Memory Trail — AI skill for Claude Code

Memory Trail v1.1

**Open-source decision memory and session logging for AI-assisted development.**

[](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

*"Checkpoints track WHAT changed. Memory Trail tracks WHY."*

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The Problem

AI coding assistants make decisions but don't remember why. Each session starts fresh.

Session 1: "Should I cache images locally?" → Agent caches images
Session 2: "Should I cache images locally?" → Agent caches images again
Session 3: User discovers TOS violation, deletes cache
Session 4: "Should I cache images locally?" → Agent caches images (forgot again)

The agent isn't malfunctioning. It simply has no memory of past decisions.

**Git tracks WHAT changed.** Nobody tracks WHY.

Tool	Tracks
Git	Code diffs — WHAT changed
Changelog	Release notes — WHAT shipped
Memory Trail	Decision rationale — WHY it changed

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What Is Memory Trail?

Memory Trail is an **open-source persistence layer** for AI-assisted development.

• Memory — Decisions persist across sessions
• Trail — Follow the breadcrumbs back to understand WHY

Core Components

Component	Purpose	Format
Decision Memory	Architectural constraints agents must follow	docs/DECISION_MEMORY.md
Confidence Protocol	Structured uncertainty signaling with risk adjustments	Agent behavior
STOP Triggers	Hard stops for dangerous operations	Agent behavior
Session Logs	Per-task action traces	docs/sessions/SES-YYYY-MM-DD-NNN.md

With Memory Trail

Session 1: Agent checks Decision Memory → [DEC-001] Use PostgreSQL
Session 2: Agent checks Decision Memory → [DEC-001] Use PostgreSQL
Session 3: Agent checks Decision Memory → [DEC-001] Use PostgreSQL
(Constraint persists across all sessions)

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Quick Start

Option 1: Claude Skills (claud