---
title: "overlane memory add"
description: "Add a memory as a candidate in project, team or user scope"
---

> Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.overlane.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# overlane memory add

{/* Generated by apps/docs/scripts/generate.mjs (CLI pages from the command registry in packages/cli). Do not edit; run `pnpm --filter @overlane/docs gen`. */}

Writes a memory. Agents write candidates only; a candidate becomes confirmed through a second observer, CI evidence or a person (`overlane memory confirm`). A person may pass --confirmed for their own statement. Text that contains a secret or personal data is refused and never stored. Write team memory by promoting a project memory (`overlane memory promote`); global memory is written only by the curator.

## Usage

```sh
overlane memory add text... [--service URL] [--team TENANT_ID] --title TEXT [--scope project|team|user] [--project PROJECT_ID] [--category fact|decision|event|procedure|preference] [--confirmed] [--dry-run]
```

## Arguments

| Argument | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `text...` | yes | What to remember |

## Flags

| Flag | Type | Required | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `--service` | string | no |  | The service address (default: OVERLANE_SERVICE_URL, then the project's binding, then the hosted service) |
| `--team` | string | no |  | The team (tenant) to act on (default: the one your token belongs to) |
| `--title` | string | yes |  | A short title (memories with the same title in different scopes are compared) |
| `--scope` | one of `project`, `team`, `user` | no | `project` | Where the memory lives |
| `--project` | string | no |  | The project, for project scope |
| `--category` | one of `fact`, `decision`, `event`, `procedure`, `preference` | no | `fact` | What kind of memory this is |
| `--confirmed` | boolean | no |  | Store as confirmed (a person's own statement; an agent writes a candidate and a second observer confirms it) |
| `--dry-run` | boolean | no |  | Print the requests and file changes this command would make, then stop. Needs no credentials. |

## Examples

```sh
overlane memory add --title "Deploy day" "Deploys go out on Tuesdays" --project prj_1
overlane memory add --title "Editor" --scope user "I prefer a dark theme" --dry-run
```

## Behavior

- Effect: `write` (changes local or hosted state).
- Needs credentials: yes. Uses the network: yes.
- Supports `--dry-run`: yes. Accepts `--force`: no.
- Machine-readable description: `overlane schema memory add`.

