Memex

Structured memory for Claude Cowork. Pick up where you left off.

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The Problem

Cowork sessions are stateless. You open a new session and Claude has no idea what you were doing yesterday. You spend the first 10 minutes re-explaining context. Decisions from three sessions ago? Gone.

Cowork Projects gives you persistent files, but files without a system is just a folder full of stuff. Claude doesn't know what to read, what's stale, or what matters right now.

The Solution

Memex converts your workspace into a connected knowledge system with persistent memory, tiered context loading, and full [[wikilink]] navigation.

• Wikilinked knowledge base. Every file reference becomes a [[wikilink]]. Your workspace builds into a connected graph over time. Open it in Obsidian to see how everything relates visually.
• Tiered context loading. Tier 1 files load every session. Tier 2 loads when you're working in that area. Tier 3 stays archived until you ask for it. Claude only reads what it needs.
• Session automation. Session-start gives you a 20-second briefing. Session-end updates memory, checks integrity, and writes a clean handoff.
• Convention over configuration. Drop files in standard locations and they just work. No config tables to maintain.
• Hub-and-spoke navigation. Memex uses a hub-and-spoke system to give Claude full awareness of your workspace while only loading what the current task needs. The manifest knows everything. Claude reads the minimum. This keeps token costs low and context quality high across sessions of any size.
• Zero dependencies. Markdown files. No database, no server, no runtime.

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Install

Requires Claude Cowork. (Can also be adapted for Claude Code.)

1. Add the Memex marketplace. Either method works:

   • Cowork UI: Click Customize > Browse plugins > "+" to add marketplace. Enter Skyfox-io/Memex and click Sync.
   • Slash command: Type /plugin marketplace add Skyfox-io/Memex in any session.

   (Skyfox-io/Memex is GitHub shorthand for github.com/Skyfox-io/Memex.)

2. Install the plugin when prompted

3. Run /memex:init in your workspace

New workspace? Init asks what you're working on, then scaffolds everything in under 30 seconds.

Existing files? Init scans your workspace, shows you what it found, and wires everything into a manifest without moving files.

Already have a memory system? Init detects existing manifests and operates in compatible mode.

After setup

Start a new Cowork session. Claude briefs you automatically and asks what you're working on.

If you use Obsidian, open the same workspace folder as a vault. All the [[wikilinks]] light up in the graph view.

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How It Works

The Session Lifecycle

SESSION START
  /memex:session-start runs automatically
  Reads status, log, decisions, ideas
  Gives you a 20-second briefing
  "What are we working on today?"

DURING SESSION
  Work normally. Claude reads hub files as needed.
  Capture ideas with /memex:idea.
  Save progress mid-session with /memex:update.

SESSION END
  /memex:session-end runs automatically
  Updates status.md, writes session-log entry
  Updates touched hub files, logs decisions
  Checks wikilink integrity
  Prints confirmation

File Structure

After setup, your workspace looks like this:

your-workspace/
├── CLAUDE.md              # Project identity + Memex invocation lines
├── _MANIFEST.md           # Context routing map (Tier 1 / 2 / 3)
├── memory/
│   ├── status.md          # What's happening right now (VOLATILE)
│   ├── session-log.md     # Rolling handoff log (VOLATILE)
│   ├── decisions.md       # Key decisions logged as claims (STABLE)
│   └── glossary.md        # Project-specific terms (STABLE)
├── [domain folders]/
│   └── [domain]-index.md  # Hub file for each domain (Tier 2)
└── scratch/
    └── ideas.md           # Raw idea inbox (VOLATILE)

Tiered Context Loading

Tier	When loaded	Files
Tier 1	Every session	status.md, session-log.md, decisions.md, glossary.md, ideas.md
Tier 2	When working in that area	Domain hub files, then individual files as needed
Tier 3	Only if you ask	Completed or superseded docs

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Skills

Skill	What it does
/memex:init	Set up, adopt, health-check, or upgrade a workspace
/memex:session-start	Briefing at session open
/memex:session-end	Close cleanly: update memory, log decisions, verify links
/memex:update	Mid-session flush: save status without closing
/memex:idea	Quick-capture an idea to the inbox
/memex:add-domain	Add a new domain folder with hub index
/memex:archive	Move a file from active to archived in the manifest
/memex:wikilinks	Check for broken links and convert plain text references to [[wikilinks]]
/memex:lint	Audit workspace health: stale status, contradictions, orphans

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Where to Put Files

Memex doesn't impose a strict folder structure. Here's the convention:

• Project docs go in domain folders. One folder per area of work (e.g., marketing/, product/, fundraising/). Each domain folder has a hub file ([domain]-index.md) that lists what's inside.
• Run /memex:add-domain to create a domain. Or just create a folder with a -index.md file. Memex detects new domains automatically at session start and session end.
• Memory files stay in memory/. Status, session log, decisions, glossary. These are always small and always loaded.
• Ideas go in scratch/ideas.md. Capture now, route later. Session-end will remind you about unrouted ideas.
• Don't worry about getting it perfect. Start with files wherever they are. Memex wires what exists. Reorganize later as patterns emerge.

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Examples

Two fully populated example workspaces in examples/:

Example	Scenario	What's inside
examples/nonprofit/	Bright Future Foundation, ED managing programs and spring fundraising	2 domains (programs, fundraising), seeded status, decisions, glossary
examples/startup/	DashFlow, pre-launch SaaS founder juggling product, GTM, and fundraising	3 domains (product, go-to-market, fundraising), seeded with MVP priorities

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Wikilinks and Obsidian

Memex converts your workspace into a [[wikilinked]] knowledge base. Every file reference Claude writes uses [[filename]] format: hub tables, the manifest, status updates, session logs, decisions. When you run /memex:init on an existing workspace, Memex also scans your files and converts plain text references to wikilinks.

Your workspace is a connected graph from day one. As you work across sessions, the connections grow.

Why wikilinks matter

• For Claude: Wikilinks tell Claude which files are related. When it reads a hub that says [[campaign-plan]], it knows that file exists and can load it if needed.
• For you: Wikilinks make your knowledge base navigable. Click a link, jump to that file. See what links to what.
• For persistence: When files move or get renamed, wikilinks get updated across the workspace. The graph stays connected.

Using Obsidian

Obsidian reads [[wikilinks]] natively. Open your workspace folder as an Obsidian vault and you get:

• Graph view (Cmd+G / Ctrl+G). Visual map of your entire workspace. Memory files cluster together, domain hubs connect to their files, everything visible at a glance.
• Click-through navigation. Every [[wikilink]] is clickable. Jump from the manifest to a hub to an individual file.
• Backlinks panel. See what references the current file. Useful for understanding which decisions affect which domains.
• Color-coded domains. Group files by folder in graph settings to see domain clusters.
• Full-text search. Search across everything, including archived Tier 3 files that Claude doesn't load by default.

Obsidian is optional. The wikilink system works without it since Claude reads the links directly. But if you want to see and navigate your knowledge base visually, it's the recommended companion.

See docs/obsidian-setup.md for detailed setup instructions.

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Architecture

See ARCHITECTURE.md for design decisions and intentional non-features.

Contributing

MIT license. See CONTRIBUTING.md.

Inspiration

• Vannevar Bush, "As We May Think" (1945)

License

MIT. See LICENSE.