Install AutoMem for Claude Code

Install and configure AutoMem - a long-term memory system for Claude Code that persists across sessions.

What This Does

AutoMem gives Claude Code persistent memory using:

FalkorDB (graph database) for relationship tracking
Qdrant (vector database) for semantic search
MCP integration for seamless Claude Code access

Prerequisites

Before starting, verify these are installed:

# Check Docker is running
docker info > /dev/null 2>&1 && echo "Docker: OK" || echo "Docker: NOT RUNNING"

# Check Node.js version (need 18+)
node --version

# Check Python version (need 3.10+)
python3 --version

If any prerequisites are missing, install them first.

Step 1: Clone the Repository

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/verygoodplugins/automem.git
cd automem

Step 2: Generate API Tokens

Generate two secure random tokens:

AUTOMEM_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32)
ADMIN_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32)
echo "=== SAVE THESE TOKENS ==="
echo "AUTOMEM_API_TOKEN=$AUTOMEM_TOKEN"
echo "ADMIN_API_TOKEN=$ADMIN_TOKEN"
echo "========================="

Important: Save the AUTOMEM_API_TOKEN value - you'll need it in Steps 3 and 5.

Step 3: Create Environment File

Create ~/automem/.env:

cat > ~/automem/.env << 'EOF'
FALKORDB_HOST=localhost
FALKORDB_PORT=6379
FALKORDB_GRAPH=memories
QDRANT_URL=http://localhost:6333
QDRANT_COLLECTION=memories
PORT=8001
AUTOMEM_API_TOKEN=PASTE_YOUR_TOKEN_HERE
ADMIN_API_TOKEN=PASTE_YOUR_ADMIN_TOKEN_HERE
EOF

Then edit the file to paste your actual tokens:

nano ~/automem/.env
# Or: code ~/automem/.env

Step 4: Start Docker Services

cd ~/automem
make dev

Wait for services to start (usually 30-60 seconds), then verify:

curl http://127.0.0.1:8001/health

Expected response:

{"status": "healthy", "falkordb": "connected", "qdrant": "connected"}

If you get "connection refused", wait a bit longer and retry.

Step 5: Configure Claude Code MCP Server

Edit ~/.claude.json to add the MCP server configuration.

If the file doesn't exist or is empty, create it:

cat > ~/.claude.json << 'EOF'
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "memory": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@verygoodplugins/mcp-automem"],
      "env": {
        "AUTOMEM_ENDPOINT": "http://127.0.0.1:8001",
        "AUTOMEM_API_KEY": "PASTE_YOUR_AUTOMEM_API_TOKEN_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}
EOF

If the file already exists, add the mcpServers block at the top level, being careful to merge with existing content. The key part to add:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "memory": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@verygoodplugins/mcp-automem"],
      "env": {
        "AUTOMEM_ENDPOINT": "http://127.0.0.1:8001",
        "AUTOMEM_API_KEY": "PASTE_YOUR_AUTOMEM_API_TOKEN_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Important: Replace PASTE_YOUR_AUTOMEM_API_TOKEN_HERE with your actual token from Step 2.

Step 6: Configure Global CLAUDE.md

Create the global instructions file:

mkdir -p ~/.claude
cat > ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md << 'EOF'
# Claude Code Global Configuration

## Memory System (CLI-based)

To recall memories:
```bash
npx @verygoodplugins/mcp-automem recall --query "<search terms>" --limit 10

To store memories:

npx @verygoodplugins/mcp-automem store --content "<memory content>"

The CLI connects to the AutoMem service at http://127.0.0.1:8001 EOF


---

## Step 7: Restart Claude Code

**Completely quit Claude Code** (not just close the window):
- macOS: Cmd+Q or right-click dock icon > Quit
- Windows/Linux: Close all windows and ensure process is terminated

Then relaunch Claude Code.

---

## Step 8: Verify Installation

Test the memory system:

```bash
# Store a test memory
npx @verygoodplugins/mcp-automem store --content "AutoMem installation test on $(hostname) at $(date)"

# Recall it
npx @verygoodplugins/mcp-automem recall --query "installation test" --limit 1

If you see your test memory returned, installation is complete!

Daily Usage

The Docker services need to be running for AutoMem to work. Before using Claude Code:

cd ~/automem && make dev

Optional: Auto-start on Login

Add to your shell profile (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc):

# Start AutoMem services if not running
if ! curl -s http://127.0.0.1:8001/health > /dev/null 2>&1; then
  echo "Starting AutoMem services..."
  (cd ~/automem && make dev > /dev/null 2>&1 &)
fi

Troubleshooting

"Connection refused" on health check

Docker services aren't running. Run cd ~/automem && make dev
Wait 30-60 seconds for services to fully start

Memory tools don't appear in Claude Code

Check backend: curl http://127.0.0.1:8001/health
Verify ~/.claude.json has correct MCP config
Ensure API key matches in both .env and ~/.claude.json
Restart Claude Code completely (Cmd+Q, not just close window)

"401 Unauthorized" errors

API token mismatch between .env and ~/.claude.json
Double-check both files have the same AUTOMEM_API_TOKEN value

Port conflicts

If ports 6379, 6333, or 8001 are in use:

# Check what's using a port
lsof -i :8001

Stopping Services

cd ~/automem
make stop
# Or: docker-compose down

ideadude/install-automem.md

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