Basic Memory MCP Server

Claude, Codex, or Cursor connected in 30 seconds. No Python, no JSON, no terminal. **$15.00/mo locked in for life** (12.50/mo yearly pricing). 7-day

Remote serverstreamable-httpPython

What is the Basic Memory MCP server?

If you already use Basic Memory, the basic memory mcp server is the piece that lets your assistant work with it directly. Claude, Codex, or Cursor connected in 30 seconds. No Python, no JSON, no terminal. $15.00/mo locked in for life (12.50/mo yearly pricing). 7-day free trial — cancel any time before day 7 if it's not for you. Beta pricing — sign up now.

What the server does

  • Chat history — captures conversations but isn't structured knowledge
  • RAG — lets the LLM query your documents but not write back to them
  • Vector DBs — need complex infra and usually live in someone else's cloud
  • Knowledge graphs — need specialized tooling to maintain
  • All knowledge stays in plain files you control
  • Both sides read and write to the same files

Installation

Because this one is hosted, setup is mostly authentication — you point your client at the endpoint and approve access. Nothing runs on your machine, so there is no runtime to keep patched.

Available tools

The toolset is worth reading before you wire it up, because it tells you what the integration is really for:

  • Content — ** write_note, read_note, edit_note, move_note,
  • Projects — ** list_memory_projects, list_workspaces,
  • Schema — ** schema_infer, schema_validate, schema_diff
  • Client — Transport
  • PricingStart your 7-day free trial →
  • Hermes — Hermes keeps its native plugin shape under integrations/hermes:
  • OpenClaw — OpenClaw stays package-native and publishes from integrations/openclaw:
  • Cursor — The Cursor tool exposed by this server
  • ChatGPT — Basic Memory exposes OpenAI-compatible search and fetch tools for Custom GPT actions. See the [ChatGPT integration
  • Obsidian — No setup. Point Obsidian at ~/basic-memory (or your project folder) and the same wikilinks, frontmatter, and Markdown your AI writes appear in your
  • Frontmatter — The Frontmatter tool exposed by this server
  • Observations — Facts about the entity. Categories in [brackets], tags with #, optional context in parens

Credentials and setup notes

Configuration is passed through the environment: BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_SEARCH_ENABLED, BASIC_MEMORY_RERANKER_ENABLED, BASIC_MEMORY_RERANKER_PROVIDER, BASIC_MEMORY_RERANKER_MODEL, COHERE_API_KEY, BASIC_MEMORY_NO_PROMOS. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.

Worth knowing first

  • Your data travels to the provider's service, so the usual questions apply about what you send and what they retain.
  • With 13 tools registered it takes up a noticeable share of the context window; turn it off in projects that never touch Basic Memory.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

Where it fits

Plenty of AI and media services servers cover similar ground. The differences that matter in practice are scope of access and how much setup stands between you and a working tool call. Basic Memory's toolset — Content, Projects, Schema and 10 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by basicmachines-co; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

We check each listing at SyncDev against the project's documentation before it goes live — if something here drifts out of date, it is a bug worth reporting.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
Content** write_note, read_note, edit_note, move_note,
Projects** list_memory_projects, list_workspaces,
Schema** schema_infer, schema_validate, schema_diff
ClientTransport
Pricing[**Start your 7-day free trial →**](https://basicmemory.com?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=readme&utm_content=cloud-section)
HermesHermes keeps its native plugin shape under [integrations/hermes](integrations/hermes):
OpenClawOpenClaw stays package-native and publishes from [integrations/openclaw](integrations/openclaw):
CursorThe Cursor tool exposed by this server.
ChatGPTBasic Memory exposes OpenAI-compatible search and fetch tools for Custom GPT actions. See the [ChatGPT integration guide](https://docs.basicmemory.com/integrations/chatgpt/?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campa
ObsidianNo setup. Point Obsidian at ~/basic-memory (or your project folder) and the same wikilinks, frontmatter, and Markdown your AI writes appear in your graph view. Edit either side — sync handles the rest.
FrontmatterThe Frontmatter tool exposed by this server.
ObservationsFacts about the entity. Categories in [brackets], tags with #, optional context in parens.
RelationsWiki-style links that form the graph. Single-token relation types, or quote multi-word ones.

How to install the Basic Memory MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "basic-memory": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "skills"],
      "env": {
        "BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_SEARCH_ENABLED": "your-value",
        "BASIC_MEMORY_RERANKER_ENABLED": "your-value",
        "BASIC_MEMORY_RERANKER_PROVIDER": "your-value",
        "BASIC_MEMORY_RERANKER_MODEL": "your-value",
        "COHERE_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "BASIC_MEMORY_NO_PROMOS": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_SEARCH_ENABLEDConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
BASIC_MEMORY_RERANKER_ENABLEDConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
BASIC_MEMORY_RERANKER_PROVIDERConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
BASIC_MEMORY_RERANKER_MODELConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
COHERE_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
BASIC_MEMORY_NO_PROMOSConfiguration value read at startup.Optional

Example prompts to try

  • Use Basic Memory to Content.
  • Use Basic Memory to Projects.
  • Use Basic Memory to Schema.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Basic Memory to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 13 tools (Content, Projects, Schema, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Basic Memory directly.