Elite Longterm Memory 🧠

The ultimate memory system for AI agents. Combines 6 proven approaches into one bulletproof architecture.

Never lose context. Never forget decisions. Never repeat mistakes.

Architecture Overview

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    ELITE LONGTERM MEMORY                        │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                 │
│  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐             │
│  │   HOT RAM   │  │  WARM STORE │  │  COLD STORE │             │
│  │             │  │             │  │             │             │
│  │ SESSION-    │  │  LanceDB    │  │  Git-Notes  │             │
│  │ STATE.md    │  │  Vectors    │  │  Knowledge  │             │
│  │             │  │             │  │  Graph      │             │
│  │ (survives   │  │ (semantic   │  │ (permanent  │             │
│  │  compaction)│  │  search)    │  │  decisions) │             │
│  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘             │
│         │                │                │                     │
│         └────────────────┼────────────────┘                     │
│                          ▼                                      │
│                  ┌─────────────┐                                │
│                  │  MEMORY.md  │  ← Curated long-term           │
│                  │  + daily/   │    (human-readable)            │
│                  └─────────────┘                                │
│                          │                                      │
│                          ▼                                      │
│                  ┌─────────────┐                                │
│                  │ SuperMemory │  ← Cloud backup (optional)     │
│                  │    API      │                                │
│                  └─────────────┘                                │
│                                                                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

The 5 Memory Layers

Layer 1: HOT RAM (SESSION-STATE.md)

From: bulletproof-memory

Active working memory that survives compaction. Write-Ahead Log protocol.

# SESSION-STATE.md — Active Working Memory

## Current Task
[What we're working on RIGHT NOW]

## Key Context
- User preference: ...
- Decision made: ...
- Blocker: ...

## Pending Actions
- [ ] ...

Rule: Write BEFORE responding. Triggered by user input, not agent memory.

Layer 2: WARM STORE (LanceDB Vectors)

From: lancedb-memory

Semantic search across all memories. Auto-recall injects relevant context.

# Auto-recall (happens automatically)
memory_recall query="project status" limit=5

# Manual store
memory_store text="User prefers dark mode" category="preference" importance=0.9

Layer 3: COLD STORE (Git-Notes Knowledge Graph)

From: git-notes-memory

Structured decisions, learnings, and context. Branch-aware.

# Store a decision (SILENT - never announce)
python3 memory.py -p $DIR remember '{"type":"decision","content":"Use React for frontend"}' -t tech -i h

# Retrieve context
python3 memory.py -p $DIR get "frontend"

Layer 4: CURATED ARCHIVE (MEMORY.md + daily/)

From: OpenClaw native

Human-readable long-term memory. Daily logs + distilled wisdom.

workspace/
├── MEMORY.md              # Curated long-term (the good stuff)
└── memory/
    ├── 2026-01-30.md      # Daily log
    ├── 2026-01-29.md
    └── topics/            # Topic-specific files

Layer 5: CLOUD BACKUP (SuperMemory) — Optional

From: supermemory

Cross-device sync. Chat with your knowledge base.

export SUPERMEMORY_API_KEY="your-key"
supermemory add "Important context"
supermemory search "what did we decide about..."

Layer 6: AUTO-EXTRACTION (Mem0) — Recommended

NEW: Automatic fact extraction

Mem0 automatically extracts facts from conversations. 80% token reduction.

npm install mem0ai
export MEM0_API_KEY="your-key"

const { MemoryClient } = require('mem0ai');
const client = new MemoryClient({ apiKey: process.env.MEM0_API_KEY });

// Conversations auto-extract facts
await client.add(messages, { user_id: "user123" });

// Retrieve relevant memories
const memories = await client.search(query, { user_id: "user123" });

Benefits:

Auto-extracts preferences, decisions, facts
Deduplicates and updates existing memories
80% reduction in tokens vs raw history
Works across sessions automatically

Quick Setup

1. Create SESSION-STATE.md (Hot RAM)

cat > SESSION-STATE.md << 'EOF'
# SESSION-STATE.md — Active Working Memory

This file is the agent's "RAM" — survives compaction, restarts, distractions.

