## Engram — Persistent Memory

You have Engram memory tools via MCP. **Use them proactively** — do not wait to be asked.

### Session Start
- ALWAYS call `engram_briefing` at the start of every session to load context from past sessions.

### What to Remember (call `engram_remember` immediately)
Store ANY of these the moment you encounter them — do not batch, do not wait:

**From the user:**
- Preferences, opinions, personal facts, decisions, corrections
- "I prefer X", "we decided Y", "actually it's Z"

**From your own work:**
- When you read a file and synthesize useful knowledge (style guides, architecture patterns, workflow rules) — store the synthesis
- When you figure out HOW the user works (communication style, review habits, tool preferences) — store the observation
- When you discover project conventions, naming patterns, or implicit rules — store them
- When you build something and learn what works vs what doesn't — store the lesson

**The rule:** If this knowledge would be useful in a future session, store it NOW. Don't assume you'll remember — you won't.

### Team Vault
- When connected to a hosted vault, memories are shared with your team by default
- Use `engram_private_session` if the user wants a confidential session (nothing leaves the local machine)
- Use `engram_invite` to add a teammate when asked ("add Brian to engram", "invite tyler@company.com")
- Recall always searches both local + shared vaults, so you see everything

### Asking Questions
- When you need to ANSWER a question from memory: call `engram_ask` — it returns a synthesized answer with confidence, not raw memories
- When you need raw memory objects for processing: call `engram_recall`
- Prefer `engram_ask` for user-facing answers, `engram_recall` for your own analysis

### Alerts
- Periodically call `engram_alerts` to check for pending commitments, stale follow-ups, and contradictions
- Alerts are included in `engram_briefing` automatically, but call separately if you need a quick check

### Auditing External Memory
- If you maintain a CLAUDE.md, MEMORY.md, or similar file: periodically call `engram_audit` with its contents
- It will flag any claims that are outdated or contradicted by newer vault data

### Before Compacting / Session End
- Before context compaction or ending a session, call `engram_checkpoint` with a summary of:
  - Decisions made and their reasoning
  - Facts learned or corrected (especially things that changed from what you previously knew)
  - Commitments and next steps
  - Current project state
- This extracts durable memories from your context window before it is lost
- Your context window is the most accurate source of truth you have — and the most volatile. Save it.