Memory Categories

Understanding REMBR's 12 memory categories and when to use each type

Original Categories (8)

General-purpose categories for everyday AI assistant use

facts

Concrete information and data points

EXAMPLES:
•"The API rate limit is 1000 requests/hour"
•"User authentication uses JWT with RS256"
•"Database runs PostgreSQL 16"
USE FOR:
System properties, configuration values, technical specifications

preferences

User preferences and settings

EXAMPLES:
•"User prefers TypeScript over JavaScript"
•"Team uses tabs (width: 2)"
•"Favors functional programming patterns"
USE FOR:
Coding style, tool preferences, workflow choices

conversations

Conversation history and context

EXAMPLES:
•"Discussed implementing OAuth 2.0 on Jan 15"
•"User asked about database migration"
•"Clarified requirements for async tasks"
USE FOR:
Session context, discussion summaries, Q&A history

projects

Project-specific information

EXAMPLES:
•"Project uses Next.js 14 App Router"
•"Main repo: github.com/company/project"
•"Deploy via Kubernetes on ARM64"
USE FOR:
Project metadata, technology stack, deployment details

learning

Knowledge and insights learned

EXAMPLES:
•"pgvector HNSW is faster than IVF for <100k vectors"
•"React Server Components reduce bundle size"
•"Redis improves auth performance"
USE FOR:
Discoveries, lessons learned, best practices identified

goals

Objectives and targets

EXAMPLES:
•"Reduce API latency below 100ms"
•"Deploy multi-region by Q2"
•"Implement real-time notifications"
USE FOR:
Project goals, performance targets, milestones

context

Situational context and state

EXAMPLES:
•"Currently working on authentication refactor"
•"Blocked on database migration approval"
•"Testing new search algorithm"
USE FOR:
Current state, blockers, work-in-progress

reminders

Future actions and reminders

EXAMPLES:
•"TODO: Update API docs after auth changes"
•"Test edge cases for null values"
•"Benchmark new caching layer"
USE FOR:
Action items, follow-ups, scheduled tasks

RLM-Optimized Categories (4)

Specialized categories for Recursive Language Models and agent systems

patterns

Code patterns, architectural patterns, best practices

EXAMPLES:
•"Repository pattern used for data access"
•"Dependency injection via constructor"
•"Error handling: try-catch with custom types"
USE FOR:
Design patterns, code conventions, architectural decisions

decisions

Technical decisions, trade-offs, architectural choices

EXAMPLES:
•"Chose PostgreSQL over MongoDB for ACID"
•"Using Prisma ORM for type safety"
•"Rejected microservices - monolith simpler"
USE FOR:
Architecture decisions, technology choices, trade-off analyses

workflows

Process flows, deployment procedures, development workflows

EXAMPLES:
•"Deploy: build → test → push Docker → kubectl rollout"
•"PR review: linting → tests → 2 approvals"
•"Hotfix: branch from main → test → merge"
USE FOR:
CI/CD pipelines, development processes, operational procedures

insights

Analytical findings, performance insights, optimization opportunities

EXAMPLES:
•"95th percentile latency spikes at 1000+ concurrent users"
•"Database connection pool exhausted during peak"
•"Caching reduced API calls by 60%"
USE FOR:
Performance analysis, bottleneck identification, optimization results

How the AI Uses Categories

1. Automatic Categorization

When you store a memory, the AI analyzes the content and automatically suggests the most appropriate category. You can override this if needed.

User: "Remember I prefer TypeScript"
→ Auto-categorized as preferences
2. Intelligent Search Filtering

When searching, the AI can filter by category or boost relevance for certain categories based on query intent.

Query: "What's my coding style?"
→ Searches preferences category first
3. Context Workspaces

RLM agents can create context workspaces filtered by category - e.g., a "decisions" context for architectural choices only.

4. Analytics & Insights

Category distribution helps you understand what type of knowledge your system has accumulated and identify gaps.

Category Best Practices

✓
Use Specific Categories
Choose decisions over factswhen storing why a choice was made, not just what was chosen.
✓
Trust Auto-Categorization
The AI is pretty good at picking categories. Only override if clearly wrong.
✓
Use RLM Categories for Agents
When building recursive agent systems, leverage patterns, decisions, workflows, and insights for better context management.
✗
Don't Over-Think It
Categories are hints, not rigid rules. Search works across all categories anyway.
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