Memory Usage Dashboard MCP server

The MCP Memory Dashboard is a desktop application for managing the MCP Memory Service, a semantic memory system built on the Model Context Protocol. It provides a user-friendly interface for storing, searching, and organizing memories with features like semantic search, tag management, and time-based recall.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16 or higher)
• Python (v3.10 or higher) with UV package manager
• MCP Memory Service (compatible installation)
• Docker Desktop (for high-performance mode)

Setup Instructions

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/mcp-memory-dashboard.git
   cd mcp-memory-dashboard
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Configure environment variables: Create a .env file in the project root:

   macOS/Linux:

   # Basic Configuration
   VITE_MEMORY_SERVICE_PATH="/path/to/mcp-memory-service"
   VITE_MEMORY_CHROMA_PATH="/Users/yourusername/Library/Application Support/mcp-memory/chroma_db"
   VITE_MEMORY_BACKUPS_PATH="/Users/yourusername/Library/Application Support/mcp-memory/backups"
   VITE_CLAUDE_CONFIG_PATH="/Users/yourusername/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json"
   
   # Docker ChromaDB Mode (High Performance)
   VITE_USE_DIRECT_CHROMA_ACCESS=true   # Enable Docker mode for 2-3x faster performance
   # VITE_USE_DIRECT_CHROMA_ACCESS=false  # Traditional MCP mode (stable fallback)
   

   Windows:

   # Basic Configuration
   VITE_MEMORY_SERVICE_PATH="C:\path\to\mcp-memory-service"
   VITE_MEMORY_CHROMA_PATH="C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\mcp-memory\chroma_db"
   VITE_MEMORY_BACKUPS_PATH="C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\mcp-memory\backups"
   VITE_CLAUDE_CONFIG_PATH="C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json"
   
   # Docker ChromaDB Mode (High Performance)
   VITE_USE_DIRECT_CHROMA_ACCESS=true   # Enable Docker mode for 2-3x faster performance
   # VITE_USE_DIRECT_CHROMA_ACCESS=false  # Traditional MCP mode (stable fallback)
   

4. Start the application:

   npm start
   

Windows-Specific Configuration

Path Configuration

• Use double backslashes (\\) or forward slashes (/) in paths
• Common Windows paths:
  • Claude Config: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
  • Memory Database: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\mcp-memory\chroma_db
  • Backups: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\mcp-memory\backups

PowerShell Execution Policy

If you encounter script execution errors:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

Docker vs MCP Mode

Docker Mode Benefits

• 2-3x Faster Performance: Direct HTTP access eliminates MCP overhead
• Zero Service Conflicts: Eliminates duplication that could interfere with Claude Desktop
• Zero Data Loss: Uses your existing database directly via volume mounting
• Automatic Management: Transparent Docker container lifecycle management

Mode Comparison

Feature	Docker Mode (true)	MCP Mode (false)
Performance	2-3x faster (50-150ms)	Standard (200-500ms)
Service Conflicts	None	Possible (MCP conflicts)
Requirements	Docker Desktop required	Python + UV required
Data Migration	None (uses existing DB)	None (uses existing DB)
Reliability	Auto-restart, health monitoring	Depends on MCP service

Usage Guide

Storing Memories

1. Navigate to the Store Memory tab
2. Enter your content in the text area
3. Add comma-separated tags (optional)
4. Click Store to save

Searching Memories

1. Navigate to the Search Memories tab
2. Enter your search query
3. Click Search to find relevant memories
4. Results show content, tags, similarity scores, and individual delete buttons

Time-Based Recall

1. Navigate to the Recall by Time tab
2. Use quick filters ([Today], [Yesterday], [Last Week], etc.) or enter custom time expressions
3. Click Recall to find memories from that time period
4. Results include individual delete buttons and similarity scores

Managing Tags

1. Navigate to the Tag Management tab
2. Enter tags one by one and press Enter or click "Add Tag"
3. Selected tags appear as visual chips with remove (×) buttons
4. Click Delete [N] Tags to remove all memories containing any of the selected tags
5. Warning: Uses OR logic - memories with ANY selected tag will be deleted

Database Operations

• Refresh Stats: Click the settings icon to reload statistics and see real query times
• Optimize Database: Click the refresh icon to optimize performance
• Create Backup: Click the save icon to create a timestamped backup with detailed feedback

Troubleshooting

Docker Mode Issues

• "Docker not available" message: Install and start Docker Desktop
• "Using fallback port" message: Normal behavior, system automatically uses alternative ports
• Slower initial startup: First run downloads ChromaDB Docker image (~100MB)
• Container health issues: System automatically restarts unhealthy containers

MCP Mode Issues

• "Failed to connect to memory service": Verify MCP Memory Service installation and path
• Dashboard operations are slow: First run requires ChromaDB initialization (10-30 seconds)
• Stats showing 0 despite having memories: Wait for full dashboard initialization or refresh stats

General Troubleshooting

• Check console logs (F12) for detailed error messages
• Verify all environment variables are set correctly
• Ensure MCP Memory Service is working independently
• Check file permissions for database and backup directories

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 "memory" '{"command":"uv","args":["--directory","/path/to/mcp-memory-service","run","memory"],"env":{"MCP_MEMORY_CHROMA_PATH":"/Users/yourusername/Library/Application Support/mcp-memory/chroma_db","MCP_MEMORY_BACKUPS_PATH":"/Users/yourusername/Library/Application Support/mcp-memory/backups"}}'

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": {
        "memory": {
            "command": "uv",
            "args": [
                "--directory",
                "/path/to/mcp-memory-service",
                "run",
                "memory"
            ],
            "env": {
                "MCP_MEMORY_CHROMA_PATH": "/Users/yourusername/Library/Application Support/mcp-memory/chroma_db",
                "MCP_MEMORY_BACKUPS_PATH": "/Users/yourusername/Library/Application Support/mcp-memory/backups"
            }
        }
    }
}

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": {
        "memory": {
            "command": "uv",
            "args": [
                "--directory",
                "/path/to/mcp-memory-service",
                "run",
                "memory"
            ],
            "env": {
                "MCP_MEMORY_CHROMA_PATH": "/Users/yourusername/Library/Application Support/mcp-memory/chroma_db",
                "MCP_MEMORY_BACKUPS_PATH": "/Users/yourusername/Library/Application Support/mcp-memory/backups"
            }
        }
    }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect