Memory Audit

Memory Audit Skill

Learn what matters. Capture lessons from failures and repetition. Keep it concise.

When to Trigger

Automatic Triggers

• Repeated corrections — User corrects same thing twice → ask if it should be remembered
• Failed then succeeded — Approach failed, different one worked → capture what worked
• Explicit signals — "remember this", "always do X", "never do Y", "next time..."
• Style friction — User reformats output or adjusts tone → ask about preferences
• Workflow discovery — User shares command or process not in memory

Manual Triggers

• User asks to review memory
• Starting on unfamiliar project
• After significant project changes

Core Approach

Ask the user:

"What's important for me to remember about this project?"

Let them define what matters. Don't assume categories.

Learning from Failure

When something fails then succeeds:

1. Note what failed and why
2. Note what worked
3. Propose: "Should I remember to [what worked] for [this type of task]?"
4. If yes, suggest one-line addition

Example:

"I tried pandas but this project uses polars. Add 'Use polars, not pandas' to memory?"

Learning from Repetition

When patterns emerge:

• User corrects formatting twice → "You prefer [X]. Add to memory?"
• User provides same context repeatedly → "Should I remember [context]?"
• User runs same command first → "Note as standard workflow?"

One suggestion at a time. Keep it brief.

Suggesting Additions

When proposing memory entries:

1. Quote what triggered the suggestion
2. Propose minimal addition (one line if possible)
3. Name the target file
4. Ask confirmation

Example:

You said "always use composition over inheritance." Add to .claude/rules/style.md?

- Prefer composition over inheritance

Conciseness

Memory entries should be:

• One line when possible — "2-space indent" not a paragraph
• Actionable — "Run npm test before commits" not "testing matters"
• Specific — "camelCase variables" not "good naming"

Bad:

## Code Style Guidelines
When writing code, please ensure you follow our conventions...

Good:

- 2-space indent, no tabs
- camelCase variables, PascalCase components

File Structure

Preferred: .claude/rules/

.claude/
├── CLAUDE.md        # Entry, imports rules
└── rules/
    ├── style.md     # Code and output style
    ├── project.md   # Project-specific knowledge
    └── workflows.md # Commands and processes

File Purposes

Running an Audit

Use scripts/audit_memory.py <project-path> to:

• Discover existing memory files
• Check for vague instructions ("follow best practices" → ask for specifics)
• Detect scope issues (personal prefs in shared files)
• Identify missing coverage
• Validate imports resolve

Then ask the user what else matters.