<!--
  Full-page Markdown export (rendered HTML → GFM).
  Source: https://neotoma.io/docs
  Generated: 2026-05-04T09:49:43.295Z
-->
# Documentation

All Neotoma documentation organized by category. Start with getting started if you are new, or jump to the reference section for API, MCP, and CLI details.

## Getting started

-   [
    
    EvaluateHave your agent read this page to decide whether Neotoma fits your workflow
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/evaluate)
-   [
    
    InstallInstall and initialize Neotoma locally
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/install)
-   [
    
    What to store firstPick the first durable facts, commitments, and source-backed records to persist
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/what-to-store)
-   [
    
    Backup and restoreProtect the SQLite database, source files, and reconstruction history
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/backup)
-   [
    
    Expose tunnelUse HTTPS tunnels when remote MCP clients cannot launch local stdio
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/tunnel)
-   [
    
    WalkthroughEnd-to-end example across operating, building, and debugging
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/walkthrough)

## Integrations

-   [
    
    ChatGPTDeterministic memory for ChatGPT conversations
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/neotoma-with-chatgpt)
-   [
    
    ClaudeStructured state alongside Claude platform memory
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/neotoma-with-claude)
-   [
    
    Claude CodePersistent memory for Claude Code's local CLI agent
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/neotoma-with-claude-code)
-   [
    
    CodexCross-task memory and CLI fallback
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/neotoma-with-codex)
-   [
    
    CursorPersistent memory alongside Cursor context
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/neotoma-with-cursor)
-   [
    
    IronClawStructured MCP memory for IronClaw agents
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/neotoma-with-ironclaw)
-   [
    
    OpenClawUser-owned memory for OpenClaw agents
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/neotoma-with-openclaw)
-   [
    
    OpenCodeLifecycle hooks and MCP memory for OpenCode
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/neotoma-with-opencode)

## Reference

-   [
    
    InstallInstall and initialize Neotoma locally
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/install)
-   [
    
    REST APIOpenAPI endpoints and parameters
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/api)
-   [
    
    MCP serverModel Context Protocol actions
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/mcp)
-   [
    
    CLICommands, flags, and REPL
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/cli)
-   [
    
    Memory guaranteesAll memory properties on one page
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/memory-guarantees)
-   [
    
    Memory modelsPlatform, retrieval, file-based, and deterministic memory compared
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/memory-models)
-   [
    
    FoundationsPrivacy-first architecture and cross-platform design
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/foundations)
-   [
    
    Agent instructionsMandatory behavioral rules for agents using Neotoma
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/agent-instructions)
-   [
    
    ArchitectureState flow, guarantees, and principles
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/architecture)
-   [
    
    TerminologyGlossary of key concepts
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/terminology)
-   [
    
    TroubleshootingCommon failure modes and practical fixes
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/troubleshooting)
-   [
    
    ChangelogRelease history and documentation updates
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/changelog)
-   [
    
    All pages (Markdown)Every indexable route as Markdown (SEO summaries)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/site-markdown)

## Primitive record types

-   [
    
    OverviewThe seven system-level building blocks behind every entity, snapshot, and audit trail
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/primitives)
-   [
    
    EntitiesCanonical row for every person, company, or thing, deterministic ID, aliases, and merge tracking
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/primitives/entities)
-   [
    
    Entity snapshotsReducer output with per-field provenance back to observations and an optional embedding column
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/primitives/entity-snapshots)
-   [
    
    SourcesContent-addressed raw storage with SHA-256 deduplication per user
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/primitives/sources)
-   [
    
    InterpretationsVersioned, audited extraction attempts with full interpretation\_config provenance
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/primitives/interpretations)
-   [
    
    ObservationsGranular, immutable facts that the reducer composes into entity snapshots
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/primitives/observations)
-   [
    
    RelationshipsFirst-class typed graph edges that follow the same observation-snapshot pattern
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/primitives/relationships)
-   [
    
    Timeline eventsSource-anchored temporal records derived deterministically from extracted dates
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/primitives/timeline-events)

## Schemas

-   [
    
    OverviewVersioned, config-driven definitions that give the immutable primitives their domain shape
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/schemas)
-   [
    
    Schema registryThe table that holds every versioned schema\_definition + reducer\_config, global or per-user
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/schemas/registry)
-   [
    
    Merge policiesPer-field declarative rules, last\_write, highest\_priority, most\_specific, merge\_array
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/schemas/merge-policies)
-   [
    
    Storage layersraw\_text, properties, and raw\_fragments, the three places extracted data can land
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/schemas/storage-layers)
-   [
    
    Versioning & evolutionSemver, additive minor bumps, breaking major bumps, and the public schema snapshots dump
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/schemas/versioning)
-   [
    
    Schema management (CLI)CLI workflows for listing, validating, evolving, and registering schemas at runtime
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/schema-management)

## Where the tax shows up

-   [
    
    Context janitorYou re-explain context every session. State that persists across tools.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/operating)
-   [
    
    Inference varianceCorrections don’t stick. Deterministic state for agent pipelines.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/building-pipelines)
-   [
    
    Log archaeologySame inputs, different state. Replayable timelines and diffs.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/debugging-infrastructure)

## Compare

-   [
    
    Build vs buyWhen to adopt a state-integrity layer instead of building around observability alone
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/build-vs-buy)
-   [
    
    Neotoma vs platform memoryConvenience inside one AI product versus portable, auditable state across tools
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/neotoma-vs-platform-memory)
-   [
    
    Neotoma vs Mem0Retrieval memory for prompt augmentation versus deterministic entity state
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/neotoma-vs-mem0)
-   [
    
    Neotoma vs ZepKnowledge-graph retrieval versus versioned, schema-bound state
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/neotoma-vs-zep)
-   [
    
    Neotoma vs RAGRelevant chunk retrieval versus exact state reconstruction
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/neotoma-vs-rag)
-   [
    
    Neotoma vs file-based memoryMarkdown and JSON portability versus structured guarantees and provenance
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/neotoma-vs-files)
-   [
    
    Neotoma vs database memoryCRUD rows versus append-only observations and deterministic reducers
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](/neotoma-vs-database)

## External

-   [
    
    GitHub repositorySource code, README, and issues
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](https://github.com/markmhendrickson/neotoma)
-   [
    
    npm packageInstall via npm
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ](https://www.npmjs.com/package/neotoma)