Build a knowledge packet

This guide shows how to build a knowledge packet for a workspace using the CLI and the memory_packet MCP tool. A packet is a deterministic, scope-bound snapshot of memories, stats, and optional semantic clusters.

Prerequisites

od3sa-memory installed and on your PATH.
A database with at least one remembered memory in the target workspace.
MEMORY_ORG_ID and MEMORY_WORKSPACE_ID configured, or identity flags available.

1. Verify the workspace scope

od3sa-memory tree

Confirm the org and workspace you want to export contain the memories you expect. You can also set the environment variables explicitly:

export MEMORY_ORG_ID="your-org"
export MEMORY_WORKSPACE_ID="eden-releases"

2. Build a default packet

The default template produces JSON with stats, 120-rune excerpts, and optional clusters:

od3sa-memory packet --format json --template default > packet.json

Equivalent MCP tool call:

{
  "format": "json",
  "template": "default",
  "org_id": "your-org",
  "workspace_id": "eden-releases"
}

3. Build a compact brief for hand-offs

Use compact for a short Markdown brief with short excerpts and trimmed stats:

od3sa-memory packet --template compact --format md > brief.md

Equivalent MCP:

{
  "format": "md",
  "template": "compact"
}

4. Add semantic clusters

The analytical template enables cluster enrichment automatically:

od3sa-memory packet --template analytical --format html > analysis.html

Or keep the default template and enable clusters explicitly:

od3sa-memory packet --enrich cluster --format md > clustered.md

Equivalent MCP:

{
  "format": "html",
  "template": "analytical",
  "enrich": "cluster"
}

Clusters group related memories by vector similarity and include only memory IDs and labels — never raw vectors.

5. Export full contents

Use the full template, or pass --include-content, when the consumer is trusted and needs complete memory text:

od3sa-memory packet --template full --format md > full-brief.md

Equivalent MCP:

{
  "format": "md",
  "template": "full"
}

The rendered output will include a privacy warning.

6. Limit to recent memories

Use --since to include only memories created or updated after a specific time:

od3sa-memory packet \
  --since "$(date -u -d '7 days ago' +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)" \
  --format md \
  > recent.md

Equivalent MCP:

{
  "format": "md",
  "since": "2026-07-25T00:00:00Z"
}

7. Verify the rendered packet

Open or preview the output:

JSON: pipe through jq or your JSON viewer.
Markdown: open in any text editor or paste into a chat context.
HTML: open in a browser. The file is self-contained and escaped.

8. Publish it for later

If the packet is worth keeping, publish it instead of only printing it. Published packets are durable records you can list and re-export later:

od3sa-memory packet --template compact --format md --title "Week 34 brief" --publish
od3sa-memory packet list
od3sa-memory packet export <packet-id> --format md > brief.md

Publishing does not change the packet’s contents or scope. See Publishing packets for the details.

Tips

Use compact for chat context windows where size matters.
Use analytical when you want to see how memories group thematically.
Use full only for trusted, private consumers.
Combine --limit with --since to keep packets focused.

Build a knowledge packet

Prerequisites

1. Verify the workspace scope

2. Build a default packet

3. Build a compact brief for hand-offs

4. Add semantic clusters

5. Export full contents

6. Limit to recent memories

7. Verify the rendered packet

8. Publish it for later

Tips

See also