distill-memory — Claude Code skill: what it does, how to install
Instructs the agent to capture decisions, debug learnings, and workflows into an nmem knowledge base without waiting for prompts.
npx skills add nowledge-co/community --skill distill-memory -a claude-codeWhat distill-memory does
This skill directs the agent to capture durable knowledge during a session. Instead of waiting for a manual save request, the model detects architectural choices, root cause discoveries, or reusable steps. Routine conversation, transient progress, and standard docs lookups get ignored.
The process relies on the nmem CLI. New entries are created with nmem --json m add, while refinements to existing notes use nmem m update <id>. Entries receive structured metadata, including units like decision, learning, or procedure, along with an importance score from 0.3 to 1.0.
If the nmem CLI tool or a native Nowledge Mem connector is missing in your environment, execution will break. Ensure the command-line utility is accessible before triggering saves.
What it helps with
- record technical decisions along with their rationale
- capture debugging takeaways and incident root causes
- document repeatable procedures and development rules
- update existing knowledge entries rather than creating duplicates
Example prompts for the agent
- Save our decision to migrate to PostgreSQL due to ACID requirements
- Record the root cause of this memory leak as a lesson for future sessions
- Update the deployment procedure with the new migration check
How to install distill-memory
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add nowledge-co/community --skill distill-memory -a claude-code2Manually: put the files in place
~/.claude/skills/distill-memory/SKILL.mdCopy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/distill-memory/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add nowledge-co/community --skill distill-memory -a codex2Manually: put the files in place
.agents/skills/distill-memory/SKILL.mdFor all projects use ~/.agents/skills/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add nowledge-co/community --skill distill-memory -a cursor2Manually: put the files in place
.cursor/skills/distill-memory/SKILL.mdCursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/
1GitHub CLI
gh skill install nowledge-co/community distill-memory2Manually: put the files in place
.github/skills/distill-memory/SKILL.md1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add nowledge-co/community --skill distill-memory -a gemini-cli2Platform CLI
gemini skills install https://github.com/nowledge-co/community --path nowledge-mem-agent-plugin/skills/distill-memoryManually: put the files in place
.devin/skills/distill-memory/SKILL.mdThe legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works
Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add nowledge-co/community --skill distill-memory -a opencodeClaude.ai
Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways
Questions about distill-memory
How to install distill-memory in Claude Code?
Run npx skills add nowledge-co/community --skill distill-memory -a claude-code.
What does distill-memory do?
It guides your coding agent to recognize persistent takeaways, such as design decisions and workflow rules, and store them directly in your knowledge base.
What tools are required for distill-memory to work?
The agent executes nmem CLI commands or relies on a native Nowledge Mem connector to add and update memory units.