## Result

With `--json` (the default when stdout is not a terminal) the command prints this JSON Schema's shape on stdout.

```json
{
  "anyOf": [
    {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "tenantId": {
          "type": "string"
        },
        "item": {
          "type": "object",
          "properties": {
            "tenantId": {
              "type": "string",
              "minLength": 1,
              "maxLength": 128,
              "pattern": "^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9_.:-]*$",
              "description": "tenant identifier"
            },
            "id": {
              "type": "string",
              "minLength": 1,
              "maxLength": 64,
              "pattern": "^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9_.:-]*$"
            },
            "scope": {
              "type": "string",
              "enum": [
                "project",
                "team",
                "user",
                "global"
              ]
            },
            "scopeId": {
              "type": "string",
              "minLength": 1,
              "maxLength": 128
            },
            "projectId": {
              "anyOf": [
                {
                  "type": "string",
                  "minLength": 1,
                  "maxLength": 128,
                  "pattern": "^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9_.:-]*$",
                  "description": "project identifier"
                },
                {
                  "type": "null"
                }
              ]
            },
            "userId": {
              "anyOf": [
                {
                  "type": "string",
                  "minLength": 1,
                  "maxLength": 128
                },
                {
                  "type": "null"
                }
              ]
            },
            "category": {
              "type": "string",
              "enum": [
                "fact",
                "decision",
                "event",
                "procedure",
                "preference"
              ]
            },
            "title": {
              "type": "string",
              "minLength": 1,
              "maxLength": 200
            },
            "body": {
              "type": "string"
            },
            "status": {
              "type": "string",
              "enum": [
                "candidate",
                "confirmed",
                "superseded",
                "expired"
              ]
            },
            "provenance": {
              "type": "object",
              "properties": {
                "observer": {
                  "type": "string",
                  "minLength": 1,
                  "maxLength": 160
                },
                "observerKind": {
                  "type": "string",
                  "enum": [
                    "user",
                    "agent",
                    "ci",
                    "curator"
                  ]
                },
                "observedAt": {
                  "type": "string",
                  "format": "date-time",
                  "pattern": "^(?:(?:\\d\\d[2468][048]|\\d\\d[13579][26]|\\d\\d0[48]|[02468][048]00|[13579][26]00)-02-29|\\d{4}-(?:(?:0[13578]|1[02])-(?:0[1-9]|[12]\\d|3[01])|(?:0[469]|11)-(?:0[1-9]|[12]\\d|30)|(?:02)-(?:0[1-9]|1\\d|2[0-8])))T(?:(?:[01]\\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\\d:[0-5]\\d(?:\\.\\d+)?(?:Z|([+-](?:[01]\\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\\d)))$"
                },
                "revision": {
                  "anyOf": [
                    {
                      "type": "string",
                      "pattern": "^(?:[0-9a-f]{40}|[0-9a-f]{64})$"
                    },
                    {
                      "type": "null"
                    }
                  ]
                }
              },
              "required": [
                "observer",
                "observerKind",
                "observedAt",
                "revision"
              ],
              "additionalProperties": false
            },
            "symbolLinks": {
              "maxItems": 50,
              "type": "array",
              "items": {
                "type": "object",
                "properties": {
                  "path": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "minLength": 1,
                    "maxLength": 500
                  },
                  "symbol": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "minLength": 1,
                    "maxLength": 500
                  }
                },
                "required": [
                  "path",
                  "symbol"
                ],
                "additionalProperties": false
              }
            },
            "derivedFrom": {
              "maxItems": 50,
              "type": "array",
              "items": {
                "type": "string",
                "minLength": 1,
                "maxLength": 64,
                "pattern": "^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9_.:-]*$"
              }
            },
            "supersedes": {
              "anyOf": [
                {
                  "type": "string",
                  "minLength": 1,
                  "maxLength": 64,
                  "pattern": "^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9_.:-]*$"
                },
                {
                  "type": "null"
                }
              ]
            },
            "stale": {
              "type": "boolean"
            },
            "staleReason": {
              "anyOf": [
                {
                  "type": "string",
                  "maxLength": 300
                },
                {
                  "type": "null"
                }
              ]
            },
            "confirmation": {
              "anyOf": [
                {
                  "type": "object",
                  "properties": {
                    "basis": {
                      "anyOf": [
                        {
                          "type": "string",
                          "enum": [
