---
title: "Configuration"
description: "Environment variables and settings for Claude-Mem"
---

# Configuration

## Settings File

Settings are managed in `~/.claude-mem/settings.json`. The file is auto-created with defaults on first run.

### Core Settings

| Setting                       | Default                         | Description                           |
|-------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| `CLAUDE_MEM_MODEL`            | `claude-haiku-4-5-20251001`     | Claude model used to compress observations (when using the Claude provider) |
| `CLAUDE_MEM_PROVIDER`         | `claude`                        | AI provider: `claude`, `gemini`, or `openrouter` |
| `CLAUDE_MEM_CLAUDE_AUTH_METHOD` | `subscription`                | Claude provider auth mode: `subscription`, `api-key`, or `gateway` |
| `CLAUDE_MEM_MODE`             | `code`                          | Active mode profile (e.g., `code--es`, `email-investigation`) |
| `CLAUDE_MEM_CONTEXT_OBSERVATIONS` | `50`                        | Number of observations to inject      |
| `CLAUDE_MEM_WORKER_PORT`      | `37700 + (uid % 100)`           | Worker service port (per-user default; override for fixed port) |
| `CLAUDE_MEM_WORKER_HOST`      | `127.0.0.1`                     | Worker service host address           |
| `CLAUDE_MEM_DATA_DIR`         | `~/.claude-mem`                 | Data root — every other path (database, chroma, logs, settings.json, worker.pid) derives from this |
| `CLAUDE_MEM_SKIP_TOOLS`       | `ListMcpResourcesTool,SlashCommand,Skill,TodoWrite,AskUserQuestion` | Comma-separated tools to exclude from observations |

### Gemini Provider Settings

| Setting                       | Default                         | Description                           |
|-------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| `CLAUDE_MEM_GEMINI_API_KEY`   | —                               | Gemini API key ([get free key](https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey)) |
| `CLAUDE_MEM_GEMINI_MODEL`     | `gemini-flash-latest`          | Gemini model: `gemini-flash-latest`, `gemini-flash-lite-latest`, `gemini-3.5-flash`, `gemini-3.1-flash-lite`, `gemini-3-flash-preview` |

See [Gemini Provider](usage/gemini-provider) for detailed configuration and free tier information.

### OpenRouter Provider Settings

| Setting                                      | Default                     | Description                           |
|----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| `CLAUDE_MEM_OPENROUTER_API_KEY`              | —                           | OpenRouter API key ([get key](https://openrouter.ai/keys)) |
| `CLAUDE_MEM_OPENROUTER_MODEL`                | `xiaomi/mimo-v2-flash:free` | Model identifier (supports 100+ models) |
| `CLAUDE_MEM_OPENROUTER_SITE_URL`             | —                           | Optional: URL for analytics           |
| `CLAUDE_MEM_OPENROUTER_APP_NAME`             | `claude-mem`                | Optional: App name for analytics      |

See [OpenRouter Provider](usage/openrouter-provider) for detailed configuration, free model list, and usage guide.

### Claude Gateway Settings

Gateway credentials live in `~/.claude-mem/.env`, not `settings.json`.

| Env var | Default | Description |
|---------|---------|-------------|
| `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL` | none | LiteLLM or Anthropic-compatible gateway URL for the Claude Agent SDK path |
| `ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN` | none | Optional LiteLLM master key or virtual key |
| `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` | none | Direct Anthropic API key; normally omit this in LiteLLM gateway mode |

Use [LiteLLM Gateway](configuration/litellm-gateway) when you want `CLAUDE_MEM_PROVIDER=claude` to route through LiteLLM while preserving the Claude Agent SDK worker path.

### System Configuration

| Setting                       | Default                         | Description                           |
|-------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| `CLAUDE_MEM_DATA_DIR`         | `~/.claude-mem`                 | Data directory location               |
| `CLAUDE_MEM_LOG_LEVEL`        | `INFO`                          | Log verbosity (DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR, SILENT) |
| `CLAUDE_MEM_PYTHON_VERSION`   | `3.13`                          | Python version for chroma-mcp         |
| `CLAUDE_CODE_PATH`            | _(auto-detect)_                 | Path to Claude Code CLI (for Windows) |

## Model Configuration

Configure which Claude model compresses your observations (only applies when `CLAUDE_MEM_PROVIDER=claude`).

