Content Management
Tools for creating, reading, updating, and deleting markdown notes:- write_note - Create markdown notes with semantic observations and relations
- read_note - Read notes by title, permalink, or memory:// URL
- edit_note - Edit notes incrementally with various operations
- delete_note - Delete notes or directories
- move_note - Move notes to new locations
- read_content - Read raw file content (text, images, binaries)
- view_note - View notes as formatted artifacts
Knowledge Graph Navigation
Tools for navigating and exploring the knowledge graph:- build_context - Navigate the knowledge graph via memory:// URLs
- recent_activity - Get recently updated information
- list_directory - Browse directory contents
Search & Discovery
Powerful search capabilities across your knowledge base:- search_notes - Full-text search with advanced filtering
- search - OpenAI-compatible search interface
Project Management
Tools for managing Basic Memory projects:- list_memory_projects - List all available projects
- create_memory_project - Create new projects
- delete_project - Delete projects
Visualization
Tools for creating visual representations:- canvas - Generate Obsidian canvas files for knowledge graph visualization
Project Resolution
All MCP tools use a unified project resolution hierarchy:- Single Project Mode - Server constrained to one project (via
BASIC_MEMORY_MCP_PROJECTenvironment variable) - Explicit project parameter - Specify which project to use in the tool call
- Default project - Server configured default if no project specified
list_memory_projects() or recent_activity() to discover available projects.
Cloud Mode
Basic Memory supports both local and cloud operation modes:- Local Mode - Direct access to local markdown files
- Cloud Mode - Synced access via Basic Memory Cloud
- Hybrid Mode - Different projects can be local or cloud independently
Authentication
Cloud projects use JWT-based authentication with subscription validation. Authentication is handled automatically by the MCP server based on the project configuration.Output Formats
Most tools support bothtext and json output formats:
- text - Human-readable markdown formatted output (default)
- json - Machine-readable structured data for programmatic use
output_format parameter.