Memory

Memory is how Zaru remembers you. It is a single, free-form markdown document — one per user — that captures the things that make working with you feel less like a cold start every time: your preferences, your work style, the projects you keep coming back to, recurring frustrations, the names of people and tools you mention often.

The relationship Zaru has with you is yours. Memory is what makes it portable.

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What Memory Is

A plain markdown blob. No fixed schema, no required sections, no structured fields. You can write headings, bullet lists, paragraphs, code fences — whatever helps Zaru recall context quickly. Common things to capture:

• Communication style ("prefer bullet points over prose", "skip preamble")
• Domain context ("I work on a Rust orchestration platform called AEGIS")
• Tooling preferences ("use pnpm not npm", "Vim keybindings")
• People and projects you reference often
• Standing constraints ("never suggest deployment steps — I handle deploys")
• Recurring goals or problems you are working through

Memory is loaded into Zaru's system prompt at the start of every conversation, in every mode, before you say anything.

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Viewing and Editing Memory

Open the Zaru client, go to Settings → Memory. You will see a live markdown editor with the current contents.

• Edit inline — type directly into the editor. Markdown renders as you would expect.
• Save — changes auto-save on blur with a short debounce. A "Last updated" timestamp shows the most recent write.
• Reset — the Reset Memory button clears the document entirely. Reset is destructive and immediate; there is no undo.

Editing memory yourself is the fastest way to nudge Zaru in a new direction. Add a line, save, and the next message you send will reflect it.

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How Zaru Updates Memory

Zaru can update memory mid-conversation when you tell him something worth remembering. He does this on his own, without asking, when the signal is clear.

Worked example:

You: Quick note for next time — I prefer bullet points over prose. Long paragraphs lose me.

Zaru: Got it. Adding that to memory now.

(Zaru calls zaru.memory.set with an updated document that now includes a "Communication style" section with "prefers bullet points over prose".)

The next time you start a conversation — minutes later or weeks later, in Zaru Web or any other connected client — Zaru opens with that preference already loaded. You will not have to repeat it.

Zaru is conservative about what he writes. Memory is meant to stay signal-rich, not become a transcript. Throwaway questions, one-off context, and conversation noise do not land in memory. Durable preferences, project context, and standing instructions do.

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Cross-Client Consistency

Memory belongs to your user account, not to any one client. Whichever MCP client you connect to the Zaru server with — Zaru Web, Claude Desktop, Windsurf, Cursor, VS Code Copilot, Gemini CLI, or anything else — the same memory is loaded into Zaru's system prompt for that session.

That means:

• Update memory in Zaru Web, and Claude Desktop sees the change on its next session.
• Tell Zaru a preference from Windsurf, and it shows up the next time you open Zaru Web.
• The "Reset Memory" button in Zaru's settings clears memory for every client at once.

The relationship Zaru has with you is yours, not the client's.

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What Memory Is Not

Memory is not:

• A transcript or chat history. Past conversations are stored separately and are not what Zaru reads at session start. Memory is the distilled, durable signal — not the log.
• A place for secrets. Do not put API keys, passwords, tokens, or other credentials into memory. Use The Vault for credentials — vault values are masked, scoped, and never injected into a model's prompt.
• Shared with teammates. Memory is strictly per-user. Even on team plans, your memory stays yours; teammates have their own.
• A long-term archive. Anything you do not actively want Zaru to remember should not be in memory. If it stops being relevant, edit it out.

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Best Practices

• Keep it tight. A focused, well-curated memory beats a sprawling one. Zaru has a finite attention budget at the top of every conversation; every line should earn its place.
• Let Zaru curate, then prune. Zaru is good at adding signal as you talk. You are better at deciding what to keep. Skim memory occasionally and trim what no longer applies.
• Edit when you want a hard nudge. If Zaru keeps doing something you do not want, opening the memory page and writing the instruction yourself is the most direct fix.
• Use markdown structure when it helps you. Headings like ## Communication style, ## Current projects, ## Standing instructions make memory easier for both of you to scan, but they are optional.
• Treat it as living. Your preferences and projects change. Memory should change with them.

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Reset and Privacy

Memory lives in the Zaru-side database alongside your account, not in the underlying model. To clear it:

1. Open Settings → Memory in the Zaru client.
2. Click Reset Memory and confirm.

After reset, the document is empty. Zaru's next session will start with a blank slate — no preferences, no project context, no history. He will begin building memory again only as you give him reason to.

Deleting your account removes memory along with everything else.

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See Also

• The Vault — store credentials, never in memory.
• Chat — where memory shapes every conversation.
• Connect Zaru to Any MCP Client — same memory, every client.