Memory URLs
Basic Memory is a knowledge base that you and your AI share. Memory URLs are how notes are addressed — by your AI, by CLI commands, and by links between notes.
Every note in Basic Memory has an address — a memory:// URL that works like a web link for your knowledge base. Your AI uses these behind the scenes to read notes, follow connections, and build context. You'll see them in tool output and can use them directly when you want to point your AI at something specific.
Basic forms
By title or permalink
memory://auth-approaches-2024
memory://Auth Approaches 2024
Both a permalink and an exact note title resolve.
By path
memory://docs/authentication
memory://docs/authentication.md
By wildcard
memory://docs/*
memory://auth*
Project-prefixed URLs
Memory URLs can include project scope as the first path segment:
memory://main/docs/authentication
memory://research/specs/search-ranking
This is useful when the same note title exists in multiple projects.
Cross-project references in links
Within notes, project namespace syntax is normalized — you can write it in a relation:
- relates_to [[research::specs/api]]
The project::note-path form is treated as project/note-path, and the same syntax works inside memory:// URLs. This improves cross-project resolution and keeps links explicit.
Where Memory URLs are used
Your AI uses memory URLs when reading notes, building context, and following links between notes. You can also use them directly in conversation — "read memory://docs/authentication" — or in CLI commands.
Behind the scenes, tools like read_note and build_context accept memory URLs as their primary input, and assistant workflows pass them between calls to maintain stable references.
Resolution behavior
URLs resolve to a project by explicit prefix first, then fall back to the default project. The full resolution order — including local-server project constraints — is covered in the local User Guide; these controls aren't exposed in cloud.
Best practices
- Use project-prefixed URLs in multi-project workflows
- Prefer permalinks for stability over titles when possible
- Use wildcards for discovery, then switch to exact references