## Current Task
[None]

## Key Context
[None yet]

## Pending Actions
- [ ] None

## Recent Decisions
[None yet]

---
*Last updated: [timestamp]*
EOF

2. Enable LanceDB (Warm Store)

In ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  "memorySearch": {
    "enabled": true,
    "provider": "openai",
    "sources": ["memory"],
    "minScore": 0.3,
    "maxResults": 10
  },
  "plugins": {
    "entries": {
      "memory-lancedb": {
        "enabled": true,
        "config": {
          "autoCapture": false,
          "autoRecall": true,
          "captureCategories": ["preference", "decision", "fact"],
          "minImportance": 0.7
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

3. Initialize Git-Notes (Cold Store)

cd ~/clawd
git init  # if not already
python3 skills/git-notes-memory/memory.py -p . sync --start

4. Verify MEMORY.md Structure

# Ensure you have:
# - MEMORY.md in workspace root
# - memory/ folder for daily logs
mkdir -p memory

5. (Optional) Setup SuperMemory

export SUPERMEMORY_API_KEY="your-key"
# Add to ~/.zshrc for persistence

Agent Instructions

On Session Start

Read SESSION-STATE.md — this is your hot context
Run memory_search for relevant prior context
Check memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md for recent activity

During Conversation

User gives concrete detail? → Write to SESSION-STATE.md BEFORE responding
Important decision made? → Store in Git-Notes (SILENTLY)
Preference expressed? → memory_store with importance=0.9

On Session End

Update SESSION-STATE.md with final state
Move significant items to MEMORY.md if worth keeping long-term
Create/update daily log in memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md

Memory Hygiene (Weekly)

Review SESSION-STATE.md — archive completed tasks
Check LanceDB for junk: memory_recall query="*" limit=50
Clear irrelevant vectors: memory_forget id=
Consolidate daily logs into MEMORY.md

The WAL Protocol (Critical)

Write-Ahead Log: Write state BEFORE responding, not after.

Trigger	Action
User states preference	Write to SESSION-STATE.md → then respond
User makes decision	Write to SESSION-STATE.md → then respond
User gives deadline	Write to SESSION-STATE.md → then respond
User corrects you	Write to SESSION-STATE.md → then respond

Why? If you respond first and crash/compact before saving, context is lost. WAL ensures durability.

Example Workflow

User: "Let's use Tailwind for this project, not vanilla CSS"

Agent (internal):
1. Write to SESSION-STATE.md: "Decision: Use Tailwind, not vanilla CSS"
2. Store in Git-Notes: decision about CSS framework
3. memory_store: "User prefers Tailwind over vanilla CSS" importance=0.9
4. THEN respond: "Got it — Tailwind it is..."

Maintenance Commands

# Audit vector memory
memory_recall query="*" limit=50

# Clear all vectors (nuclear option)
rm -rf ~/.openclaw/memory/lancedb/
openclaw gateway restart

# Export Git-Notes
python3 memory.py -p . export --format json > memories.json

# Check memory health
du -sh ~/.openclaw/memory/
wc -l MEMORY.md
ls -la memory/

Why Memory Fails

Understanding the root causes helps you fix them:

Failure Mode	Cause	Fix
Forgets everything	memory_search disabled	Enable + add OpenAI key
Files not loaded	Agent skips reading memory	Add to AGENTS.md rules
Facts not captured	No auto-extraction	Use Mem0 or manual logging
Sub-agents isolated	Don't inherit context	Pass context in task prompt
Repeats mistakes	Lessons not logged	Write to memory/lessons.md

Solutions (Ranked by Effort)

1. Quick Win: Enable memory_search

If you have an OpenAI key, enable semantic search:

openclaw configure --section web

This enables vector search over MEMORY.md + memory/*.md files.

2. Recommended: Mem0 Integration

Auto-extract facts from conversations. 80% token reduction.

npm install mem0ai

const { MemoryClient } = require('mem0ai');

const client = new MemoryClient({ apiKey: process.env.MEM0_API_KEY });

// Auto-extract and store
await client.add([
  { role: "user", content: "I prefer Tailwind over vanilla CSS" }
], { user_id: "ty" });

// Retrieve relevant memories
const memories = await client.search("CSS preferences", { user_id: "ty" });

3. Better File Structure (No Dependencies)

memory/
├── projects/
│   ├── strykr.md
│   └── taska.md
├── people/
│   └── contacts.md
├── decisions/
│   └── 2026-01.md
├── lessons/
│   └── mistakes.md
└── preferences.md

Keep MEMORY.md as a summary (<5KB), link to detailed files.

Immediate Fixes Checklist

Problem	Fix
Forgets preferences	Add ## Preferences section to MEMORY.md
Repeats mistakes	Log every mistake to memory/lessons.md
Sub-agents lack context	Include key context in spawn task prompt
Forgets recent work	Strict daily file discipline
Memory search not working	Check OPENAI_API_KEY is set

Troubleshooting

Agent keeps forgetting mid-conversation: → SESSION-STATE.md not being updated. Check WAL protocol.

Irrelevant memories injected: → Disable autoCapture, increase minImportance threshold.

Memory too large, slow recall: → Run hygiene: clear old vectors, archive daily logs.

Git-Notes not persisting: → Run git notes push to sync with remote.

memory_search returns nothing: → Check OpenAI API key: echo $OPENAI_API_KEY → Verify memorySearch enabled in openclaw.json

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