Basic Memory provides a comprehensive suite of MCP (Model Context Protocol) tools and prompts that enable AI assistants to work directly with your knowledge base. This reference catalogs all available tools and where to find detailed examples.

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MCP Tools

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Knowledge Management Tools

write_note

Create or update notes

  • Parameters: title, content, folder, tags
  • Creates semantic observations and relations
  • Detailed examples →

read_note

Read existing notes with context

edit_note

Edit notes incrementally

  • Operations: append, prepend, find_replace, replace_section
  • Preserves existing content structure
  • Detailed examples →

view_note

Display notes as formatted artifacts

  • Shows notes with proper formatting in Claude Desktop
  • Enhanced readability and navigation
  • Detailed examples →

delete_note

Remove notes from knowledge base

  • Parameters: identifier
  • Removes from database and file system
  • Updates search index and relations

move_note

Move and rename notes

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Search and Discovery Tools

search_notes

Full-text search across knowledge

  • Parameters: query, page, page_size, after_date
  • Searches content, titles, and frontmatter tags
  • Detailed examples →

recent_activity

Show recently modified content

  • Parameters: timeframe, type, depth
  • Natural language timeframes (“2 days ago”, “last week”)
  • Detailed examples →

build_context

Load context from memory:// URLs

  • Navigate knowledge graph relationships
  • Build conversation context from previous work
  • Detailed examples →

list_directory

Browse knowledge base structure

  • Parameters: dir_name, depth, file_name_glob
  • Explore folder organization
  • Filter by file patterns

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Project Management Tools

list_projects

Show all available projects

switch_project

Change active project context

get_current_project

Show current project information

  • Project name and statistics
  • Last updated information
  • Entity and relation counts

create_project

Create new knowledge projects

  • Parameters: project_name, project_path, set_default
  • Initialize new knowledge bases
  • Set up folder structures

delete_project

Remove projects from configuration

  • Removes from Basic Memory configuration
  • Does not delete actual files
  • Clean up unused project references

set_default_project

Set default project for new sessions

  • Updates configuration file
  • Requires restart to take effect
  • Sets startup project context

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Utility Tools

read_content

Read raw file content

  • Access files without knowledge graph processing
  • Support for text, images, and binary files
  • Direct file system access

canvas

Create Obsidian canvas visualizations

sync_status

Check file synchronization status

  • Show sync progress and background operations
  • Identify any sync issues or conflicts
  • Detailed examples →

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MCP Prompts

Basic Memory includes specialized prompts that provide enhanced AI interactions with formatted responses and guided workflows.

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Interactive Prompts

ai_assistant_guide

Comprehensive usage guide for AI assistants

  • Best practices for using Basic Memory tools
  • Workflow recommendations and patterns
  • View guide →

continue_conversation

Load context for conversation continuity

  • Parameters: topic, timeframe
  • Intelligent context loading from knowledge base
  • Natural conversation resumption

search_notes

Enhanced search with formatted results

  • Parameters: query, after_date
  • Structured search results with context
  • Better than raw search tool for conversations

recent_activity

Formatted recent activity display

  • Parameters: timeframe
  • Clean presentation of recent changes
  • Contextual information for follow-up

sync_status

Detailed sync status information

  • Comprehensive sync progress reporting
  • Background operation status
  • Troubleshooting guidance

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Tool Usage Patterns

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Common Workflows

Knowledge Creation Flow:

write_note → edit_note (append/prepend) → move_note → view_note

Start with basic note, enhance incrementally, organize, then review

Research and Discovery Flow:

search_notes → read_note → build_context → write_note

Find existing knowledge, explore context, create new insights

Project Management Flow:

list_projects → switch_project → recent_activity → get_current_project

Discover projects, switch context, check status, confirm active project

Content Organization Flow:

list_directory → search_notes → move_note → list_directory

Explore structure, find content, reorganize, verify changes

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Integration Examples

In Claude Desktop:

You: "What have I been working on lately?"
Claude: [Uses recent_activity prompt for formatted response]

You: "Create a note about today's meeting"
Claude: [Uses write_note tool with semantic structure]

You: "Show me my project documentation as a formatted view"
Claude: [Uses view_note tool to display artifact]

In Development Workflows:

You: "Switch to my work project and document today's architecture decisions"
Claude: [Uses switch_project, then write_note with technical context]

You: "Find all my API documentation and update the authentication section"
Claude: [Uses search_notes, then edit_note with section replacement]

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Error Handling and Best Practices

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Common Tool Parameters

Identifiers: Most tools accept flexible identifiers:

  • Note titles: "My Important Note"
  • Permalinks: "my-important-note"
  • Memory URLs: "memory://folder/note"
  • File paths: "folder/note.md"

Timeframes: Natural language supported:

  • "2 days ago", "last week", "today"
  • "3 months ago", "yesterday"
  • Standard formats: "7d", "24h"

Project Context: All tools respect current project context:

  • Operations stay within active project boundaries
  • Project switching affects all subsequent tool calls
  • Use get_current_project() to verify context

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Advanced Features

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Memory URLs

Use memory:// URLs with build_context for intelligent navigation:

memory://project-planning          # Load specific note
memory://architecture/*           # Load all architecture notes  
memory://decisions/database-choice # Load specific decision document

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Cross-Project Operations

Some operations work across project boundaries:

# Project management tools work globally
list_projects()           # Shows all projects
create_project(...)      # Creates new project
set_default_project(...)  # Updates global default

# Other tools respect current project context
search_notes(...)        # Searches current project only
write_note(...)          # Creates note in current project
write_note(..., project="other")   # Creates note in another project

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Resources and Examples

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Where to Find More

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Quick Reference

Most Common Tools:

  • write_note - Create knowledge
  • search_notes - Find information
  • edit_note - Update incrementally
  • switch_project - Change context
  • recent_activity - Check progress

Most Useful Prompts:

  • continue_conversation - Resume discussions
  • ai_assistant_guide - Get usage help
  • search_notes - Formatted search results

This reference provides the complete catalog of Basic Memory’s MCP capabilities. For detailed examples and real-world usage patterns, explore the guides and how-to sections linked throughout this page.