Every command is also available as cdb. claude-db --version prints the version. Capture and recall are hooks, so you rarely need these.
Setup
| Command | What it does |
|---|
claude-db install [--project] | Register hooks and the MCP server |
claude-db uninstall [--project] | Remove them, keeping your memory |
claude-db status | Is it wired up, and when did it last record anything |
claude-db catchup | Where you stopped: last chat, to-dos, handoff and git |
claude-db doctor [--deep] | Resolved config; --deep proves a full round trip |
Memory
| Command | What it does |
|---|
claude-db search [--all] [--tag <name>] <query> | Search this project's memory, or every project |
claude-db remember [--key <name>] <text> | Record a rule outright, e.g. "always use pnpm here" |
claude-db forget <id> | Delete specific observations by id |
claude-db forget --session <id> | Clear one session's summary, so it stops being injected |
claude-db distill [on|off] | Turn chats into facts with Haiku; no argument, status |
claude-db pick [on|off] | Let Haiku pick the memory shown with each prompt |
claude-db redact | Re-apply secret redaction to memory already saved |
claude-db seed --from-git | Fill a cold memory from this repo's history |
claude-db stats | What this project's memory is made of |
claude-db projects | Every project with memory stored |
claude-db view [--export <file>] | See this project's memory live in the browser |
claude-db adoption | How often sessions grep vs use the memory tools |
view runs a local server only while you look at it and stops on Ctrl+C. --export writes a standalone HTML snapshot instead.
Code graph
| Command | What it does |
|---|
claude-db scan [--force] | Build the code graph for this repo |
claude-db usages [--mode <m>] <symbol> | What uses a symbol: the code graph plus live git grep |
claude-db languages | Which languages are read with real syntax |
Modes are usages (the default), explain, path and text. See Code graph for
what each one answers.
Database
| Command | What it does |
|---|
claude-db use <url> | Switch database and verify it |
claude-db sync <url> | Two-way merge with another database |
claude-db export [--all] | Dump memory as JSONL, for backup or migration |
claude-db import <file> | Load a dump back in; safe to repeat |
claude-db merge [<path>] | Move memory from an old project path onto this one |
Maintenance
| Command | What it does |
|---|
claude-db flush | Re-ingest every transcript for this project |
claude-db reembed | Re-embed everything with the current model |
claude-db prune --older-than <days> | Delete old memory (dry run without --yes) |
claude-db reset [--project] --yes | Delete memory (dry run without --yes) |
Run reembed after installing @xenova/transformers, and flush after upgrading claude-db.
Configuration
Settings live in ~/.claude-memory/config.json. The file is optional, and every key has a default.
| Key | Default | What it does |
|---|
embeddings.provider | auto | auto uses the real model when installed, else the built-in embedder |
inject.perPrompt | true | Show related memory with each prompt |
inject.minOverlap | 2 | Content words a memory must share with the prompt to be considered; 0 off |
inject.promptResults | 2 | Most memories shown with one prompt |
pick.enabled | true | Let Haiku pick which memories to show with a prompt |
pick.dailyLimit | 150 | Most picks a day; after that only strong word matches are shown |
capture.scripted | false | Capture headless claude -p / SDK sessions too |
distill.enabled | true | Turn each finished chat into short facts with one Haiku call |
distill.dailyLimit | 30 | Most Haiku calls a day; older chats wait for the next day |
distill.backfillDays | 90 | How far back older chats are turned into facts |
capture.summarize | off | on writes session summaries with your own Claude CLI; costs tokens |
capture.summarizeModel | opus | Model for those summaries: opus, sonnet or haiku, always low effort |
project.remote | origin | The git remote that names a project |
updates | notify | Update checks: auto, notify or off |
