Triage order: exact duplicates → stale (access=0, >1 month) → fragmented P entries → borderline.
Quick Reference
| Tool | When |
|---|
memory_health() | Start here — broken links, orphans, stale favorites |
memory_stats() | Overview before starting |
read_memory(stale_days=60) | Prime curation targets |
read_memory(prefix="X", show_all=true) | Load entire prefix |
update_memory(id, content, favorite=true) | Always-show reference |
update_memory(id, content, irrelevant=true) | Hide from bulk reads |
update_memory(id, content, obsolete=true) | Mark wrong (needs [✓ID]) |
append_memory(id, content) | Merge info into keeper |
move_memory(source_id, target_parent_id) | Relocate misplaced sub-node |
update_many(updates=[...]) | Batch flag updates |
tag_bulk / tag_rename | Tag maintenance |
read_memory(show_obsolete=true) | Review already-obsolete |
find_related(id) | Discover connections / spot duplicates |
All four read/update/health/find tools accept hmem_path="..." for foreign-file curation.
Rules
- Never invent or fabricate memories.
- Prefer fix/consolidate/mark-obsolete over deletion. Obsolete entries are hidden from bulk reads anyway.
- When in doubt, skip. False obsolete/irrelevant is harder to undo than leaving an entry alone.
- Preserve learning value. E (errors) and L (lessons) about why something failed stay valuable even after the bug is fixed — only mark obsolete if the analysis is wrong.
- One prefix per batch. Don't try all 200+ entries at once.
