# memory-notes

Guides coding agents on structuring markdown notes for Basic Memory knowledge graphs. It covers YAML metadata, categorized observations, and wiki-style note relations.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 1300 installs · ★ 4357
- Author: basicmachines-co
- License: AGPL-3.0 · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/tree/HEAD/skills/memory-notes/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-24
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/memory-notes

## What it does

The skill teaches agents the exact anatomy of notes parsed by Basic Memory. Each document starts with frontmatter containing a title and optional tags. The frontmatter title must match the top heading. Below it, the body holds context and trade-offs in plain prose. Search queries rely on this text.

Structured facts live in the observations section: `- [category] text #tag`. Categories are arbitrary and queryable through `bm_search`. Time qualifiers like `@effective:YYYY-MM-DD` define when a fact applies. Relative terms like yesterday remain plain text, so exact dates are mandatory. Relations form graph edges via directional links.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

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

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

### Codex

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

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

### Cursor

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

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

### GitHub Copilot

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

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

### Gemini CLI

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

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

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

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

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add basicmachines-co/basic-memory --skill memory-notes -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/tree/HEAD/skills/memory-notes/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- format project notes for Basic Memory knowledge graph ingestion
- record technical decisions with explicit validity timeframes
- connect markdown files using typed wiki-link relationships
- categorize atomic facts and risks with custom bracketed tags

## Example prompts
- Create a Basic Memory note documenting our database migration decisions.
- Format this meeting summary with bracketed observations and links to the auth spec.
- Add a decision observation with an effective date qualifier to the architecture note.

## Similar
- [memory-lifecycle](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/basicmachines-co-memory-lifecycle.md) — skill · 546 installs
- [memory-ingest](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/basicmachines-co-memory-ingest.md) — skill · 541 installs
- [bear-notes](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/bear-notes.md) — skill · 5100 installs
- [consolidate-notes](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/consolidate-notes.md) — skill · 823 installs
- [apple-notes](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/apple-notes.md) — skill · 5900 installs
- [release-notes](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/release-notes.md) — skill · 2900 installs

From the same set: [basicmachines-co/basic-memory](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/basicmachines-co/basic-memory.md) — 14 cards

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