Basic Memory MCP server for AI agents

Basic Memory is an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that allows you to build persistent knowledge through natural conversations with LLMs like Claude. It stores information as Markdown files on your computer, creating a personal knowledge base that both humans and AI can read and write to.

Installation

Using UV (Recommended)

uv tool install basic-memory

Using Homebrew

brew tap basicmachines-co/basic-memory
brew install basic-memory

Using Smithery

npx -y @smithery/cli install @basicmachines-co/basic-memory --client claude

Using pip

# Stable release
pip install basic-memory

# Beta/pre-releases
pip install basic-memory --pre

# Development builds
pip install basic-memory --pre --force-reinstall

Using Docker

docker run -d \
  --name basic-memory-server \
  -v /path/to/your/obsidian-vault:/data/knowledge:rw \
  -v basic-memory-config:/root/.basic-memory:rw \
  ghcr.io/basicmachines-co/basic-memory:latest

Configuration

Claude Desktop

Edit your Claude Desktop configuration file (located at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json for macOS):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "basic-memory": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "basic-memory",
        "mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

To use a specific project:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "basic-memory": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "basic-memory",
        "--project",
        "your-project-name",
        "mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

VS Code

Add to your VS Code User Settings (JSON):

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "basic-memory": {
        "command": "uvx",
        "args": ["basic-memory", "mcp"]
      }
    }
  }
}

Or create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your workspace:

{
  "servers": {
    "basic-memory": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["basic-memory", "mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Usage

Once configured, your notes will be stored in ~/basic-memory by default. You can interact with Basic Memory through compatible LLM interfaces like Claude Desktop or VS Code.

Example Prompts

Create notes: "Create a note about coffee brewing methods"
Read notes: "What do I know about pour over coffee?"
Search: "Find information about Ethiopian beans"
Edit notes: "Edit my coffee brewing note to add a new technique"
Organize: "Move my old meeting notes to the archive folder"
Project management: "Switch to my work-notes project" or "List all my available projects"

Available Tools

Basic Memory provides these tools to LLMs:

write_note(title, content, folder, tags) - Create or update notes
read_note(identifier, page, page_size) - Read notes by title or permalink
edit_note(identifier, operation, content) - Edit notes incrementally
move_note(identifier, destination_path) - Move notes with database consistency
view_note(identifier) - Display notes as formatted artifacts
build_context(url, depth, timeframe) - Navigate knowledge graph
search_notes(query, page, page_size) - Search across your knowledge base
recent_activity(type, depth, timeframe) - Find recently updated information
canvas(nodes, edges, title, folder) - Generate knowledge visualizations
list_memory_projects() - List all available projects
switch_project(project_name) - Switch to different project context
get_current_project() - Show current project and statistics
create_memory_project(name, path, set_default) - Create new projects
delete_project(name) - Delete projects from configuration
set_default_project(name) - Set default project
sync_status() - Check file synchronization status

Note Structure

Basic Memory uses a specific Markdown format:

Frontmatter

---
title: Coffee Brewing Methods
permalink: coffee-brewing-methods
tags:
- coffee
- brewing
---

Observations (Facts)

- [method] Pour over provides more clarity and highlights subtle flavors
- [technique] Water temperature at 205°F (96°C) extracts optimal compounds
- [principle] Freshly ground beans preserve aromatics and flavor

Relations (Links to Other Topics)

- relates_to [[Coffee Bean Origins]]
- requires [[Proper Grinding Technique]]
- affects [[Flavor Extraction]]

Multiple Projects

You can manage different knowledge bases as separate projects. Use the following command to switch between them:

basic-memory project switch your-project-name

Or create a new project:

basic-memory project create new-project-name /path/to/store/files

How to install this MCP server

For Claude Code

To add this MCP server to Claude Code, run this command in your terminal:

claude mcp add-json "basic-memory" '{"command":"uvx","args":["basic-memory","mcp"]}'

See the official Claude Code MCP documentation for more details.

For Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations and click "New MCP Server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "basic-memory": {
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": [
                "basic-memory",
                "mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explicitly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.

For Claude Desktop

To add this MCP server to Claude Desktop:

1. Find your configuration file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add this to your configuration file:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "basic-memory": {
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": [
                "basic-memory",
                "mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect