Two-tier memory system that makes Claude a true workplace collaborator. Decodes shorthand, acronyms, nicknames, and internal language so Claude understands requests like a colleague would. CLAUDE.md for working memory, memory/ directory for the full knowledge base.

Memory Management Memory makes Claude your workplace collaborator someone who speaks your internal language. The Goal Transform shorthand into understanding: Without memory, that request is meaningless. With memory, Claude knows: todd → Todd Martinez, Finance lead, prefers Slack PSR → Pipeline Status Report (weekly sales doc) oracle → Oracle Systems deal, not the company Architecture CLAUDE.md (Hot Cache): Top ~30 people you interact with most ~30 most common acronyms/terms Active projects (5 15) Your preferences Goal: Cover 90% of daily decoding needs memory/glossary.md (Full Glossary): Complete decoder ring everyone, every term Searched when something isn't in CLAUDE.md Can grow indefinitely memory/people/, projects/, context/: Rich detail when needed for execution Full profiles, history, context Lookup Flow This tiered approach keeps CLAUDE.md lean (~100 lines) while supporting unlimited scale in memory/. File Locations Working memory: CLAUDE.md in current working directory Deep memory: memory/ subdirectory Working Memory Format (CLAUDE.md) Use tables for compactness. Target ~50 80 lines total. Deep Memory Format (memory/) memory/glossary.md The decoder ring: memory/people/{name}.md: memory/projects/{name}.md: memory/context/company.md: How to Interact Decoding User Input (Tiered Lookup) Always decode shorthand before acting on requests: Example: Adding Memory When user says "remember this" or "X means Y": 1. Glossary items (acronyms, terms, shorthand): Add to memory/glossary.md If frequently used, add to CLAUDE.md Quick Glossary 2. People: Create/update memory/people/{name}.md Add to CLAUDE.md Key People if important Capture nicknames critical for decoding 3. Projects: Create/update memory/projects/{name}.md Add to CLAUDE.md Active Projects if current Capture codenames "Phoenix", "the migration", etc. 4. Preferences: Add to CLAUDE.md Preferences section Recalling Memory When user asks "who is X" or "what does X mean": 1. Check CLAUDE.md first 2. Check memory/ for full detail 3. If not found: "I don't know what X means yet. Can you tell me?" Progressive Disclosure 1. Load CLAUDE.md for quick parsing of any request 2. Dive into memory/ when you need full context for execution 3. Example: drafting an email to todd about the PSR CLAUDE.md tells you Todd = Todd Martinez, PSR = Pipeline Status Report memory/people/todd martinez.md tells you he prefers Slack, is direct Bootstrapping Use /productivity:start to initialize by scanning your chat, calendar, email, and documents. Extracts people, projects, and starts building the glossary. Conventions Bold terms in CLAUDE.md for scannability Keep CLAUDE.md under ~100 lines (the "hot 30" rule) Filenames: lowercase, hyphens ( todd martinez.md , project phoenix.md ) Always capture nicknames and alternate names Glossary tables for easy lookup When something's used frequently, promote it to CLAUDE.md When something goes stale, demote it to memory/ only What Goes Where Type CLAUDE.md (Hot Cache) memory/ (Full Storage) Person Top ~30 frequent contacts glossary.md + people/{name}.md Acronym/term ~30 most common glossary.md (complete list) Project Active projects only glossary.md + projects/{name}.md Nickname In Key People if top 30 glossary.md (all nicknames) Company context Quick reference only context/company.md Preferences All preferences Historical/stale ✗ Remove ✓ Keep in memory/ Promotion / Demotion Promote to CLAUDE.md when: You use a term/person frequently It's part of active work Demote to memory/ only when: Project completed Person no longer frequent contact Term rarely used This keeps CLAUDE.md fresh and relevant.

memory-management