simple-memory

Simple Memory MCP Server provides a persistent memory store for AI assistants using a local SQLite database. It lets your AI remember preferences, decisions, and project context across sessions without relying on cloud services. The server exposes a set of CLI tools for storing, searching, updating, and exporting memories, as well as a GraphQL-backed memory API that can be consumed by clients or integrated with your existing workflows. You can use it directly via npx or install the CLI to run more advanced operations. The included tools focus on fast keyword-based recall and tag-based organization, making it ideal for personal knowledgebases and small teams that want offline, zero-config memory retention.

Key capabilities include: a store/memory insertion workflow to capture content and tags, a search interface to find memories by keywords or tags, and export/import for backup or migration. It also provides a setup command to auto-configure common editors and clients (e.g., VS Code and Claude Desktop) for seamless integration. The system offers a GraphQL schema for developers who want to query memories, stats, and related items, and it supports automated backups to local paths. Use the CLI commands under simple-memory to manage memories, or integrate the GraphQL API into your own application workflows.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js and npm installed on your system
• Optional: Git for cloning the repository if you’re contributing

Install and configure:

# Install the MCP CLI globally (preferred for long-term usage)
npm install -g simple-memory-mcp

# Auto-configure VS Code & Claude Desktop (recommended for first-time setup)
simple-memory setup

If you prefer to run directly via npx without installing:

# Run the MCP client on-demand (no global install required)
npx -y simple-memory-mcp

Contributing (optional):

git clone https://github.com/chrisribe/simple-memory-mcp.git
cd simple-memory-mcp
npm install
npm run build
npm test

Environment tips:

• The default database location is ~/.simple-memory/memory.db. You can override this with the MEMORY_DB environment variable in the MCP configuration.
• Backups are optional and can be configured via MEMORY_BACKUP_PATH and MEMORY_BACKUP_INTERVAL.
• The MCP Tools include memory-graphql for programmatic memory operations, export-memory for backups, and import-memory for restoration. If you run into path or permission issues, ensure the process has write access to the configured database and backup directories.
• For Claude Desktop and VS Code users, enabling the setup command can auto-detect installations and configure them for automatic memory capture.

Common issues:

• If memory operations fail, check that SQLite permissions are correct and that the database file is not read-only.
• When using npx, ensure your npm registry access is available (offline mode may require a local cache).