### Available Models

| Value | Notes |
|-------|-------|
| `claude-haiku-4-5-20251001` | Default — fast and cheap, ideal for compression |
| `claude-sonnet-5` | Balanced quality and cost |
| `claude-opus-4-8` | Highest quality, most expensive |

### Picking via the Installer

`npx claude-mem install` prompts for the Claude model (when the Claude provider is selected) and persists the choice to `~/.claude-mem/settings.json`.

### Manual Configuration

Edit `~/.claude-mem/settings.json`:

```json
{
  "CLAUDE_MEM_MODEL": "claude-haiku-4-5-20251001"
}
```

## Mode Configuration

Configure the active workflow mode and language.

### Settings

| Setting | Default | Description |
|---------|---------|-------------|
| `CLAUDE_MEM_MODE` | `code` | Defines behavior and language. See [Modes & Languages](modes). |

### Examples

**Spanish Code Mode:**
```json
{
  "CLAUDE_MEM_MODE": "code--es"
}
```

**Email Investigation Mode:**
```json
{
  "CLAUDE_MEM_MODE": "email-investigation"
}
```

## Files and Directories

### Data Directory Structure

The data directory location depends on the environment:
- **Production (installed plugin)**: `~/.claude-mem/` (always, regardless of CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT)
- **Development**: Can be overridden with `CLAUDE_MEM_DATA_DIR`

```
~/.claude-mem/
├── claude-mem.db           # SQLite database
├── .install-version        # Version marker written by `npx claude-mem install`/`repair`
├── settings.json           # Worker port + provider/model settings
└── logs/
    ├── worker-out.log      # Worker stdout logs
    └── worker-error.log    # Worker stderr logs
```

### Plugin Directory Structure

```
${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/
├── .claude-plugin/
│   └── plugin.json         # Plugin metadata
├── .mcp.json               # MCP server configuration
├── hooks/
│   └── hooks.json          # Hook configuration
├── scripts/                # Built executables
│   ├── version-check.js    # Sub-100ms Setup-hook version marker check
│   ├── context-hook.js     # Context injection hook
│   ├── new-hook.js         # Session creation hook
│   ├── save-hook.js        # Observation capture hook
│   ├── summary-hook.js     # Summary generation hook
│   ├── worker-service.cjs  # Worker service (CJS)
│   └── mcp-server.cjs      # MCP search server (CJS)
└── ui/
    └── viewer.html         # Web viewer UI bundle
```

## Plugin Configuration

### Hooks Configuration

Hooks are registered in `plugin/hooks/hooks.json`. The current shape uses a single dispatcher (`worker-service.cjs hook claude-code <event>`) launched through `bun-runner.js`, plus a fast Setup-phase `version-check.js`. The events wired up are:

- `Setup` → `version-check.js` (sub-100ms `.install-version` check)
- `SessionStart` → start the worker, then `hook claude-code context` (context injection)
- `UserPromptSubmit` → `hook claude-code session-init`
- `PreToolUse` (matcher `Read`) → `hook claude-code file-context`
- `PostToolUse` (matcher `*`) → `hook claude-code observation`
- `Stop` → `hook claude-code summarize`

The exact `hooks.json` entries are written by the installer; do not hand-edit them in the marketplace copy unless you know what you're doing.

### Search Configuration

Claude-Mem provides MCP search tools for querying your project history.

**No configuration required** - MCP tools are automatically available in Claude Code sessions.

Search operations are provided via:
- **MCP Server**: 3 tools (search, timeline, get_observations) with progressive disclosure
- **HTTP API**: 10 endpoints on the worker service port (per-user, default `37700 + (uid % 100)`; see `~/.claude-mem/settings.json`)
- **Auto-Invocation**: Claude recognizes natural language queries about past work

## Worker Service Management

Worker service is managed by Bun as a background process. The worker auto-starts on first session and runs continuously in the background.

## Folder Context Files

Claude-mem can automatically generate `CLAUDE.md` files in your project folders with activity timelines. This feature is disabled by default.

| Setting | Default | Description |
|---------|---------|-------------|
| `CLAUDE_MEM_FOLDER_CLAUDEMD_ENABLED` | `false` | Enable auto-generation of folder CLAUDE.md files |

See [Folder Context Files](usage/folder-context) for full documentation on how this feature works, configuration options, and git integration recommendations.

