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Quick Start

This guide walks you through basic NeuralMemory usage in 5 minutes.

0. Setup

Claude Code (Plugin)

/plugin marketplace add nhadaututtheky/neural-memory
/plugin install neural-memory@neural-memory-marketplace

OpenClaw (Plugin)

pip install neural-memory
npm install -g @neuralmemory/openclaw-plugin

Then in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  "plugins": {
    "slots": {
      "memory": "neuralmemory"
    }
  }
}

Restart the gateway. The plugin auto-registers 6 tools (nmem_remember, nmem_recall, nmem_context, nmem_todo, nmem_stats, nmem_health) and injects memory context before each agent run. See the full setup guide.

Cursor / Windsurf / Other MCP Clients

pip install neural-memory

Then add nmem-mcp to your editor's MCP config. No nmem init needed — the MCP server auto-initializes on first use.

VS Code Extension

Install from the VS Code Marketplace for a visual interface — sidebar memory tree, interactive graph explorer, CodeLens on functions, and keyboard shortcuts for encode/recall.

Optional: Explicit Init

nmem init    # Only needed if you want to pre-create config and brain

1. Store Your First Memory

nmem remember "Fixed auth bug with null check in login.py:42"

Output: 

Stored memory with 4 neurons and 3 synapses

2. Query Memories

nmem recall "auth bug"

Output: 

Fixed auth bug with null check in login.py:42
(confidence: 0.85, neurons activated: 4)

3. Use Memory Types

Different types help organize and retrieve memories:

# Decisions (never expire)
nmem remember "We decided to use PostgreSQL" --type decision

# TODOs (expire in 30 days)
nmem todo "Review PR #123" --priority 7

# Facts
nmem remember "API endpoint is /v2/users" --type fact

# Errors with solutions
nmem remember "ERROR: null pointer in auth. SOLUTION: add null check" --type error

4. Get Context

Retrieve recent memories for AI context injection:

nmem context --limit 5

With JSON output for programmatic use:

nmem context --limit 5 --json

5. View Statistics

nmem stats

Output: 

Brain: default
Neurons: 12
Synapses: 18
Fibers: 4

Memory Types:
  fact: 2
  decision: 1
  todo: 1

6. Manage Brains

Create separate brains for different projects:

# List brains
nmem brain list

# Create new brain
nmem brain create work

# Switch to brain
nmem brain use work

# Export brain
nmem brain export -o backup.json

7. Web Visualization

Start the server to visualize your brain:

pip install neural-memory[server]
nmem serve

Open http://localhost:8000/ui to see:

  • Interactive neural graph
  • Color-coded neuron types
  • Click nodes for details

Example Workflow

Here's a typical workflow during a coding session:

# Start of session - get context
nmem context --limit 10

# During work - remember important things
nmem remember "UserService now uses async/await"
nmem remember "DECISION: Use JWT for auth. REASON: Stateless" --type decision
nmem todo "Add rate limiting to API" --priority 8

# When you need to recall
nmem recall "auth decision"
nmem recall "UserService changes"

# End of session - check what's pending
nmem list --type todo

Next Steps