How Basic Memory works.

A workspace your AI can actually think in.

Your AI writes, reads, and reuses what matters. Your notes, prompts, and instructions. All in plain text.

## Plain text files

It starts as Markdown you own

Every note is a plain Markdown file with simple YAML frontmatter. The source of truth, on your disk or in your private cloud.

Read it in any editor, version it in Git, back it up, move it anywhere. No database you can't open, no proprietary format.

This is the half the whole industry is converging on. It's also where most tools stop.

A Basic Memory note showing its plain Markdown YAML frontmatter with a valid-YAML check
## A knowledge graph

Your notes connect into a graph

Categorized observations and typed relations turn a folder of notes into a semantic graph. And it grows as you and your AI write, not by configuration.

Your AI can follow threads, recall patterns, and summarize related work without you re-prompting.

Ask “summarize what we decided in our last three planning notes” and it follows the links to answer.

Structured knowledge graph view showing project notes and relations
## A real index

Read it like a doc. Query it like a database.

On top of the files, Basic Memory builds a full-text, semantic, and structured index. So your AI can search by keyword, by meaning, or by frontmatter field.

That's the hard half: making a pile of Markdown queryable without giving up the plain files underneath.

Define schemas to validate note types, and the graph stays consistent as it grows.

Basic Memory search querying across projects and workspaces
## Features

A real app for your knowledge.

Everything you'd expect from a tool you live in. And it all stays plain Markdown underneath.

Your whole knowledge base, in one app

Your whole knowledge base, in one app

Projects, notes, observations, and relations. Browse and edit it all in the web app.

Jump to anything

Jump to anything

A command palette to search notes and move around your whole graph in a keystroke.

Every version, recoverable

Every version, recoverable

File history keeps a version on every save. Compare changes and restore any earlier one.

Share a note with a link

Share a note with a link

Publish any note as a public, read-only page. No account required to view it.

Bring your history with you

Bring your history with you

Import from Claude, ChatGPT, a project ZIP, or JSON. And keep building from there.

Separate projects for separate work

Separate projects for separate work

Keep clients, teams, and topics in their own projects. Or keep everything in one.

## Works everywhere

Works with your favorite tools.

Basic Memory integrates with any AI platform or tool that supports the Model Context Protocol. Your knowledge follows you everywhere.

Built on the Model Context Protocol, an open standard for AI-tool integration

Any tool that supports MCP can use Basic Memory. Future integrations work automatically.

## Get started

Start building with your AI.

Try it for 7 days. Your notes stay yours either way. Start building a knowledge base that grows with you.