                            "second_observer",
                            "ci_evidence",
                            "human"
                          ]
                        },
                        {
                          "type": "string",
                          "const": "curator"
                        },
                        {
                          "type": "string",
                          "const": "checker"
                        }
                      ]
                    },
                    "by": {
                      "type": "string",
                      "minLength": 1,
                      "maxLength": 160
                    },
                    "at": {
                      "type": "string",
                      "format": "date-time",
                      "pattern": "^(?:(?:\\d\\d[2468][048]|\\d\\d[13579][26]|\\d\\d0[48]|[02468][048]00|[13579][26]00)-02-29|\\d{4}-(?:(?:0[13578]|1[02])-(?:0[1-9]|[12]\\d|3[01])|(?:0[469]|11)-(?:0[1-9]|[12]\\d|30)|(?:02)-(?:0[1-9]|1\\d|2[0-8])))T(?:(?:[01]\\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\\d:[0-5]\\d(?:\\.\\d+)?(?:Z|([+-](?:[01]\\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\\d)))$"
                    },
                    "evidenceRef": {
                      "anyOf": [
                        {
                          "type": "string",
                          "minLength": 1,
                          "maxLength": 300
                        },
                        {
                          "type": "null"
                        }
                      ]
                    }
                  },
                  "required": [
                    "basis",
                    "by",
                    "at",
                    "evidenceRef"
                  ],
                  "additionalProperties": false
                },
                {
                  "type": "null"
                }
              ]
            },
            "heldReason": {
              "default": null,
              "anyOf": [
                {
                  "type": "string",
                  "maxLength": 400
                },
                {
                  "type": "null"
                }
              ]
            },
            "observationCount": {
              "type": "integer",
              "minimum": 1,
              "maximum": 9007199254740991
            },
            "createdAt": {
              "type": "string",
              "format": "date-time",
              "pattern": "^(?:(?:\\d\\d[2468][048]|\\d\\d[13579][26]|\\d\\d0[48]|[02468][048]00|[13579][26]00)-02-29|\\d{4}-(?:(?:0[13578]|1[02])-(?:0[1-9]|[12]\\d|3[01])|(?:0[469]|11)-(?:0[1-9]|[12]\\d|30)|(?:02)-(?:0[1-9]|1\\d|2[0-8])))T(?:(?:[01]\\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\\d:[0-5]\\d(?:\\.\\d+)?(?:Z|([+-](?:[01]\\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\\d)))$"
            },
            "updatedAt": {
              "type": "string",
              "format": "date-time",
              "pattern": "^(?:(?:\\d\\d[2468][048]|\\d\\d[13579][26]|\\d\\d0[48]|[02468][048]00|[13579][26]00)-02-29|\\d{4}-(?:(?:0[13578]|1[02])-(?:0[1-9]|[12]\\d|3[01])|(?:0[469]|11)-(?:0[1-9]|[12]\\d|30)|(?:02)-(?:0[1-9]|1\\d|2[0-8])))T(?:(?:[01]\\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\\d:[0-5]\\d(?:\\.\\d+)?(?:Z|([+-](?:[01]\\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\\d)))$"
            }
          },
          "required": [
            "tenantId",
            "id",
            "scope",
            "scopeId",
            "projectId",
            "userId",
            "category",
            "title",
            "body",
            "status",
            "provenance",
            "symbolLinks",
            "derivedFrom",
            "supersedes",
            "stale",
            "staleReason",
            "confirmation",
            "heldReason",
            "observationCount",
            "createdAt",
            "updatedAt"
          ],
          "additionalProperties": false
        },
        "duplicate": {
          "type": "boolean"
        },
        "repeatObservation": {
          "type": "boolean"
        }
      },
      "required": [
        "tenantId",
        "item",
        "duplicate",
        "repeatObservation"
      ],
      "additionalProperties": {}
    },
    {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "dryRun": {
          "type": "boolean",
          "const": true
        },
        "service": {
          "type": "string"
        },
        "requests": {
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "object",
            "properties": {
              "method": {
                "type": "string"
              },
              "path": {
                "type": "string"
              },
              "body": {},
              "note": {
                "type": "string"
              }
            },
            "required": [
              "method",
              "path"
            ],
            "additionalProperties": false
          }
        },
        "commands": {
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "string"
          }
        },
        "writes": {
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "object",
            "properties": {
              "path": {
                "type": "string"
              },
              "action": {
                "type": "string",
                "enum": [
                  "write",
                  "append",
                  "delete"
                ]
              },
              "description": {
                "type": "string"
              }
            },
            "required": [
              "path",
              "action",
              "description"
            ],
            "additionalProperties": false
          }
        },
        "notes": {
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "string"
          }
        }
      },
      "required": [
        "dryRun",
        "requests",
        "commands",
        "writes",
        "notes"
      ],
      "additionalProperties": false
    }
  ]
}
```

See [exit codes](/cli/#exit-codes) for the status the process returns.

Source: https://docs.overlane.app/cli/memory-add/index.mdx