remember · diff
git:20260912.ae64599 to git:20260912.9bf3b74
6 added, 1 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: remember
description: "Explicitly save important knowledge to auto-memory with timestamp and context. Use when a discovery is too important to rely on auto-capture."
command: /self-improving-agent:remember
---
# /self-improving-agent:remember — Save Knowledge Explicitly
Writes an explicit entry to auto-memory when something is important enough that you don't want to rely on Claude noticing it automatically.
## Usage
```
/self-improving-agent:remember <what to remember>
/self-improving-agent:remember "This project's CI requires Node 20 LTS — v22 breaks the build"
/self-improving-agent:remember "The /api/auth endpoint uses a custom JWT library, not passport"
/self-improving-agent:remember "Reza prefers explicit error handling over try-catch-all patterns"
```
## When to Use
| Situation | Example |
|-----------|---------|
| Hard-won debugging insight | "CORS errors on /api/upload are caused by the CDN, not the backend" |
| Project convention not in CLAUDE.md | "We use barrel exports in src/components/" |
| Tool-specific gotcha | "Jest needs `--forceExit` flag or it hangs on DB tests" |
| Architecture decision | "We chose Drizzle over Prisma for type-safe SQL" |
| Preference you want Claude to learn | "Don't add comments explaining obvious code" |
## Workflow
### Step 1: Parse the knowledge
Extract from the user's input:
- **What**: The concrete fact or pattern
- **Why it matters**: Context (if provided)
- **Scope**: Project-specific or global?
### Step 2: Check for duplicates
```bash
- MEMORY_DIR="$HOME/.claude/projects/$(pwd | tr '/_' '--')/memory"
+ # Claude Code replaces EVERY non-alphanumeric character in the resolved absolute cwd
+ # with a single "-" (dots, spaces and CJK included).
+ MEMORY_DIR="$HOME/.claude/projects/$(pwd -P | sed 's/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/-/g')/memory"
+ # Verify before writing — a wrong path loses the entry silently while still looking saved.
+ # Under LC_ALL=C sed goes per byte, so glob as a fallback:
+ # [ -d "$MEMORY_DIR" ] || ls -d ~/.claude/projects/*"$(basename "$PWD" | sed 's/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/-/g')"*
grep -ni "<keywords>" "$MEMORY_DIR/MEMORY.md" 2>/dev/null
```
If a similar entry exists:
- Show it to the user
- Ask: "Update the existing entry or add a new one?"
### Step 3: Write to MEMORY.md
Append to the end of `MEMORY.md`:
```markdown
- {{concise fact or pattern}}
```
Keep entries concise — one line when possible. Auto-memory entries don't need timestamps, IDs, or metadata. They're notes, not database records.
If MEMORY.md is over 180 lines, warn the user:
```
⚠️ MEMORY.md is at {{n}}/200 lines. Consider running /self-improving-agent:review to free space.
```
### Step 4: Suggest promotion
If the knowledge sounds like a rule (imperative, always/never, convention):
```
💡 This sounds like it could be a CLAUDE.md rule rather than a memory entry.
Rules are enforced with higher priority. Want to /self-improving-agent:promote it instead?
```
### Step 5: Confirm
```
✅ Saved to auto-memory
"{{entry}}"
MEMORY.md: {{n}}/200 lines
Claude will see this at the start of every session in this project.
```
## What NOT to use /self-improving-agent:remember for
- **Temporary context**: Use session memory or just tell Claude in conversation
- **Enforced rules**: Use `/self-improving-agent:promote` to write directly to CLAUDE.md
- **Cross-project knowledge**: Use `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` for global rules
- **Sensitive data**: Never store credentials, tokens, or secrets in memory files
## Tips
- Be concise — one line beats a paragraph
- Include the concrete command or value, not just the concept
- ✅ "Build with `pnpm build`, tests with `pnpm test:e2e`"
- ❌ "The project uses pnpm for building and testing"
- If you're remembering the same thing twice, promote it to CLAUDE.md