mem_update

Update an existing observation by ID

Overview

Update an existing observation by ID. Only the fields you provide are changed — all other fields remain unchanged. Use this when you have the exact observation ID and need to correct or refine it.

This tool is part of the agent profile and uses deferred loading to optimize performance.

When to Use

• Corrections — fix typos, inaccuracies, or missing details in an existing observation
• Refinements — add more context or clarification to a previously saved memory
• Reclassification — change the type or scope of an observation
• Topic key updates — assign or change the topic key for upsert behavior

Only use mem_update when you have the exact observation ID. If you’re updating evolving knowledge (like architecture decisions), use mem_save with a topic_key instead.

Parameters

id · number · required

Observation ID to update

Get the ID from:

• mem_search results
• mem_get_observation response
• mem_timeline results
• TUI observation view

Example: 42

title · string

New title for the observation

Example: "Fixed FTS5 syntax error on special chars [updated]"

content · string

New content for the observation

Use the same What/Why/Where/Learned format as mem_save:

**What**: [updated description]
**Why**: [updated reasoning]
**Where**: [updated file paths]
**Learned**: [updated insights]

type · string

New observation type/category

Recognized types:

• decision
• architecture
• bugfix
• pattern
• config
• discovery
• learning
• manual

project · string

New project name

Change which project this observation is associated with.

scope · string

New visibility scope

Options:

• project — project-scoped
• personal — cross-project personal knowledge

topic_key · string

New topic key (normalized internally)

Assign or change the topic key for upsert behavior. Format: family/segment

Example: architecture/database-schema-design

Response

result · string

Confirmation message with updated observation details

Example:

Memory updated: #42 "Fixed FTS5 syntax error on special chars [updated]" (bugfix, scope=project)

Usage Examples

Update Title

{
  "id": 42,
  "title": "Fixed FTS5 query sanitization [refined]"
}

Updates only the title. All other fields remain unchanged.

Update Content

{
  "id": 42,
  "content": "**What**: Wrapped each search term in quotes AND escaped internal quotes\n**Why**: Users typing queries with apostrophes like \"user's profile\" would crash\n**Where**: internal/store/store.go — sanitizeFTS() function\n**Learned**: FTS5 requires both quoting AND escaping. Nested quotes need special handling."
}

Replaces the content with updated details. Title, type, and other fields stay the same.

Change Type and Scope

{
  "id": 12,
  "type": "pattern",
  "scope": "personal"
}

Reclassifies observation #12 as a personal pattern (cross-project knowledge).

Assign Topic Key

{
  "id": 87,
  "topic_key": "architecture/auth-model"
}

Assigns a topic key to enable future upserts via mem_save.

Update Multiple Fields

{
  "id": 42,
  "title": "FTS5 query sanitization [comprehensive fix]",
  "type": "bugfix",
  "content": "**What**: Added quote wrapping, escaping, and operator detection\n**Why**: Multiple edge cases caused crashes — apostrophes, quotes, boolean operators\n**Where**: internal/store/store.go — sanitizeFTS() function, added comprehensive test suite\n**Learned**: FTS5 has complex quoting rules. Regex-based sanitization is safer than manual escaping."
}

Updates title, type, and content. Project and scope remain unchanged.

Partial Updates

Only the fields you provide are updated. All other fields remain unchanged:

Field Provided	Result
title	Title updated, content/type/project/scope unchanged
content	Content updated, title/type/project/scope unchanged
type	Type updated, all other fields unchanged
title + content	Both updated, type/project/scope unchanged

You can update one field or many — it’s a partial update, not a full replacement.

Validation

ID must exist

If the observation ID doesn’t exist, you’ll get an error:

Failed to update memory: observation not found

Use mem_search to find the correct ID.

At least one field required

You must provide at least one field to update:

{
  "id": 42
}

Error:

provide at least one field to update

Topic keys are normalized

If you provide topic_key, it’s normalized internally:

• Lowercased
• Spaces replaced with hyphens
• Special characters removed

Input: "Architecture / Database Schema Design"

Stored: "architecture/database-schema-design"

Difference from mem_save with topic_key

Feature	mem_update	mem_save with topic_key
Requires ID	Yes — you must know the exact ID	No — finds observation by topic_key
Use case	Correct a specific observation	Update evolving knowledge
Scope	Updates by ID (ignores topic_key match)	Updates by topic_key + project + scope
Best for	Typo fixes, refinements, corrections	Architecture decisions, living docs

Use mem_update when you have an exact ID. Use mem_save with topic_key for evolving topics.

What Changes

When you update an observation:

• ✅ Specified fields are replaced with new values
• ✅ Updated timestamp (updated_at) is refreshed
• ❌ Revision count does NOT increment (only topic_key upserts increment revisions)
• ❌ Duplicate count is NOT affected
• ❌ Created timestamp remains unchanged

Related Tools

• mem_save - Save new observations or upsert with topic_key
• mem_get_observation - Get full observation details before updating
• mem_search - Find observations to update
• mem_delete - Delete observations by ID