Agents

Any coding agent that can run shell commands or speak MCP can use Memory Layer. Codex, Claude Code, OpenCode, and custom agents all follow the same pattern.

How agents connect

CLI

The fastest path. The agent calls the memory binary directly:

memory query  --project <slug> --question "What context matters for this task?"
memory resume --project <slug>
memory remember --project <slug> --title "…" --summary "…" --note "…"

MCP

For agents that speak MCP rather than shell. Use the stdio server for local clients, or Streamable HTTP for local, token-bearing clients. See MCP for server setup, tools, and security.

Repo-local instructions

The project wizard writes .agents/ files that agents pick up automatically. These contain CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, and Codex instructions with evidence-first rules already embedded.

memory wizard          # writes .agents/ alongside .mem/
ls .agents/            # inspect what was generated

Agent prompts

Copy-paste prompts for common setup tasks. The agent handles the rest.

Install Memory Layer

You are installing Memory Layer for me. Work in the terminal, explain before
using sudo, and stop before destructive changes.

Find the correct install path for this OS, configure PostgreSQL with pgvector,
run `memory wizard --global`, run health checks, and report where config files
live. Do not delete data or overwrite existing config without asking first.

The agent should finish with memory doctor, memory health, installed version, service status, and next commands.

Configure a project

You are configuring this repository for Memory Layer. Do not install the
package. Inspect existing `.mem` and `.agents` files, run
`memory wizard --dry-run`, explain planned writes, then run `memory wizard`
only after the preview is safe. Verify with
`memory status --project <project-slug>` and a simple query.

The agent should report changed files, project slug, health/status output, and any follow-up checks.

Briefings

Bring a new or returning agent up to speed without re-discovering context:

memory resume       --project <slug>                # recent work + next steps
memory up-to-speed  --project <slug>                # broader project context
memory activities   --project <slug> --limit 20     # raw activity feed

Use briefings at task start, after interruptions, and before continuing work that another agent began.

Recommended behavior

1. Query before claiming — ask project memory before making project-specific assertions.
2. Cite evidence — reference memory IDs or source evidence when using remembered facts.
3. Verify before editing — inspect code and docs in the working tree, not stale training data.
4. Store discoveries — run memory remember after meaningful work so the next session benefits.
5. Keep secrets out — never commit database URLs, API keys, or provider tokens to repo files.

Next

Read MCP, Watchers, or How it works.