## Context Injection Configuration

Claude-Mem injects past observations into each new session, giving Claude awareness of recent work. You can configure exactly what gets injected using the **Context Settings Modal**.

### Context Settings Modal

Access the settings modal from the web viewer. The worker prints its URL on startup; the port comes from `CLAUDE_MEM_WORKER_PORT`.

1. Click the **gear icon** in the header
2. Adjust settings in the right panel
3. See changes reflected live in the **Terminal Preview** on the left
4. Settings auto-save as you change them

The Terminal Preview shows exactly what will be injected at the start of your next Claude Code session for the selected project.

### Loading Settings

Control how many observations are injected:

| Setting | Default | Range | Description |
|---------|---------|-------|-------------|
| **Observations** | 50 | 1-200 | Total number of recent observations to include |
| **Sessions** | 10 | 1-50 | Number of recent sessions to pull observations from |

**Considerations**:
- **Higher values** = More context but slower SessionStart and more tokens used
- **Lower values** = Faster SessionStart but less historical awareness
- Default of 50 observations from 10 sessions balances context richness with performance

### Filter Settings

Control which observation types and concepts are included:

**Types** (select any combination):
- `bugfix` - Bug fixes and error resolutions
- `feature` - New functionality additions
- `refactor` - Code restructuring
- `discovery` - Learnings about how code works
- `decision` - Architectural or design decisions
- `change` - General code changes

**Concepts** (select any combination):
- `how-it-works` - System behavior explanations
- `why-it-exists` - Rationale for code/design
- `what-changed` - Change summaries
- `problem-solution` - Problem/solution pairs
- `gotcha` - Edge cases and pitfalls
- `pattern` - Recurring patterns
- `trade-off` - Design trade-offs

Use "All" or "None" buttons to quickly select/deselect all options.

### Display Settings

Control how observations appear in the context:

**Full Observations**:
| Setting | Default | Options | Description |
|---------|---------|---------|-------------|
| **Count** | 5 | 0-20 | How many observations show expanded details |
| **Field** | narrative | narrative, facts | Which field to expand |

The most recent N observations (set by Count) show their full narrative or facts. Remaining observations show only title, type, and token counts in a compact table format.

**Token Economics** (toggles):
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---------|---------|-------------|
| **Read cost** | true | Show tokens to read each observation |
| **Work investment** | true | Show tokens spent creating the observation |
| **Savings** | true | Show total tokens saved by reusing context |

Token economics help you understand the value of cached observations vs. re-reading files.

### Advanced Settings

| Setting | Default | Description |
|---------|---------|-------------|
| **Model** | sonnet | AI model for generating observations |
| **Worker Port** | `37700 + (uid % 100)` | Port for background worker service (override with `CLAUDE_MEM_WORKER_PORT`) |
| **MCP search server** | true | Enable Model Context Protocol search tools |
| **Include last summary** | false | Add previous session's summary to context |
| **Include last message** | false | Add previous session's final message |

### Manual Configuration

Settings are stored in `~/.claude-mem/settings.json`:

```json
{
  "CLAUDE_MEM_CONTEXT_OBSERVATIONS": "100",
  "CLAUDE_MEM_CONTEXT_SESSION_COUNT": "20",
  "CLAUDE_MEM_CONTEXT_OBSERVATION_TYPES": "bugfix,decision,discovery",
  "CLAUDE_MEM_CONTEXT_OBSERVATION_CONCEPTS": "how-it-works,gotcha",
  "CLAUDE_MEM_CONTEXT_FULL_COUNT": "10",
  "CLAUDE_MEM_CONTEXT_FULL_FIELD": "narrative",
  "CLAUDE_MEM_CONTEXT_SHOW_READ_TOKENS": "true",
  "CLAUDE_MEM_CONTEXT_SHOW_WORK_TOKENS": "true",
  "CLAUDE_MEM_CONTEXT_SHOW_SAVINGS_AMOUNT": "true",
  "CLAUDE_MEM_CONTEXT_SHOW_LAST_SUMMARY": "false",
  "CLAUDE_MEM_CONTEXT_SHOW_LAST_MESSAGE": "false"
}
```

**Note**: The Context Settings Modal (in the web viewer) is the recommended way to configure these settings, as it provides live preview of changes.

