basic-memory

Features

• Local-first storage: All knowledge is stored in local Markdown files, ensuring user control over data.
• Bi-directional interaction: Both users and LLMs can read and write to the same files, facilitating seamless knowledge sharing.
• Structured yet simple: Uses Markdown with semantic patterns to create a traversable knowledge graph.
• Lightweight infrastructure: Operates with local files indexed in a local SQLite database.
• Integration with existing tools: Compatible with editors like Obsidian for viewing and editing notes.

Tools

1. delete_note

   Delete a note by title or permalink

2. read_content

   Read a file's raw content by path or permalink

3. build_context

   Build context from a memory:// URI to continue conversations naturally.

   Use this to follow up on previous discussions or explore related topics.
   
   Memory URL Format:
   - Use paths like "folder/note" or "memory://folder/note" 
   - Pattern matching: "folder/*" matches all notes in folder
   - Valid characters: letters, numbers, hyphens, underscores, forward slashes
   - Avoid: double slashes (//), angle brackets (<>), quotes, pipes (|)
   - Examples: "specs/search", "projects/basic-memory", "notes/*"
   
   Timeframes support natural language like:
   - "2 days ago", "last week", "today", "3 months ago"
   - Or standard formats like "7d", "24h"
   

4. recent_activity

   Get recent activity from across the knowledge base.

   Timeframe supports natural language formats like:
   - "2 days ago"  
   - "last week"
   - "yesterday" 
   - "today"
   - "3 weeks ago"
   Or standard formats like "7d"
   

5. search_notes

   Search across all content in the knowledge base with advanced syntax support.

6. read_note

   Read a markdown note by title or permalink.

7. view_note

   View a note as a formatted artifact for better readability.

8. write_note

   Create or update a markdown note. Returns a markdown formatted summary of the semantic content.

9. canvas

   Create an Obsidian canvas file to visualize concepts and connections.

10. list_directory

    List directory contents with filtering and depth control.

11. edit_note

    Edit an existing markdown note using various operations like append, prepend, find_replace, or replace_section.

12. move_note

    Move a note to a new location, updating database and maintaining links.

13. sync_status

    Check the status of file synchronization and background operations.

    Use this tool to:
    - Check if file sync is in progress or completed
    - Get detailed sync progress information  
    - Understand if your files are fully indexed
    - Get specific error details if sync operations failed
    - Monitor initial project setup and legacy migration
    
    This covers all sync operations including:
    - Initial project setup and file indexing
    - Legacy project migration to unified database
    - Ongoing file monitoring and updates
    - Background processing of knowledge graphs
    

14. list_memory_projects

    List all available projects with their status.

    Shows all Basic Memory projects that are available, indicating which one is currently active and which is the default.

    Returns: Formatted list of projects with status indicators

    Example: list_projects()

15. switch_project

    Switch to a different project context.

    Changes the active project context for all subsequent tool calls. Shows a project summary after switching successfully.

    Args: project_name: Name of the project to switch to

    Returns: Confirmation message with project summary

    Example: switch_project("work-notes") switch_project("personal-journal")

16. get_current_project

    Show the currently active project and basic stats.

    Displays which project is currently active and provides basic information about it.

    Returns: Current project name and basic statistics

    Example: get_current_project()

17. set_default_project

    Set default project in config. Requires restart to take effect.

    Updates the configuration to use a different default project. This change only takes effect after restarting the Basic Memory server.

    Args: project_name: Name of the project to set as default

    Returns: Confirmation message about config update

    Example: set_default_project("work-notes")

18. create_memory_project

    Create a new Basic Memory project.

    Creates a new project with the specified name and path. The project directory will be created if it doesn't exist. Optionally sets the new project as default.

    Args: project_name: Name for the new project (must be unique) project_path: File system path where the project will be stored set_default: Whether to set this project as the default (optional, defaults to False)

    Returns: Confirmation message with project details

    Example: create_project("my-research", "~/Documents/research") create_project("work-notes", "/home/user/work", set_default=True)

19. delete_project

    Delete a Basic Memory project.

    Removes a project from the configuration and database. This does NOT delete the actual files on disk - only removes the project from Basic Memory's configuration and database records.

    Args: project_name: Name of the project to delete

    Returns: Confirmation message about project deletion

    Example: delete_project("old-project")

    Warning: This action cannot be undone. The project will need to be re-added to access its content through Basic Memory again.