# memory-research

A skill that researches a company, person or technology on the web and files the result as a structured Basic Memory note.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 524 installs · ★ 23
- Author: basicmachines-co
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory-skills/tree/HEAD/memory-research/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-04-20
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/basicmachines-co-memory-research

## What it does

The skill fires when you ask for research, or when you drop a bare name or a URL with no other instruction. It runs a handful of searches and shapes what it finds around the subject type: an organization gets products, stage, leadership, headquarters; a person gets role, background, public work; a technology gets what it solves, who maintains it, maturity and alternatives.

Before anything is written, it queries Basic Memory under several spellings of the name — full form, acronym, domain. An existing entity is reported next to the fresh findings, and you get the option to extend that note with `edit_note` rather than start a second one. A new note is created through `write_note` only after you approve it, with a note type, tags, sections and relations to other entities in the graph.

Numbers in the summary stay hedged: funding and headcount are not presented as exact without a primary source. The skill sits on top of the Basic Memory MCP server, so `search_notes`, `write_note` and `edit_note` have nothing to call without it.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add basicmachines-co/basic-memory-skills --skill memory-research -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/memory-research/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/memory-research/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add basicmachines-co/basic-memory-skills --skill memory-research -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/memory-research/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add basicmachines-co/basic-memory-skills --skill memory-research -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/memory-research/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install basicmachines-co/basic-memory-skills memory-research
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/memory-research/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add basicmachines-co/basic-memory-skills --skill memory-research -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory-skills --path memory-research
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/memory-research/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add basicmachines-co/basic-memory-skills --skill memory-research -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory-skills/tree/HEAD/memory-research/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- pull together a profile of an unfamiliar company before a call
- record how you met someone as a knowledge-base entry
- map a new technology: maturity, alternatives, maintainers
- avoid duplicate notes when the entity already exists
- keep the source and research date next to the conclusions

## Example prompts
- Research Terraform and create a Basic Memory entity for it
- What do you know about Acme Corp — saw them at the conference
- Look up https://example.com and suggest what to save

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## Other versions with the same name
- [memory-research · basicmachines-co](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/memory-research.md) — 1200 installs

From the same set: [basicmachines-co/basic-memory-skills](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/basicmachines-co/basic-memory-skills.md) — 6 cards

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NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md