| name | search-memory |
| description | Search the user's personal knowledge base when past insights would improve the response. Trigger proactively for continuity, recurring bugs, design rationale, and remembered workflows. |
Search Memory
Use Nowledge Mem proactively when prior knowledge would materially improve the answer.
Strong Signals
Search when:
- the user references previous work, a prior fix, or an earlier decision
- the task resumes a named feature, bug, refactor, incident, or subsystem
- a debugging pattern resembles something solved earlier
- the user asks for rationale, preferences, procedures, or recurring workflow details
- 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
- the current result is ambiguous and past context would make the answer sharper
Retrieval Routing
If MCP tools are available, prefer:
memory_search for durable knowledge.
thread_search for prior discussions, previous sessions, or exact conversation history.
thread_fetch_messages for progressive inspection of a matching thread.
Otherwise:
- Start with
nmem --json m search for durable knowledge.
- Use
--mode deep when the first pass is weak or the recall need is conceptual.
- Use
nmem --json t search for prior discussions, previous sessions, or exact conversation history.
- If a memory result includes a
source_thread or thread search returns a strong hit, inspect the conversation progressively with nmem --json t show.
Prefer the smallest retrieval surface that answers the question.
If the runtime already knows the active project or agent lane, add --space "<space name>" to these commands.
Mention source threads when they add useful historical context.