Nova Memory MCP Server

Zero-config AI project memory with live file watching and MCP integration

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What is the Nova Memory MCP server?

Zero-config AI project memory with live file watching and MCP integration. That is what the nova memory mcp server brings to an AI assistant: the same capability, reachable through the Model Context Protocol rather than a separate app or dashboard.

The short version

Local-first persistent memory for AI assistants. Store context across sessions with SQLite.

Nova Memory is an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives AI assistants persistent memory. It stores your project context, decisions, and knowledge locally in SQLite - no cloud, no telemetry. Your data stays on your machine.

  • 22 MCP tools for memory, search, analysis, and task management
  • Store and search memories with BM25 full-text search
  • Knowledge graph with relationship traversal
  • Task management with phases and progress tracking
  • Multi-project support with cross-project queries
  • Enable/disable individual tools via configuration

Getting it running

@nova-mcp/mcp-nova on npm is all you need. Most clients run it directly, so configuration is a few lines and a restart.

The tools it exposes

The server publishes 14 tools. What each one is for:

  • store_memory — Store content with type, tags, and path tracking
  • memory_search — Full-text search with BM25 ranking
  • memory_query — Filter by type, tags, project, or path
  • memory_stats — Storage statistics and memory counts
  • memory_delete — Remove memories by ID
  • memory_tags — List all tags with usage counts
  • memory_export — Export memories as JSON or markdown
  • memory_import — Bulk import memories from JSON
  • search_semantic — Semantic similarity search
  • search_patterns — Find recurring patterns in memories
  • search_temporal — Time-based memory analysis
  • search_relationships — Explore memory connections

Things to watch

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • With 14 tools registered it takes up a noticeable share of the context window; turn it off in projects that never touch Nova Memory.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

How it compares

This sits in the knowledge and memory group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. Nova Memory's toolset — store_memory, memory_search, memory_query and 11 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by jagdeepsinghdev; 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
store_memoryStore content with type, tags, and path tracking
memory_searchFull-text search with BM25 ranking
memory_queryFilter by type, tags, project, or path
memory_statsStorage statistics and memory counts
memory_deleteRemove memories by ID
memory_tagsList all tags with usage counts
memory_exportExport memories as JSON or markdown
memory_importBulk import memories from JSON
search_semanticSemantic similarity search
search_patternsFind recurring patterns in memories
search_temporalTime-based memory analysis
search_relationshipsExplore memory connections
analysis_conflictsDetect contradictions between memories
analysis_memory_mapGenerate memory visualization

How to install the Nova Memory MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nova-memory": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@nova-mcp/mcp-nova"]
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Example prompts to try

  • Use Nova Memory to store memory.
  • Use Nova Memory to memory search.
  • Use Nova Memory to memory query.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Nova Memory to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 14 tools (store_memory, memory_search, memory_query, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Nova Memory directly.