Memory Notes

Memory Notes

Write well-structured notes that Basic Memory can parse into a searchable knowledge graph. Every note is a markdown file with three key sections: frontmatter, observations, and relations.

Note Anatomy

---
title: API Design Decisions
tags: [api, architecture, decisions]
---

# API Design Decisions

The API team evaluated multiple approaches for the public API during Q1. After
prototyping both REST and GraphQL, the team chose REST due to broader ecosystem
support and simpler caching semantics. This note captures the key decisions and
their rationale, along with open questions still to resolve.

## Observations
- [decision] Use REST over GraphQL for simplicity #api
- [requirement] Must support versioning from day one
- [risk] Rate limiting needed for public endpoints

## Relations
- implements [[API Specification]]
- depends_on [[Authentication System]]
- relates_to [[Performance Requirements]]

Frontmatter

Every note starts with YAML frontmatter:

---
title: Note Title          # required — becomes the entity name in the knowledge graph
tags: [tag1, tag2]         # optional — for organization and filtering
type: note                 # optional — defaults to "note", use custom types with schemas
permalink: custom-path     # optional — auto-generated from title if omitted
---

• The title must match the # Heading in the body
• Tags are searchable and help with discovery
• Custom type values (Task, Meeting, Person, etc.) work with the schema system. See the memory-schema skill for defining schemas, validating notes against them, and detecting drift.
• The permalink is auto-generated from the title and directory. For example, title "API Design Decisions" in directory "specs" produces permalink specs/api-design-decisions and memory URL memory://specs/api-design-decisions. If no directory is specified, the permalink is just the kebab-cased title. Permalinks stay stable across file moves. You rarely need to set one manually.

Note: When using write_note, you don't write frontmatter yourself. The title, tags, note_type, and metadata are separate parameters — Basic Memory generates the frontmatter automatically. Your content parameter is just the markdown body starting with # Heading.

Body / Context

Free-form markdown between the heading and the Observations section. This is the heart of the note — write generously here:

• Background, motivation, and history
• Detailed explanation of what happened and why it matters
• Analysis, reasoning, and trade-offs considered
• Context that someone (or an AI) needs to understand this note later

Write complete, substantive prose. Basic Memory's search retrieves relevant chunks from note bodies, so longer, richer context makes notes more discoverable and more useful when found. Don't reduce everything to bullet points — tell the story.

Observations

Observations are categorized facts — the atomic units of knowledge. Each one becomes a searchable entity in the knowledge graph.

Syntax

- [category] Content of the observation #optional-tag

• Square brackets define the semantic category
• Content is the fact, decision, insight, or note
• Hash tags (optional) add extra metadata for filtering

Categories Are Arbitrary

The category in brackets is free-form — use whatever label makes sense for the observation. There is no fixed list. The only rule is the [category] content syntax. Consistency within a project helps searchability, but invent categories freely.

A few examples to illustrate the range:

- [decision] Use PostgreSQL for primary data store
- [risk] Third-party API has no SLA guarantee
- [technique] Exponential backoff for retry logic #resilience
- [question] Should we support multi-tenancy at the DB level?
- [preference] Use Bun over Node for new projects
- [lesson] Always validate webhook signatures server-side
- [status] active
- [flavor] Ethiopian beans work best with lighter roasts

Observation Tips

• One fact per observation. Don't pack multiple ideas into one line.
• Be specific. [decision] Use JWT is less useful than [decision] Use JWT with 15-minute expiry for API auth.
• Use tags for cross-cutting concerns. [risk] Rate limiting needed #api #security makes this findable under both topics.
• Categories are queryable. search_notes("[decision]") finds all decisions across your knowledge base.

Relations

Relations create edges in the knowledge graph, linking notes to each other. They're how you build structure beyond individual notes.

Syntax

- relation_type [[Target Note Title]]

• relation_type is a descriptive verb or phrase (snake_case by convention)
• Double brackets [[...]] identify the target note by title or permalink
• Relations are directional: this note → target note

Relation Types

Inline Relations

Wiki-links anywhere in the note body — not just the Relations section — also create graph edges:

We evaluated [[GraphQL Approach]] but decided against it because
the team has more experience with REST. See [[API Specification]]
for the full contract.

These create references relations automatically. Use the Relations section for explicit, typed relationships; use inline links for natural prose references.

Relation Tips

• Link liberally. Relations are what turn isolated notes into a knowledge graph. When in doubt, add the link.
• Create target notes if they don't exist yet. [[Future Topic]] is valid — BM will resolve it when that note is created.
• Use `build_context` to traverse. build_context(url="memory://note-title") follows relations to gather connected knowledge.
• Custom relation types are fine. taught_by, blocks, tested_in — use whatever is descriptive.

Memory URLs

Every note is addressable via a memory:// URL, built from its permalink. These URLs are how you navigate the knowledge graph programmatically.

URL Patterns

memory://api-design-decisions          # by permalink (title → kebab-case)
memory://docs/authentication           # by file path
memory://docs/authentication.md        # with extension (also works)
memory://auth*                         # wildcard prefix
memory://docs/*                        # wildcard suffix
memory://project/*/requirements        # path wildcards

Project-Scoped URLs

In multi-project setups, prefix with the project name:

memory://main/specs/api-design         # "main" project, "specs/api-design" path
memory://research/papers/crdt          # "research" project

The first path segment is matched against known project names. If it matches, it's used as the project scope. Otherwise the URL resolves in the default project.

Using Memory URLs

Memory URLs work with build_context to assemble related knowledge by traversing relations:

# Get a note and its connected context
build_context(url="memory://api-design-decisions")

# Wildcard — gather all docs
build_context(url="memory://docs/*")

# Direct read by permalink