# memory-onboarding

Guides you through designing a Basic Memory knowledge base and wiring it into your assistant so project context persists across sessions.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 960 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-onboarding/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-24
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/memory-onboarding

## What it does

This skill builds a markdown-based knowledge graph for your project. It interviews you about the domains you want to track, such as tasks or contacts, and creates structured note templates. Notes receive explicit schemas and categorized facts with links. Plain text turns into queryable data.

The onboarding follows phased steps, requiring your explicit blueprint sign-off before writing any files. It sets up a startup router note so future assistant sessions automatically load relevant instructions. Your setup requires active Basic Memory tools like `bm_write` and `bm_read`. Without them, the assistant pauses the workflow immediately.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

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

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

### Codex

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

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

### Cursor

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

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

### GitHub Copilot

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

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

### Gemini CLI

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

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

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

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

### OpenCode

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

## When to use it
- design schemas and note templates for Basic Memory
- preserve assistant context across multiple work sessions
- turn scattered markdown notes into a structured knowledge graph
- create a startup router note to load project rules automatically

## Example prompts
- Help me set up a Basic Memory knowledge system for this project
- Run memory-onboarding to organize my scattered research notes
- I want to structure my tasks and contact notes using Basic Memory

## 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
- [para-memory-files](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/para-memory-files.md) — skill · 1800 installs
- [memory-intake](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/memory-intake.md) — skill · 766 installs
- [wiki-update](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/wiki-update.md) — skill · 3400 installs
- [memory-systems](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/memory-systems.md) — skill · 393 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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