Memory Notes

Write well-structured notes that Basic Memory can parse into a searchable knowledge graph. Every note is a markdown file with three key sections: frontmatter, observations, and relations.

Note Anatomy

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Frontmatter

Every note starts with YAML frontmatter:

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• - The title must match the # Heading in the body
• Tags are searchable and help with discovery
• Custom type values (Task, Meeting, Person, etc.) work with the schema system. See the memory-schema skill for defining schemas, validating notes against them, and detecting drift.
• The permalink is auto-generated from the title and directory. For example, title "API Design Decisions" in directory "specs" produces permalink specs/api-design-decisions and memory URL memory://specs/api-design-decisions. If no directory is specified, the permalink is just the kebab-cased title. Permalinks stay stable across file moves. You rarely need to set one manually.

Note: When using write_note, you don't write frontmatter yourself. The title, tags, note_type, and metadata are separate parameters — Basic Memory generates the frontmatter automatically. Your content parameter is just the markdown body starting with # Heading.

Body / Context

Free-form markdown between the heading and the Observations section. This is the heart of the note — write generously here:

• - Background, motivation, and history
• Detailed explanation of what happened and why it matters
• Analysis, reasoning, and trade-offs considered
• Context that someone (or an AI) needs to understand this note later

Write complete, substantive prose. Basic Memory's search retrieves relevant chunks from note bodies, so longer, richer context makes notes more discoverable and more useful when found. Don't reduce everything to bullet points — tell the story.

Observations

Observations are categorized facts — the atomic units of knowledge. Each one becomes a searchable entity in the knowledge graph.

Syntax

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• - Square brackets define the semantic category
• Content is the fact, decision, insight, or note
• Hash tags (optional) add extra metadata for filtering

Categories Are Arbitrary

The category in brackets is free-form — use whatever label makes sense for the observation. There is no fixed list. The only rule is the [category] content syntax. Consistency within a project helps searchability, but invent categories freely.

A few examples to illustrate the range:

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Observation Tips

• - One fact per observation. Don't pack multiple ideas into one line.
• Be specific. [decision] Use JWT is less useful than [decision] Use JWT with 15-minute expiry for API auth.
• Use tags for cross-cutting concerns. [risk] Rate limiting needed #api #security makes this findable under both topics.
• Categories are queryable. search_notes("[decision]") finds all decisions across your knowledge base.

Relations

Relations create edges in the knowledge graph, linking notes to each other. They're how you build structure beyond individual notes.

Syntax

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• - relationtype is a descriptive verb or phrase (snakecase by convention)
• Double brackets [[...]] identify the target note by title or permalink
• Relations are directional: this note → target note

Relation Types

Inline Relations

Wiki-links anywhere in the note body — not just the Relations section — also create graph edges:

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These create references relations automatically. Use the Relations section for explicit, typed relationships; use inline links for natural prose references.

Relation Tips

• - Link liberally. Relations are what turn isolated notes into a knowledge graph. When in doubt, add the link.
• Create target notes if they don't exist yet. [[Future Topic]] is valid — BM will resolve it when that note is created.
• Use build_context to traverse. build_context(url="memory://note-title") follows relations to gather connected knowledge.
• Custom relation types are fine. taught_by, blocks, tested_in — use whatever is descriptive.

Memory URLs

Every note is addressable via a memory:// URL, built from its permalink. These URLs are how you navigate the knowledge graph programmatically.

URL Patterns

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Project-Scoped URLs

In multi-project setups, prefix with the project name:

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The first path segment is matched against known project names. If it matches, it's used as the project scope. Otherwise the URL resolves in the default project.

Using Memory URLs

Memory URLs work with build_context to assemble related knowledge by traversing relations:

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Before Creating a Note

Always search Basic Memory before creating a new note. Duplicates fragment your knowledge graph — updating an existing note is almost always better than creating a second one.

Search with Multiple Variations

A single search often misses. Try the full name, abbreviations, acronyms, and keywords:

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For people, try full name and last name. For organizations, try the full name and common abbreviations.

Decision Tree

• - Entity exists → Update it with edit_note (append observations, add relations, find-and-replace outdated info)
• Entity doesn't exist → Create it with INLINECODE51
• Unsure if it's the same entity → Read the existing note first, then decide

Granular Updates with edit_note

When a note already exists, make targeted edits instead of rewriting the whole file:

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This preserves existing content and keeps the edit history clean.

Writing Notes with Tools

Creating a Note

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Basic Memory auto-generates frontmatter (including the permalink and memory URL) from the parameters. This note would get permalink architecture/api-design-decisions and be addressable at memory://architecture/api-design-decisions.

Editing an Existing Note

Use edit_note to append, prepend, or find-and-replace within a note:

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Moving a Note

Use move_note to reorganize notes into different directories:

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The permalink stays the same after a move, so all [[wiki-links]] and memory:// URLs continue to resolve.

Best Practices

1. 1. Start with context. Before listing observations, explain why this note exists. Future-you (or your AI collaborator) will thank you.

1. 2. Favor completeness. Write rich, substantive notes. Basic Memory's search pulls relevant chunks from note bodies, so longer notes with more context are more discoverable, not less. Use prose in the body to tell the full story — the background, the reasoning, the nuance. Then distill key facts into [category] content observations for structured queries. Both matter: prose gives meaning, observations give precision.

1. 3. Build incrementally. Add to existing notes rather than creating duplicates. Use edit_note to append new observations or relations as you learn more.

1. 4. Review AI-generated content. When an AI writes notes for you, review them for accuracy. The AI captures structure well but may miss nuance.

1. 5. Use consistent titles. Note titles are identifiers in the knowledge graph. API Design Decisions and Api Design decisions are different entities. Pick a convention and stick with it.

1. 6. Link related concepts. The value of a knowledge graph compounds with connections. A note with zero relations is an island — useful, but not as powerful as a connected one.

1. 7. Let the graph grow naturally. Don't try to design a perfect taxonomy upfront. Write notes as you work, add relations as connections emerge, and periodically use /reflect or /defrag to consolidate.