open-memex — Claude Code MCP server for agent memory
A local memory layer for coding agents: facts live in Markdown files, search runs on SQLite FTS5, and every connected editor reads the same store.
claude mcp add open-memex -- npx -y open-memexWhat open-memex does
Each new chat starts blank, so you explain the deploy process again and watch the agent rediscover the same traps. open-memex writes those facts to small Markdown files, one per fact, and hands the most relevant ones to the agent on the first turn of a session. After that the agent searches the rest on its own.
Markdown is the source of truth; the SQLite FTS5 index beside it is only a search accelerator and rebuilds from the files with open-memex reindex. A curated synonym map is indexed at write time, so ship matches deploy and 单点登录 matches SSO. No embedding model is involved, which keeps results deterministic and auditable.
Memories sit in one of two scopes. project covers the current repo and is set up for you; personal holds your own preferences and never leaves the machine. Node.js ≥ 22.14 is required, otherwise npm install -g open-memex fails. open-memex init wires up the editors it detects, and you restart them afterwards. Run open-memex doctor if you want to confirm the connection before trusting it.
What it helps with
- carry a deploy convention across sessions
- recall a past decision by a synonym instead of the exact word
- keep personal preferences out of the repo's shared memory
- point several editors at one memory store
- surface duplicates and stale entries with
open-memex audit
Example prompts for the agent
- Remember: this project deploys on Fridays
- What did we decide about the auth schema?
- Search memory for everything about database migrations
How to install open-memex
Platform CLI
claude mcp add open-memex -- npx -y open-memexPlatform CLI
codex mcp add open-memex -- npx -y open-memexConfig file
{
"mcpServers": {
"open-memex": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"open-memex"
]
}
}
}Config file
{
"servers": {
"open-memex": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"open-memex"
]
}
}
}Platform CLI
gemini mcp add open-memex npx -y open-memexStep 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 open-memex
How do I install open-memex in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add open-memex -- npx -y open-memex, then restart the editor.
What does open-memex do?
It stores project and personal facts as local Markdown files and exposes them to the agent through memory_* MCP tools. Every connected editor shares the same memory.
Does it need a cloud account or embeddings?
No. Everything stays on your machine, and search uses the SQLite FTS5 index with a synonym map instead of an embedding model. Node.js ≥ 22.14 is required.
