Getting Started

Installation

Install the CLI globally using your preferred package manager:

npm install -g @memories.sh/cli

pnpm add -g @memories.sh/cli

yarn global add @memories.sh/cli

Verify the installation:

memories --version

Initialize

Navigate to a git repository and initialize memories for the project:

cd your-project
memories init

This creates the local database at ~/.config/memories/local.db (if it doesn't already exist) and detects your project from the git remote URL.

To initialize with some starter rules:

memories init --rule "Use TypeScript strict mode" --rule "Prefer functional patterns"

For global memories that apply to all projects:

memories init --global

Add Your First Memory

Memories come in four types: rules, decisions, facts, and notes.

Rules

Rules are always-active coding standards that should be followed:

memories add --rule "Always use early returns to reduce nesting"
memories add --rule "Use pnpm as the package manager"
memories add --rule "Prefer named exports over default exports"

Decisions

Decisions capture the "why" behind architectural choices:

memories add --decision "Chose Tailwind CSS over styled-components for utility-first approach and smaller bundle size"
memories add --decision "Using Supabase for auth because it has built-in RLS and a generous free tier"

Facts

Facts store project-specific knowledge:

memories add --fact "API rate limit is 100 requests per minute per user"
memories add --fact "The main database is PostgreSQL 15 hosted on Supabase"

Notes

Notes are general-purpose memories (the default type):

memories add "The legacy API will be deprecated in Q3 2026"

Tag Your Memories

Tags help organize and filter memories:

memories add --rule "Use React Server Components by default" --tags "react,architecture"
memories add --fact "Stripe webhook secret is in STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET env var" --tags "stripe,config"

Generate Config Files

Generate native rule files for your AI tools:

# Generate for a specific tool
memories generate cursor
memories generate claude
memories generate copilot

# Generate for all supported tools at once
memories generate all

Supported targets: cursor, claude, agents, copilot, windsurf, cline, roo, gemini.

Each target writes to its standard location:

Use the MCP Server

Instead of (or in addition to) generating files, you can connect memories directly to your AI tool via the MCP protocol:

memories serve

This starts an MCP server on stdio that exposes your memories as tools and resources. See the MCP Server guide for integration details.

Next Steps

• Read the CLI Reference for complete command documentation
• Learn about Memory Types and Scopes
• Set up Git Hooks to auto-generate files on commit
• Configure Cloud Sync for multi-device access