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Claude memory tool (Anthropic API)
Anthropic-defined client-side tool: Claude issues view/create/str_replace/insert/delete/rename commands on a /memories directory that your app stores wherever it likes.
Docs current as of 2026-10-25: tool type memory_20250818 available on all Claude 4+ models, no beta header required. (checked 2026-10-25)
In Agent memory
Where it stands apart
- How is the main thing licensed? proprietary or closed source (19% of 21 others)
- Can it run entirely on your own device or infrastructure, without the maker's servers? partly (some features need the maker's servers) (14% of 21 others)
- Do you need an account to use it? account required (10% of 20 others)
- In the default setup, who mainly decides what gets remembered? the agent, by calling memory tools (19% of 21 others)
- By default, how do old or wrong memories mainly go away? only when someone deletes them (agent, app, or user) (16% of 19 others)
- Does it work with models from different LLM vendors? no, tied to one model vendor (10% of 21 others)
- What is the main storage model for long-term memory? plain files (Markdown, text, JSON) (15% of 20 others)
What it shares with most of the community
- Is it actively maintained? active (67% of 21 others)
- How is it mainly sustained? company with a paid product, tier, or ads (75% of 20 others)
- Who is it for? developers (76% of 21 others)
- How can the person the memories are about see and edit them? only through developer APIs or a developer dashboard (62% of 21 others)
Nearest neighbors
- ChatGPT Memory 53% of 15 shared answers match
- LangMem 53% of 17 shared answers match
- Mem0 47% of 17 shared answers match
Every answer
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Is it actively maintained? | active | source 2026-10-25 |
| How is the main thing licensed? | stands apart proprietary or closed source The tool runs on Anthropic's API; your handler and the SDK helpers are yours/open. | source 2026-10-25 |
| How is it mainly sustained? | company with a paid product, tier, or ads | source 2026-10-25 |
| Can it run entirely on your own device or infrastructure, without the maker's servers? | stands apart partly (some features need the maker's servers) Memory storage is entirely yours; the model is hosted. | source 2026-10-25 |
| Do you need an account to use it? | stands apart account required Needs an Anthropic API key (x-api-key) to call Claude; memory storage itself is yours. | source 2026-10-26 |
| Who is it for? | developers | source 2026-10-25 |
| Which shared standard or format does it mainly build on? | none of these (its own format or interface) Anthropic's own tool schema over a file directory. | source 2026-10-26 |
| In the default setup, who mainly decides what gets remembered? | stands apart the agent, by calling memory tools | source 2026-10-25 |
| How can the person the memories are about see and edit them? | only through developer APIs or a developer dashboard Files in developer-controlled storage; end users see them only if the app exposes them. | source 2026-10-25 |
| By default, how do old or wrong memories mainly go away? | stands apart only when someone deletes them (agent, app, or user) Claude deletes or edits files; docs recommend the app periodically expire unused files. | source 2026-10-25 |
| Where do memories live in the default setup the docs lead with? | in the developer's own infrastructure | source 2026-10-25 |
| Does it work with models from different LLM vendors? | stands apart no, tied to one model vendor | source 2026-10-25 |
| What is the main storage model for long-term memory? | stands apart plain files (Markdown, text, JSON) | source 2026-10-25 |
| What shape does it mainly take (the one its docs lead with)? | library or API primitive you build into your app | source 2026-10-25 |
| Is there a first-party MCP server for it? | no | source 2026-10-25 |
| How is memory separated between users or tenants? | one store per user or agent; the app partitions it Handler maps /memories to e.g. a per-user directory. | source 2026-10-25 |
| Does it publish scores on public memory benchmarks (LoCoMo, LongMemEval, BEAM, etc.)? | no | source 2026-10-25 |
Sources
This page was derived from:
- Web page · platform.claude.com/docs/en/agents-and-tools/tool-use/memory-tool · read 2026-10-25
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