Getting Started

Basic Memory works through the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to connect with AI assistants like Claude. Here’s how to set it up.

Basic Memory uses the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to connect with LLMs. It can be used with any service that supports the MCP, but Claude Desktop works especially well.

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Installation

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Prerequisites

The easiest way to install basic memory is via uv. See the uv installation guide.

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Configure Claude Desktop

Edit your Claude Desktop config, located at:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "basic-memory": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "basic-memory",
        "mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop. You should see Basic Memory tools available in the “tools” menu in Claude Desktop (the little hammer icon in the bottom-right corner of the chat interface). Click it to view available tools.

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Install Basic Memory (Optional)

# Stable release (recommended)
uv tool install basic-memory
# or: pip install basic-memory

# Beta releases (new features, testing)
pip install basic-memory --pre

# Development builds (latest changes)
pip install basic-memory --pre --force-reinstall

Using uv tool install will install the basic-memory package in a standalone virtual environment. See the UV docs for more info.

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Sync changes in real time

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Multi-Project Setup

By default, Basic Memory creates a project in ~/basic-memory. You can switch between projects using tools via the LLM.

What is the default project?

create a new project "work notes"

Will create a note in the “work notes” project, while leaving the current project active.

switch to the "recipies" project

Switch to a project and make it active.

set the default project to "work notes"

Set the default project used at startup.

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Creating Your First Knowledge Note

1. Open Claude Desktop and start a new conversation.

2. Have a natural conversation about any topic:

   Copy

   You: "Let's talk about coffee brewing methods I've been experimenting with."
   Claude: "I'd be happy to discuss coffee brewing methods..."
   You: "I've found that pour over gives more flavor clarity than French press..."
   

3. Ask Claude to create a note:

   Copy

   You: "Could you create a note summarizing what we've discussed about coffee brewing?"
   

4. Confirm note creation: Claude will confirm when the note has been created and where it’s stored.

5. View the created file in your ~/basic-memory directory using any text editor or Obsidian. The file structure will look similar to:

   Copy

   ---
   title: Coffee Brewing Methods
   permalink: coffee-brewing-methods
   tags: [coffee, brewing, equipment]  # v0.13.0: Now searchable!
   ---
   
   # Coffee Brewing Methods
   
   ## Observations
   - [method] Pour over provides more clarity...
   - [technique] Water temperature at 205°F...
   
   ## Relations
   - relates_to [[Other Coffee Topics]]
   

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Using Special Prompts

Basic Memory includes special prompts that help you start conversations with context from your knowledge base:

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Continue Conversation

To resume a previous topic:

You: "Let's continue our conversation about coffee brewing."

This prompt triggers Claude to:

1. Search your knowledge base for relevant content about coffee brewing
2. Build context from these documents
3. Resume the conversation with full awareness of previous discussions

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Recent Activity

To see what you’ve been working on:

You: "What have we been discussing recently?"

This prompt causes Claude to:

1. Retrieve documents modified in the recent past
2. Summarize the topics and main points
3. Offer to continue any of those discussions

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Search

To find specific information:

You: "Find information about pour over coffee methods."

Claude will:

1. Search your knowledge base for relevant documents
2. Summarize the key findings
3. Offer to explore specific documents in more detail

See User Guide - Using Special Prompts for further information.

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Using Your Knowledge Base

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Referencing Knowledge

In future conversations, reference your existing knowledge:

You: "What water temperature did we decide was optimal for coffee brewing?"

Or directly reference notes using memory:// URLs:

You: "Take a look at memory://coffee-brewing-methods and let's discuss how to improve my technique."

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Building On Previous Knowledg

Basic Memory enables continuous knowledge building:

1. Reference previous discussions in new conversations
2. Edit notes incrementally without rewriting entire documents
3. Move and organize notes as your knowledge base grows
4. Switch between projects instantly during conversations
5. Search by tags to find related content quickly
6. Create connections between related topics
7. Follow relationships to build comprehensive context

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Workflow Examples

Incremental Editing:

You: "Add a section about espresso to my coffee brewing notes"
Claude: [Uses edit_note to append new section]

File Organization:

You: "Move my old meeting notes to an archive folder"
Claude: [Uses move_note with database consistency]

Project Switching:

You: "Switch to my work project and show recent activity"
Claude: [Switches projects and shows work-specific content]

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Importing Existing Conversations

Import your existing AI conversations using the cli commands:

# From Claude
basic-memory import claude conversations

# From ChatGPT
basic-memory import chatgpt

After importing, changes sync automatically in real-time. You can see project statistics by running basic-memory project info.

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Quick Tips

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General Usage

• Basic Memory syncs changes in real-time (no manual sync needed)
• Use special prompts (Continue Conversation, Recent Activity, Search) to start contextual discussions
• Build connections between notes for a richer knowledge graph
• Use direct memory:// URLs with permalinks for precise context
• Review and edit AI-generated notes for accuracy

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Next Steps

After getting started, explore these areas:

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Staying Updated

To update Basic Memory when new versions are released:

# Update stable release
uv tool upgrade basic-memory
# or: pip install --upgrade basic-memory

# Update to latest beta
pip install --upgrade basic-memory --pre

# Get latest development build
pip install --upgrade basic-memory --pre --force-reinstall

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Troubleshooting Installation

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Fix Path to uv

If you get an error that says ENOENT , this most likely means Claude Desktop could not find your uv installation. Make sure that you have uv installed per the instructions above, then:

Step 1: Find the absolute path to uvx

Open Terminal and run:

which uvx

This will show you the full path (e.g., /Users/yourusername/.cargo/bin/uvx).

Step 2: Edit Claude Desktop Configuration

Edit the Claude Desktop config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "basic-memory": {
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/uvx",
      "args": [
        "basic-memory",
        "mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Replace /absolute/path/to/uvx with the actual path you found in Step 1.

Step 3: Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect.

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Claude Says “No Basic Memory Tools Available”

If Claude cannot find Basic Memory tools:

1. Check absolute paths: Ensure you’re using complete absolute paths to uvx in the Claude Desktop configuration
2. Verify installation: Run basic-memory --version in Terminal to confirm Basic Memory is installed
3. Restart applications: Restart both Terminal and Claude Desktop after making configuration changes
4. Check sync status: You can view the sync status by running basic-memory status

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Permission Issues

If you encounter permission errors:

1. Check that Basic Memory has access to create files in your home directory
2. Ensure Claude Desktop has permission to execute the uvx command