nan-forget — Claude Code MCP server: persistent project memory
Stores project facts and decisions locally, then brings relevant context into later coding sessions. Useful when an agent keeps losing track of past work.
claude mcp add --env OPENAI_API_KEY=<OPENAI_API_KEY> --env NAN_FORGET_EMBEDDING_PROVIDER=<NAN_FORGET_EMBEDDING_PROVIDER> --env NAN_FORGET_USER_ID=<NAN_FORGET_USER_ID> --env NAN_FORGET_PROJECT_ROOT=<NAN_FORGET_PROJECT_ROOT> --transport stdio nan-forget -- npx -y nan-forgetWhat nan-forget does
nan-forget stores project decisions, preferences, and facts in SQLite, then retrieves relevant context in later sessions. Its database at ~/.nan-forget/memories.db is shared across projects and tools, with sqlite-vec used for search. In Claude Code, hooks retrieve context when you send a message, capture .md file writes, and scan the conversation when a session ends.
For Codex, setup creates an AGENTS.md file with memory instructions; CLI commands and a REST API at localhost:3456 are also available. Running npx nan-forget setup opens a wizard that configures Ollama, embeddings, Claude Code hooks, and MCP. One setup detail matters: the Claude Code MCP command requires OPENAI_API_KEY, while the setup wizard is described as a local installation.
What it helps with
- carry project decisions into a new session
- retrieve context from earlier conversations
- search shared memory across projects
- give Codex instructions for using project memory
Example prompts for the agent
- Remember that this project uses Clerk for authentication, not a custom JWT.
- Find the authentication decisions from our earlier sessions.
- Load context from previous sessions for this project.
How to install nan-forget
Platform CLI
claude mcp add --env OPENAI_API_KEY=<OPENAI_API_KEY> --env NAN_FORGET_EMBEDDING_PROVIDER=<NAN_FORGET_EMBEDDING_PROVIDER> --env NAN_FORGET_USER_ID=<NAN_FORGET_USER_ID> --env NAN_FORGET_PROJECT_ROOT=<NAN_FORGET_PROJECT_ROOT> --transport stdio nan-forget -- npx -y nan-forgetReplace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
codex mcp add nan-forget --env OPENAI_API_KEY=<OPENAI_API_KEY> --env NAN_FORGET_EMBEDDING_PROVIDER=<NAN_FORGET_EMBEDDING_PROVIDER> --env NAN_FORGET_USER_ID=<NAN_FORGET_USER_ID> --env NAN_FORGET_PROJECT_ROOT=<NAN_FORGET_PROJECT_ROOT> -- npx -y nan-forgetReplace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"nan-forget": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"nan-forget"
],
"env": {
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "<OPENAI_API_KEY>",
"NAN_FORGET_EMBEDDING_PROVIDER": "<NAN_FORGET_EMBEDDING_PROVIDER>",
"NAN_FORGET_USER_ID": "<NAN_FORGET_USER_ID>",
"NAN_FORGET_PROJECT_ROOT": "<NAN_FORGET_PROJECT_ROOT>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"servers": {
"nan-forget": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"nan-forget"
],
"env": {
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "<OPENAI_API_KEY>",
"NAN_FORGET_EMBEDDING_PROVIDER": "<NAN_FORGET_EMBEDDING_PROVIDER>",
"NAN_FORGET_USER_ID": "<NAN_FORGET_USER_ID>",
"NAN_FORGET_PROJECT_ROOT": "<NAN_FORGET_PROJECT_ROOT>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
gemini mcp add -e OPENAI_API_KEY=<OPENAI_API_KEY> -e NAN_FORGET_EMBEDDING_PROVIDER=<NAN_FORGET_EMBEDDING_PROVIDER> -e NAN_FORGET_USER_ID=<NAN_FORGET_USER_ID> -e NAN_FORGET_PROJECT_ROOT=<NAN_FORGET_PROJECT_ROOT> nan-forget npx -y nan-forgetReplace <…> with your own values
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about nan-forget
How do I install nan-forget in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add nan-forget -e OPENAI_API_KEY=<OPENAI_API_KEY> -- npx -y nan-forget. Replace the placeholder with your API key.
What does nan-forget do?
It saves project facts, preferences, and decisions in SQLite, then retrieves relevant context in later sessions. The same memory database can be accessed from multiple tools and projects.
Does nan-forget require an API key?
The Claude Code MCP setup command uses OPENAI_API_KEY. The npx nan-forget setup wizard, by contrast, is described as configuring a local installation with Ollama.