## Customization

Settings can be customized in `~/.claude-mem/settings.json`.

### Custom Data Directory

Edit `~/.claude-mem/settings.json`:
```json
{
  "CLAUDE_MEM_DATA_DIR": "/custom/path"
}
```

### Custom Worker Port

Edit `~/.claude-mem/settings.json`:
```json
{
  "CLAUDE_MEM_WORKER_PORT": "38000"
}
```

Then restart the worker:
```bash
npm run worker:restart
```

### Custom Model

Edit `~/.claude-mem/settings.json`:
```json
{
  "CLAUDE_MEM_MODEL": "opus"
}
```

Then restart the worker:
```bash
export CLAUDE_MEM_MODEL=opus
npm run worker:restart
```

### Custom Skip Tools

Control which tools are excluded from observations. Edit `~/.claude-mem/settings.json`:
```json
{
  "CLAUDE_MEM_SKIP_TOOLS": "ListMcpResourcesTool,SlashCommand,Skill"
}
```

**Default excluded tools:**
- `ListMcpResourcesTool`
- `SlashCommand`
- `Skill`
- `TodoWrite`
- `AskUserQuestion`

**Common customizations:**
- Include TodoWrite: Remove from skip list to track task planning
- Include AskUserQuestion: Remove to capture decision-making conversations
- Skip additional tools: Add tool names to reduce observation noise

Changes take effect on the next tool execution (no worker restart needed).

## Advanced Configuration

### Hook Timeouts

Hook timeouts are written into `plugin/hooks/hooks.json` by the installer. The current defaults match the shape of the workload at each lifecycle stage:

- Setup (`version-check.js`): 300s ceiling but normally < 100ms — only reads `.install-version`
- SessionStart (worker-start + context): 60s
- UserPromptSubmit: 60s
- PreToolUse (file-context, Read matcher): 60s
- PostToolUse (observation): 120s
- Stop (summary): 120s

The Setup hook never installs anything — runtime install (Bun, uv, `bun install`) happens in `npx claude-mem install` / `npx claude-mem repair` outside the session lifecycle.

### Worker Memory Limit

The worker service is managed by Bun and will automatically restart if it encounters issues. Memory usage is typically low (~100-200MB).

### Logging Verbosity

Enable debug logging:

```bash
export DEBUG=claude-mem:*
npm run worker:restart
npm run worker:logs
```

## Configuration Best Practices

1. **Use defaults**: Default configuration works for most use cases
2. **Override selectively**: Only change what you need
3. **Document changes**: Keep track of custom configurations
4. **Test after changes**: Verify worker restarts successfully
5. **Monitor logs**: Check worker logs after configuration changes

## Troubleshooting Configuration

### Configuration Not Applied

1. Restart worker after changes:
   ```bash
   npm run worker:restart
   ```

2. Verify environment variables:
   ```bash
   echo $CLAUDE_MEM_MODEL
   echo $CLAUDE_MEM_WORKER_PORT
   ```

3. Check worker logs:
   ```bash
   npm run worker:logs
   ```

### Invalid Model Name

If you specify an invalid Claude model name, the worker logs a warning and uses the default. Valid Claude models for `CLAUDE_MEM_MODEL`:

- `claude-haiku-4-5-20251001` (default)
- `claude-sonnet-5`
- `claude-opus-4-8`

### Port Already in Use

The default worker port is `37700 + (uid % 100)`, so different OS users on the same machine get different ports automatically. If you still hit a collision (e.g. running multiple profiles as the same UID), set a fixed port:

1. Set custom port:
   ```bash
   export CLAUDE_MEM_WORKER_PORT=38000
   ```

2. Restart worker:
   ```bash
   npm run worker:restart
   ```

3. Verify new port:
   ```bash
   curl -s http://127.0.0.1:$CLAUDE_MEM_WORKER_PORT/api/health | jq .port
   ```

## Next Steps

- [Architecture Overview](architecture/overview) - Understand the system
- [Troubleshooting](troubleshooting) - Common issues
- [Development](development) - Building from source
