| name | ai-memex |
| description | Maintain an agent-native LLM wiki / AI memex using raw sources, durable Markdown wiki pages, citations, two-layer lint (mechanical + semantic), session distillation, and the memex CLI toolbox. Use when the user asks to capture sources, ingest material into raw/ or wiki/, query "what do I know about...", distill conversations, lint or health-check a wiki, or work with Karpathy-style LLM wiki / agent memory / compounding knowledge workflows. Also use when the user invokes memex slash prompts such as /memex:capture, /memex:ingest, /memex:query, /memex:distill, /memex:lint, or /memex:status. |
ai-memex
Core rule: preserve source truth and make knowledge compound. Never blur raw source material, citations, contradictions, or operation history.
This skill makes the agent the main interface for maintaining an LLM wiki. Use the memex CLI as a deterministic toolbox, not as the source of semantic judgment.
Management vs Use (read this first)
Two execution models. Pick based on the workflow.
| Mode | What it does | Who runs it | Sees vault AGENTS.md? |
|---|
| Management — write semantic content into the wiki (ingest, semantic lint, repair) | A sub-agent spawned by the memex CLI with cwd=vault and the vault's AGENTS.md inlined into its prompt | CLI delegates: memex ingest, memex lint --with-semantic, etc. | Yes — full schema, always live |
| Use — read the wiki to answer the user (query, status, browsing) | The current outer agent in the user's project session | Outer agent calls memex search / memex status and synthesizes for the user | No — uses wiki content, not schema |
Why this split:
- Management is schema-bound (decide page type, scene, cross-references). Sub-agent gets full live schema, never stale.
- Use is user-context-bound (answer in the user's task). Outer agent stays focused on the conversation.
- The outer agent does NOT need to read the vault's
AGENTS.md — management ops handle schema for it.
Practical rule: if a workflow modifies wiki pages, prefer the CLI command that spawns a sub-agent. If it only reads or summarizes, do it in the current session.
Workflow Selector
| User intent | Workflow | Reference |
|---|
| Save a URL, file, text, or search result | Capture | references/capture-workflow.md |
| Turn raw material into wiki pages | Ingest | references/ingest-workflow.md |
| Ask what the wiki knows | Query | references/query-workflow.md |
| Save a useful conversation or debugging session | Distill | references/distill-workflow.md |
| Health-check the wiki, fix or surface semantic issues | Lint | references/lint-workflow.md |
| Unsure about vault layout or page format | Protocol | references/vault-protocol.md |
| Any destructive, ambiguous, or broad rewrite | Safety | references/safety-rules.md |
Default Loop
- Identify the user's workflow from the selector.
- Run
memex status when the vault location or current state is unclear.
- Load only the reference files needed for the workflow.
- Use CLI commands for deterministic operations:
status, fetch, search, lint, link-check, and mechanical distill.
- Use agent judgment for semantic work: merging knowledge, writing wiki pages, preserving citations, handling contradictions, and updating
index.md / log.md.
- Run or recommend
memex lint after substantial wiki edits.
CLI Use Policy
Allowed without extra confirmation:
memex status
memex search <query>
memex lint
memex link-check
memex fetch <url|query> for user-requested capture
memex distill for user-requested session capture
Avoid unless the user explicitly asks:
memex watch --daemon --heal
- broad install/update/config changes
- commands that overwrite generated agent instructions
Safety Gates
Ask before:
- deleting wiki or raw files
- rewriting large existing wiki sections
- merging pages when the match is uncertain
- auto-fixing factual contradictions
- enabling background automation
- modifying agent configuration outside the vault
Do not ask before:
- reading files
- running status/search/lint/link-check
- creating a new raw source from user-provided material
- adding a log entry for an operation just performed
Pre-Delivery Checklist
Before finishing a workflow, verify:
- source claims cite raw files or existing wiki pages
raw/ material remains traceable and is not silently rewritten
- wiki page frontmatter matches the vault protocol when files were edited
index.md and log.md are updated after semantic wiki changes
- lint or link-check findings are reported when they remain unresolved
- destructive or ambiguous changes were confirmed by the user