# Sift Memory

> Use this skill when an agent needs local historical context from AI coding assistant sessions, prior project conversations, debugging history, implementation decisions, or user asks to search Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor chat history. It teaches agents to use the local-only `sift` CLI for indexed full-text search across Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor logs without network calls.

- Skill: `sahit-sai/sift-memory` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add sahit-sai/sift-memory`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/sahit-sai/sift-memory/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: sahit-sai (https://skillmd.com/u/sahit-sai)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/sahit-sai/sift-memory

---


# Sift Memory

Use `sift` as a local memory search layer for prior AI coding-assistant sessions. It reads only local Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor logs/databases and writes only its own index under `~/.sift/`.

## Command Resolution

Prefer the installed CLI:

```sh
sift --help
```

When working inside the `sift` repository and the global command is unavailable, use:

```sh
node ./bin/sift.js --help
```

Do not use `npx` or any network-based install path. If neither command works, tell the user to install `sift` locally.

## Actions

### sift_index

Refresh the local index before memory-heavy work, after new logs were created, or when search says no index exists:

```sh
sift index
```

Use the repo-local fallback when needed:

```sh
node ./bin/sift.js index
```

Use a full rebuild only when the user asks, parser/index behavior changed, or results look stale after an incremental run:

```sh
sift index --full
```

### sift_search

Search prior local sessions with targeted queries:

```sh
sift "<query>" --limit 10
```

Filter by source when useful:

```sh
sift "<query>" --tool codex --limit 10
sift "<query>" --tool claude --limit 10
sift "<query>" --tool cursor --limit 10
```

Good queries are concrete: project names, command names, file names, bug symptoms, package names, decisions, or user phrasing. Prefer a few focused searches over one broad search.

### sift_list

List recent indexed sessions when you need orientation before choosing search terms:

```sh
sift list --limit 10
```

Filter by source when useful:

```sh
sift list --tool codex --limit 10
```

## Workflow

1. Use this skill when local session memory could materially improve the answer.
2. Run `sift index` unless the task is tiny or the index is known to be fresh.
3. Run `sift_search` with 1-3 focused queries.
4. Use the results as private local context. Summarize only the relevant facts needed for the task.
5. Do not paste large raw logs. Do not expose secrets, credentials, tokens, private personal data, or unrelated session contents.

## Privacy

Keep the workflow local and read-only for source logs:

- Do not send `sift` results to remote services.
- Do not add telemetry, sync, embeddings, or network calls.
- Do not write to Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor source logs/databases.
- Treat `~/.sift/index.json` as local private context.