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Basic Memory MCP Server

Provides a local, bidirectional knowledge graph built from Markdown notes accessible via MCP-enabled LLM clients.

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Installation

Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.

Configuration

View docs

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

Basic Memory MCP Server lets your local knowledge graph be read from and written to by compatible LLMs through the Model Context Protocol. It enables persistent, bidirectional knowledge editing with local Markdown notes, indexed for fast search, and optional cloud synchronization. You can drive conversation-based note creation, semantic linking, and structured exploration of your notes across sessions and tools.

How to use

Connect your MCP client (Claude Desktop or other MCP-enabled tools) to the Basic Memory MCP Server. You will run the local MCP endpoint and then configure your client to talk to it. Once connected, you can create notes, read notes, and traverse your knowledge graph with natural language prompts.

Content and knowledge graph interactions

Use the available MCP tools to manage your notes and explore relationships. You can create notes during conversations, read and edit notes, and navigate between related topics using simple links in your Markdown-backed knowledge base.

Claude Desktop integration steps

Configure Claude Desktop to connect to Basic Memory so Claude can read and write to your local notes.

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

Alternative installation with Smithery

If you prefer automatic configuration for Claude Desktop, you can use Smithery. This installs and configures Basic Memory without manual edits to Claude Desktop.

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

In Claude Desktop, the LLM can now use these tools

The following tools are available for content management, navigation, search, and project handling. Use natural language prompts to invoke them.

Available tools

write_note

Create or update notes with a given title, content, folder, and tags.

read_note

Read a note by identifier, such as title or permalink, with optional paging.

read_content

Read raw file content from a given path, including text, images, or binaries.

view_note

View a note as a formatted artifact for display in the LLM or UI.

edit_note

Edit notes incrementally by applying a specified operation and content.

move_note

Move notes between folders or paths while preserving database consistency.

delete_note

Delete notes from the knowledge base.

build_context

Navigate the knowledge graph using memory:// URLs to build context for prompts.

recent_activity

Find recently updated information within a given depth and timeframe.

list_directory

Browse directory contents with optional depth filtering.

search

Search across your knowledge base with a query and paging.

list_memory_projects

List all available MCP projects for memory management.

create_memory_project

Create a new memory project with a given name and path.

get_current_project

Show statistics and status for the active memory project.

sync_status

Check the synchronization status between local files and the knowledge graph.

canvas

Generate visualizations of nodes and edges to illustrate your knowledge graph.