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Basic Memory MCP Server

Provides a local-first MCP server that enables LLMs to read and write to your Markdown-based knowledge base.

Installation

Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.

Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "basicmachines-co-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 in the knowledge base from conversations with the LLM.

read_note

Read notes by title or permalink to surface relevant context in a chat.

read_content

Read raw file content (text, images, binaries) from the knowledge base.

view_note

View notes as formatted artifacts within the MCP-enabled client.

edit_note

Edit notes incrementally within the knowledge base via MCP commands.

move_note

Move notes to a different folder while maintaining database consistency.

delete_note

Delete notes from the knowledge base.

build_context

Navigate the knowledge graph using memory:// URLs to fetch related context.

recent_activity

Query recently updated information within a specified scope.

list_directory

Browse directory contents of the knowledge base with optional filtering.

search

Search across your knowledge base for matching content.

list_memory_projects

List all available projects managed by Basic Memory.

create_memory_project

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

get_current_project

Show current project statistics and status.

sync_status

Check synchronization status between local files and the knowledge graph.

canvas

Generate visualizations of your knowledge graph to aid understanding.