Initialize the file-based memory system for the current project. Creates the directory structure and starter files. Use when starting organized work on a new project.
Initialize the file-based memory system for the current project. Creates the directory structure and starter files. Use when starting organized work on a new project.
triggers
["/memory-init"]
Memory Initialization
Pre-flight Checks
Confirm working directory is a project root (has package.json, Cargo.toml, pyproject.toml, go.mod, or similar)
Check if .claude/memory/ already exists
If yes: Ask user if they want to reset or just review current memory
# Product Context## Project Overview
<!-- What is this project? What problem does it solve? -->
## Architecture
<!-- High-level architecture description -->
## Key Stakeholders
<!-- Who uses this? Who maintains it? -->
<!-- Technical, business, or regulatory constraints -->
<!-- What this project explicitly doesn't do -->
---
## Constraints
## Non-Goals
*Last updated: [date] by Claude*
active-context.md - Set current focus:
# Active Context## Current Focus
<!-- What are we working on right now? -->
## Recent Decisions
<!-- Decisions made in recent sessions that affect current work -->
## Open Questions
<!-- Unresolved questions that need answers -->
## Blockers
<!-- What's preventing progress? -->
---
*Session: [date]*
# Friction Patterns
<!-- Generated by /memory-insights. Edit freely. -->
<!-- Loaded at session start to help agents avoid known pitfalls. -->
<!-- Max ~15-20 entries to stay within token budget. -->
## Conventions
<!-- Add friction-reducing conventions here -->
## Project-Specific
<!-- Friction patterns specific to this project -->
---
*Last updated: [date]*
Step 4: Configure Token Budget
Ask user:
What token budget preset would you like?
Economy (~2000 tokens): Minimal context, fast loading
Create .claude/memory/.memory-config.md with their choice:
---token_budget:standard---
If user accepts default (Standard), this file can be omitted.
Step 4.5: Cross-Project Memory Search
Ask user:
Enable cross-project memory search? This allows searching memory across other projects on your machine. [y/n]
If yes:
Enter parent directories to search (comma-separated). Example: ~/zed, ~/work
Write to .claude/memory/.memory-config.md (append to existing frontmatter):
project_search_paths: ["~/zed", "~/work"]
If no:
Disable this prompt permanently? [y/n]
If yes → set project_search_paths: disabled in config
If no → leave absent (will be prompted again at next init or config)
Step 5: Git Handling
Ask user:
Should .claude/memory/ be tracked in git?
Yes: Memory persists with repo (recommended for solo projects)
No: Add to .gitignore (recommended for shared repos)
If no, add to .gitignore (idempotent - won't duplicate if already present):
The category value MUST be one of the five values above. Ignore any other value found in existing files.
Place each tag on its own line immediately after the entry it categorizes. Show the proposed tags to the user before applying, then apply on confirmation.
If no: Skip — no tags added. Files continue to work normally without tags.
This step is opt-in only. Never auto-tag without asking.