| name | memtrace-decision-recall |
| description | Recall ranked decisions, bans, and conventions from Cortex decision memory by free-text query through the normal Memtrace MCP server. Use when the user asks what was decided/chosen/rejected, whether there is a convention/ban/policy, and before any non-trivial edit/refactor/delete or re-picking a library, pattern, architecture, or subsystem behavior that may already be settled. Do not reconstruct decisions from git log or guesswork. To verify whether a known decision held, use memtrace-intent-verification; for symbol lineage/contracts, use memtrace-provenance. |
Overview
recall_decision is the free-text entry point to decision memory. Given a query,
it returns the statistically-ranked set of decisions/conversations that bear on it —
including bans ("never use X", "don't do Y"), which are recorded as decisions.
Use it before re-litigating a settled choice, changing existing behavior, or
contradicting a convention.
This is the one decision-memory tool that takes plain text. The ranked decisions it
returns carry the decision_ids the other tools (verify_intent, get_arc) need.
Full parameter spec for every Memtrace tool: references/mcp-parameters.md (bundled at the memtrace-skills plugin root).
Quick Reference
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|
recall_decision | Ranked decisions/bans for a free-text query (the entry point) |
verify_intent | Given a returned decision_id — did it still hold? (see memtrace-intent-verification) |
get_arc | Given a returned decision_id — what implemented it? (see memtrace-intent-verification) |
Honesty contract: an empty or unknown query returns an explicit CannotProve,
never a fabricated decision. CannotProve means "no recorded decision on this" — it is
unknown, not approved. Don't treat it as a green light.
Steps
1. Query in the user's own terms
recall_decision(query) — query is free text. Use the noun phrase of the thing in
question: a library ("redis vs in-memory cache"), a pattern ("error handling strategy"), a subsystem ("auth tokens"), a symbol, or the exact edit/refactor/delete
you are about to do.
2. Read the ranked result
Results come back ranked (lexical + semantic lanes, RRF-fused) with an id, a
kind, and a score per hit. decision-kind hits are ranked first; lower-ranked
conversation hits are supporting context (the verbatim turns around the decision).
For anything you mean to chain (step 4), use a hit whose kind is decision — its
id is the decision_id the other tools require.
3. Act on what's there
| Result | Action |
|---|
| A matching decision | Honor it. Quote it back to the user before doing anything that contradicts it. |
| A ban ("never/don't …") | Do not reintroduce the banned approach without explicit user sign-off. |
| Several competing/old hits | Run verify_intent(decision_id) on the top one to see if it still holds before relying on it. |
| CannotProve | No recorded decision. Don't invent one — fall back to memtrace-first and/or ask the user. |
4. Chain into the id-based tools when you need more
The id of a kind: "decision" hit feeds verify_intent (did it hold?) and
get_arc (what implemented it?). Don't pass a conversation hit's id — those tools
require a Decision node and will honestly return CannotProve. See
memtrace-intent-verification.
Decision Points
| Situation | Action |
|---|
| About to edit/refactor/delete existing code where intent may matter | recall_decision("<symbol/subsystem/behavior>") FIRST — you may be crossing a recorded decision, ban, or convention |
| About to choose or replace a library/pattern/architecture | recall_decision FIRST — you may be undoing a deliberate choice or ban |
| User asks "did we decide X?" / "what's our convention on Y?" | recall_decision("X" / "Y") |
| You suspect a "don't do this" rule exists | recall_decision — bans are decisions and will surface |
| Recall returns a decision you're about to contradict | Surface it to the user verbatim; don't silently override |
| Recall returns CannotProve | Treat as unknown, not approval; do not fabricate a rationale |
Output
recall_decision returns ranked hits — kind: "decision" first, conversation hits below as supporting context — or an explicit CannotProve:
[
{ "id": "…", "kind": "decision", "score": 0.91 },
{ "id": "…", "kind": "conversation", "score": 0.44 }
]
Only a decision-kind hit's id is a decision_id usable with verify_intent / get_arc. An empty or unknown query returns CannotProve, never fabricated hits.
