agent-memory-discipline

1# Agent memory discipline
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3Connecting a memory tool does not make an agent use it. Tools register, the session runs, and nothing gets recalled or saved. This skill supplies the missing part: standing rules for when to read memory and when to write it.
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5It is backend-agnostic. Everything below works the same whether memory is a folder of Markdown files, a local MCP server, or a hosted service.
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7## Recall before acting
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9Read memory **before** doing any of these, not after:
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11- starting work on a project you have touched before
12- choosing a library, pattern, or tool
13- writing tests, commits, or documentation, where conventions apply
14- answering "how do we usually do X here"
15- anything the user phrases as "again", "like last time", or "as we agreed"
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17Do **not** recall for one-off factual questions, arithmetic, or anything fully specified in the current message. Recall costs a tool call and context; spending it on a self-contained question is waste.
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19Search with the words the user actually used, plus the project or repository name. If the first search returns nothing useful, try one broader query, then stop and proceed without memory rather than looping.
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21## Save after deciding
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23Write to memory when one of these has just happened:
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25- a **decision** was made and will still matter next week ("we use pnpm", "the billing module stays untouched")
26- the user **corrected** you, which is the strongest signal there is
27- an approach **failed**, and why it failed
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