Memory - Read & Access Operations
Unified read-side memory skill with subcommands for searching, loading, syncing, history, and visualization.
Cross-session read strategy (Opus 4.7 / CC 2.1.111+): Opus 4.7 reads filesystem memory more reliably than 4.6. When loading context at session start, prefer the layered read order: 1.~/.claude/projects/<slug>/memory/MEMORY.md(durable index — load first, always) 2..claude/chain/state.json+ most recentNN-*.jsonhandoff (session continuation) 3. MCPmcp__memory__search_nodesfor anything the filesystem index doesn't answer (typed graph traversal) Layer 1 is cheap (small index file), Layer 2 is scoped (session-specific), Layer 3 is selective (only when needed). Avoid dumping the full knowledge graph into context — use the index to narrow the search first.
Argument Resolution
SUBCOMMAND = "$ARGUMENTS[0]" # First token: search, load, history, viz, status
QUERY = "$ARGUMENTS[1]" # Second token onward: search query or flags
# $ARGUMENTS is the full string (CC 2.1.59 indexed access)Usage
/ork:memory search <query> # Search knowledge graph
/ork:memory load # Load context at session start
/ork:memory history # View decision timeline
/ork:memory viz # Visualize knowledge graph
/ork:memory status # Show memory system healthCRITICAL: Use AskUserQuestion When No Subcommand
If invoked without a subcommand, ask the user what they want:
AskUserQuestion(
questions=[{
"question": "What memory operation do you need?",
"header": "Operation",
"options": [
{"label": "search", "description": "Search decisions and patterns in knowledge graph", "markdown": "```\nSearch Knowledge Graph\n──────────────────────\n query ──▶ mcp__memory ──▶ results\n\n Flags:\n --category Filter by type\n --agent Scope to agent\n --limit N Max results\n --global Cross-project\n```"},
{"label": "load", "description": "Load relevant context for this session", "markdown": "```\nLoad Session Context\n────────────────────\n Auto-detect project ──▶\n ┌────────────────────┐\n │ Recent decisions │\n │ Active patterns │\n │ Project entities │\n └────────────────────┘\n Flags: --project, --global\n```"},
{"label": "history", "description": "View decision timeline", "markdown": "```\nDecision Timeline\n─────────────────\n ┌──── Feb 28 ────────────┐\n │ Used Postgres over Mongo│\n ├──── Feb 27 ────────────┤\n │ Adopted MVC pattern │\n ├──── Feb 26 ────────────┤\n │ Chose JWT over sessions │\n └────────────────────────┘\n Flags: --since, --mermaid\n```"},
{"label": "viz", "description": "Visualize knowledge graph as Mermaid", "markdown": "```\nKnowledge Graph Viz\n───────────────────\n Entities ──▶ Mermaid diagram\n\n [Project] ──uses──▶ [Postgres]\n │ │\n └──has──▶ [Auth] ──uses──▶ [JWT]\n\n Output: Mermaid code block\n```"},
{"label": "status", "description": "Check memory system health", "markdown": "```\nMemory Health Check\n───────────────────\n ┌─────────────────────┐\n │ MCP server ✓/✗ │\n │ Entity count N │\n │ Relation count N │\n │ Last write date │\n │ Graph size N KB │\n └─────────────────────┘\n```"}
],
"multiSelect": false
}]
)Subcommands
Load details: Read("${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/memory-commands.md") for full usage, flags, output formats, and context-aware result limits for each subcommand.
| Subcommand | Purpose |
|---|---|
search | Search past decisions, patterns, entities. Supports --category (maps to metadata.category), --limit, --agent (scopes by agent_id), --global filter flags |
load | Auto-load relevant memories at session start. Supports --project, --global |
history | Decision timeline with table, Mermaid, or JSON output. Supports --since, --mermaid |
viz | Render knowledge graph as Mermaid diagram. See also Read("${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/mermaid-patterns.md") |
status | Memory system health check |
Workflow
1. Parse Subcommand
Extract first argument as subcommand
If no subcommand -> AskUserQuestion
Validate subcommand is one of: search, load, history, viz, status
Parse remaining flags
Check for --agent <agent-id> flag → agent_id: "ork:{agent-id}"2. Execute Subcommand
Route to appropriate handler based on subcommand.
3. Report Results
Format output appropriate to the operation.
Rules Quick Reference
| Rule | Impact | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
entity-extraction-patterns (load ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/rules/entity-extraction-patterns.md) | HIGH | Entity types, relation types, graph query semantics |
deduplication-strategy (load ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/rules/deduplication-strategy.md) | HIGH | Edit-over-Write pattern, anchor-based insertion, verification |
Session Resume
Load details: Read("${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/session-resume-patterns.md") for CC 2.1.31 resume hints, context capture before ending, and resume workflows for PRs, issues, and implementations.
Related Skills
ork:remember- Store decisions and patterns (write-side)
Error Handling
- If graph empty for viz: Show helpful message about using /ork:remember
- If subcommand invalid: Show usage help
- If memory files corrupt: Report and offer repair
- If search query empty: Show recent entities instead
- If no search results: Suggest alternatives