Kioku
記憶 · Persistent memory for AI agents
Local-first MCP memory
Your agents forget.
Kioku gives them continuity.
Persistent, structured memory in your own Obsidian vault—readable Markdown, typed YAML frontmatter, guarded mutations, first-class engineering specs, and deterministic handoff across fresh sessions.
dotnet tool install --global kioku-mcp-serverWhy Kioku
Built for reliable agent work
Kioku keeps operational context useful to agents while preserving privacy, portability, explicit safety boundaries, and recoverable files.
Durable engineering context
Persist approved specs, implementation plans, decisions, bugs, knowledge, ownership, and session handoffs for the next agent.
Explore engineering workflows →Guarded mutations
Bounded paths, compare-and-swap writes, idempotency, and structured failures protect vault integrity.
Review safety boundaries →Hybrid retrieval
Combine indexed full-text search with optional local embeddings and reciprocal rank fusion.
Explore retrieval tools →Headless operation
Use core notes, search, projects, indexing, sessions, and coordination while Obsidian is closed.
Understand the architecture →How it works
From installation to durable memory
Install the server
Install the .NET tool, build from source, or deploy Kioku with Docker.
Choose a vault
Point Kioku at an Obsidian vault and optionally configure folders, templates, and capabilities.
Register a client
Add Kioku to Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, GitHub Copilot, Antigravity, or another MCP client.
Engineering memory
Keep requirements and implementation plans distinct.
A first-class SPEC records what must be built and how it must behave. A linked PLAN records how the approved/current design will be implemented. Kioku keeps both durable without becoming your coding methodology.
Capture the spec
Create a structured engineering spec with explicit requirements, architecture, compatibility, testing strategy, and lifecycle.
Link the plan
Create an implementation plan that references the canonical same-project spec while preserving existing plan callers.
Handoff safely
Recover approved specs, active plans, and session outcomes from the vault and stop stale external execution when durable revisions change.
Clear product boundary
The MCP server works headlessly. The plugin adds Obsidian UI integration.
Core note, search, project, indexing, session, and coordination workflows read and write the vault directly. Obsidian only needs to be open for optional bridge and supported-plugin operations.
Kioku MCP server
The private memory and workflow layer used by AI agents.
- Vault reading and structured writes
- Search and retrieval
- Projects, specs, plans, and sessions
- stdio and authenticated Streamable HTTP
Kioku Obsidian plugin
A separate companion repository for UI-aware operations inside a running Obsidian application.
- Open notes in Obsidian
- Run approved commands
- Integrate supported plugins
- Authenticated WebSocket bridge
Your Obsidian vault
The durable source of truth remains ordinary files under your ownership.
- Portable Markdown
- Typed YAML frontmatter
- Explicit folder and exclusion policy
- No database migration dependency
Documentation
Start with the guide for your task
Installation
Install the tool, register an MCP client, build from source, or deploy with Docker.
Engineering workflows
Use first-class specs, link implementation plans, understand durable revisions, and compose external workflows safely.
MCP contract reference
Review generated tool schemas, annotations, prompts, resources, and capability profiles.
Vault configuration
Configure folders, templates, metadata behavior, exclusions, and capability gates.
Security model
Understand filesystem boundaries, authentication, origins, proxies, and external data flows.
Upgrade from 2.3.0
Review Kioku 3's published focused-tool, structured-result, discovery-profile, and guarded-mutation changes.
Obsidian plugin
Add optional UI-aware bridge operations while keeping the server usable headlessly.
Give the next agent the context the current agent earned.
Install Kioku, keep your knowledge local, and make session continuity an explicit part of your engineering workflow.