memory-promote

name	memory-promote
description	Audit auto-memory files for the current repo (or all projects) and suggest promoting each one to a more persistent layer — global/project CLAUDE.md, an existing or new skill, a settings.json hook, or a checked-in reference doc. Use when the user says "audit memory", "promote memory", "clean up memories", "memory-promote", or wants to move ephemeral memory into durable config.

Memory Promote

Auto-memory under ~/.claude/projects/<encoded-cwd>/memory/ is per-conversation context, not durable config. Many memories belong in a more persistent layer where they apply consistently and survive memory pruning. This skill scans memories and proposes a target layer for each.

Scope (default: current repo)

Project memory dirs use the cwd with / replaced by -:

• /home/lukas/dotfiles → ~/.claude/projects/-home-lukas-dotfiles/memory/

Default scope = current repo, always. Flags only widen scope or change mode.

1. No flag → current repo, full classify+promote. Compute MEM_DIR=~/.claude/projects/$(pwd | tr / -)/memory. If missing, report "no memories for this repo" and stop.
2. --project <path> → use that path's encoded dir instead of cwd.
3. --all → widen scope to every ~/.claude/projects/*/memory/ dir, grouped by project.
4. --list (alias: bare word list) → surface-only mode (no suggestions, no edits). Still scopes to current repo by default. Combine with --all for cross-project flat overview, or --project <path> for a specific repo.

Argument parsing is forgiving. Treat these bare words as flag aliases:

• list → --list
• all → --all (every project, no filter)
• global → --all --filter=cross-cutting (every project, but only show memories whose promotion target is not a repo CLAUDE.md — i.e., ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md, a global skill, or a hook). "Global" means not-repo-specific, not "all repos".
• apply → --apply
• A path-like token → --project <token>

Examples: list global = list cross-cutting candidates only; list all = list everything across projects.

The cross-cutting filter classifies each memory the same way as the promotion table, then keeps only those whose target is global (~/.claude/CLAUDE.md, existing/new skill, or settings.json hook). Drops anything whose target is a repo CLAUDE.md.

Steps

1. List memories. fd -t f -E MEMORY.md . $MEM_DIR (one or many dirs). For each file, read frontmatter (name, description, type) and body.
2. Classify each memory using the table below.
3. Render report — one row per memory: file, type, current content (1-line summary), → suggested target, rationale, concrete action.
4. Wait for user confirmation before changing anything. If --apply was passed, still confirm per-item — promotion is a judgment call.
5. On confirm: perform the action (edit CLAUDE.md, invoke /cc:skill-creator, invoke /update-config for hooks, write reference doc), then delete the memory file and its line in MEMORY.md.

Promotion targets

Memory pattern	Promote to	Why
type: user (role, stack, voice, naming)	~/.claude/CLAUDE.md	Applies across all projects, not just one
type: feedback — stable preference, repo-specific	repo CLAUDE.md	Survives memory pruning, visible to teammates
type: feedback — "never run X" / "X is human-only"	settings.json PreToolUse deny hook (via /update-config)	Harness enforces; can't be forgotten
type: feedback — repeatable workflow ("always do X before Y")	new skill (via /cc:skill-creator) or hook	Skill makes it discoverable; hook makes it automatic
type: project — durable fact (versioning scheme, release flow)	repo CLAUDE.md	Onboarding context, not session state
type: project — current sprint/incident/deadline	keep in memory	Genuinely ephemeral — memory is right layer
type: reference — internal URL, dashboard, doc page	repo CLAUDE.md "References" section	Checked in, shared with team
Pattern matches an existing skill (e.g., kitty launch → kt, Czech holidays → datetime-cz)	point to existing skill, delete memory	Skill already encodes it
Build/test command quirks	repo CLAUDE.md "Development Workflow"	Lives next to the code that needs it

Heuristics

• Cross-repo applicability test: would this memory be useful in any other repo? → global CLAUDE.md. Only this one? → project CLAUDE.md.
• Enforcement test: is the memory a prohibition ("never run X")? → hook beats prose. Memory/CLAUDE.md is a request; a hook is a guarantee.
• Existing-skill test: before suggesting a new skill, grep ~/.claude/skills/ and any plugin skills for overlap. Prefer pointing to existing skill.
• Ephemeral test: does it name a person, sprint, date, or in-flight ticket? → leave in memory.

Output format

Print a numbered list. Per item:

[N] <memory-file> (type: <type>)
    Current: "<one-line summary of body>"
    → Promote to: <target>
    Why: <one sentence>
    Action: <exact edit / command to run>

After list: ask "Which to promote? (numbers, all, or none)". Then act on selected items one at a time.

Notes

• Don't auto-delete a memory unless its content is fully captured at the new location.
• When editing CLAUDE.md, append under an existing relevant section if one exists; only create new sections when needed.
• For hook proposals, defer the actual settings edit to /update-config — it knows the schema.
• For skill proposals, defer to /cc:skill-creator — it knows the SKILL.md format.
• After promotion: also remove the line from MEMORY.md index.