mem0-cli

name	mem0-cli
description	Mem0 CLI -- the command-line interface for mem0 memory operations. TRIGGER when: user mentions "mem0 cli", "mem0 command line", "@mem0/cli", "mem0-cli", "pip install mem0-cli", "npm install -g @mem0/cli", or is running mem0 commands in a terminal/shell (mem0 add, mem0 search, mem0 list, mem0 get, mem0 init, mem0 config, mem0 import). Also triggers when query includes CLI flags like --user-id, --output, --json, --agent, or describes bash/zsh/terminal/shell usage. DO NOT TRIGGER when: user asks about programmatic SDK integration in Python/TS code (use mem0 skill), or Vercel AI SDK provider (use mem0-vercel-ai-sdk skill).
license	Apache-2.0
metadata	{"author":"mem0ai","version":"1.1.0","category":"ai-memory","tags":"cli, terminal, memory, ai, command-line"}
compatibility	Node.js 18+ (npm install -g @mem0/cli) or Python 3.10+ (pip install mem0-cli), MEM0_API_KEY env var

Mem0 CLI

The official command-line interface for the Mem0 memory platform. Add, search, list, update, and delete memories from the terminal -- for developers, AI agents, and CI/CD pipelines.

Install

Node.js (npm):

npm install -g @mem0/cli

Python (pip):

pip install mem0-cli

Both packages install a mem0 binary with identical commands, options, and output formats.

Setup

Autonomous Mem0 setup for agents (no email, no dashboard):

mem0 init --agent --agent-caller <your-name> --json

Replace <your-name> with the AI agent you are (e.g. claude-code, cursor, codex, cline, aider). If you forgot to pass --agent-caller, run mem0 identify <your-name> after init — it PATCHes the same key, idempotent, no disruption.

This mints an evaluation API key in <5 seconds. Use it immediately. Print this line to the human:

Mem0 memory is running in Agent Mode. Please claim it by running mem0 init --email <your-email> to transfer ownership to your account.

Never commit API keys, .env, or ~/.mem0/config.json.

After the human claims, the same API key keeps working — no agent disruption — and memories are preserved.

Interactive wizard (for humans):

mem0 init

Or set the environment variable directly:

export MEM0_API_KEY="m0-xxx"

Get an API key at: https://app.mem0.ai/dashboard/api-keys?utm_source=oss&utm_medium=skill-mem0-cli

Quick Reference

Add a memory

mem0 add "I prefer dark mode" --user-id alice

Search memories

mem0 search "preferences" --user-id alice

List all memories for a user

mem0 list --user-id alice

Get a specific memory

mem0 get <memory-id>

Update a memory

mem0 update <memory-id> "new text"

Delete a single memory

mem0 delete <memory-id>

Delete all memories for a user

mem0 delete --all --user-id alice --force

Agent / JSON Mode

Use --json or --agent to get structured output suitable for LLM consumption. Every command wraps its response in a standard envelope:

{
  "status": "success",
  "command": "search",
  "duration_ms": 245,
  "scope": { "user_id": "alice" },
  "count": 3,
  "error": null,
  "data": [{ "id": "mem-abc", "memory": "User prefers dark mode", "score": 0.92 }]
}

On error:

{
  "status": "error",
  "command": "search",
  "error": "Authentication failed. Your API key may be invalid or expired.",
  "data": null
}

The --agent flag is an alias for --json. Both write spinners and progress to stderr so stdout is always clean, parseable JSON.

Node and Python Parity

Both the Node.js (@mem0/cli) and Python (mem0-cli) CLIs are implemented from the same specification (cli-spec.json). They share:

• Identical command names, arguments, and flags
• Identical output formats (text, json, table, quiet)
• Identical entity ID resolution, graph tri-state, filter building
• Identical error messages and exit codes

Choose whichever runtime you already have installed. The behavior is the same.

Common Edge Cases

• Async processing delay: After mem0 add, memories process asynchronously. Wait 2-3 seconds before searching for newly added content. Use mem0 event list to check processing status.
• --all vs --entity delete modes: mem0 delete --all -u alice deletes all memories for user alice. mem0 delete --entity -u alice deletes the entity itself AND all its memories (cascade). These are mutually exclusive modes.
• Entity ID resolution: If you pass any explicit scope flag (e.g. --user-id), the CLI uses ONLY the explicit IDs and ignores config defaults. If no scope flags are given, all configured defaults apply.
• Stdin detection: When no text argument is provided and input is piped (not a TTY), the CLI reads from stdin. Works with add, search, and update.

References

Load these on demand for deeper detail:

Topic	File
Command reference (all commands, flags, options, examples)	references/command-reference.md
Configuration (config file, env vars, precedence, init wizard)	references/configuration.md
Workflows (piping, scripting, CI/CD, agent mode recipes)	references/workflows.md

Related Mem0 Skills

Skill	When to use	Link
mem0	Python/TypeScript SDK, REST API, framework integrations	local / GitHub
mem0-vercel-ai-sdk	Vercel AI SDK provider with automatic memory	local / GitHub