Search Memory

When to Search

Strong signals — search when:

• the current task connects to prior work
• the bug or design resembles something solved earlier
• the task is a review, regression, release, docs-alignment, or integration-behavior question
• the user asks why a decision was made
• a previous discussion or session likely contains the missing context
• the user uses implicit recall language: "that approach", "like before"

Contextual signals — consider searching when:

• complex debugging where prior context would narrow the search space
• architecture discussion that may intersect with past decisions
• domain-specific conventions the user has established before

Skip when:

• the task is fundamentally new
• the question is generic syntax or reference material
• the user explicitly wants a fresh perspective

Tool Usage

Start with durable knowledge:

nmem --json m search "3-7 core concepts"

Use thread search when the user is really asking about a prior conversation:

nmem --json t search "query" --limit 5

If a memory result includes source_thread, or thread search identifies the likely discussion, fetch progressively:

nmem --json t show <thread_id> --limit 8 --offset 0 --content-limit 1200

Increase --offset only when more messages are actually needed.

Response Contract

• Be explicit when you relied on recalled knowledge
• Prefer the smallest retrieval surface that answers the question
• Suggest distillation only if the current discussion produced new durable knowledge
• For continuation-heavy engineering work, search near the start of the task rather than waiting for an explicit recall request