search-memory

name	search-memory
description	Search memory and thread history when past knowledge would materially improve the answer. Route between distilled memories and prior discussions instead of treating them as separate silos.

Search Memory

When to Search

Strong signals — search when:

• the current task connects to prior work
• the bug or design resembles something solved earlier
• the task is a review, regression, release, docs-alignment, or connector-behavior question
• the user asks why a decision was made
• a previous discussion or session likely contains the missing context
• the user uses implicit recall language: "that approach", "like before"

Contextual signals — consider searching when:

• complex debugging where prior context would narrow the search space
• architecture discussion that may intersect with past decisions
• domain-specific conventions the user has established before

Skip when:

• the task is fundamentally new
• the question is generic syntax or reference material
• the user explicitly wants a fresh perspective

Tool Usage

Start with durable knowledge:

nmem --json m search "3-7 core concepts"

Use thread search when the user is really asking about a prior conversation:

nmem --json t search "query" --limit 5

If a memory result includes source_thread, or thread search identifies the likely discussion, fetch progressively:

nmem --json t show <thread_id> --limit 8 --offset 0 --content-limit 1200

Increase --offset only when more messages are actually needed.

Response Contract

• Be explicit when you relied on recalled knowledge
• Prefer the smallest retrieval surface that answers the question
• Suggest distillation only if the current discussion produced new durable knowledge
• For continuation-heavy engineering work, search near the start of the task rather than waiting for an explicit recall request