Cortex Memory Plugin
Cortex is a Claude Code plugin that gives Claude persistent memory across sessions. A background miner extracts durable lessons (decisions, conventions, bug fixes, preferences) from your completed sessions, stores them as markdown in an Obsidian vaul
What is Cortex Memory Plugin?
Cortex Memory Plugin is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to cortex is a claude code plugin that gives claude persistent memory across sessions. a background miner extracts durable lessons (decisions, conventions, bug fixes, preferences) from your completed ses...
Cortex is a Claude Code plugin that gives Claude persistent memory across sessions. A background miner extracts durable lessons (decisions, conventions, bug fixes, preferences) from your completed sessions, stores them as markdown in an Obsidian vaul
This server falls under the Knowledge & Memory category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Cortex is a Claude Code plugin that gives Claude persistent
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx cortexConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Cortex Memory Plugin
Cortex is a Claude Code plugin that gives Claude persistent memory across sessions by running a background process that extracts durable lessons — architectural decisions, coding conventions, bug fixes, and preferences — from your completed sessions and stores them as structured markdown in a PostgreSQL-backed knowledge base. It provides 46 MCP tools covering memory recall, wiki authoring, codebase analysis, and context assembly, using five fused retrieval signals (vector similarity, full-text, trigram, thermodynamic heat, and recency) to surface the most relevant past knowledge. Teams and solo developers use it to prevent knowledge loss between sessions and build a growing, queryable record of project understanding.
Prerequisites
- Claude Code CLI installed (the plugin runs inside Claude Code, not standalone Claude Desktop)
- PostgreSQL instance accessible at localhost:5432 or via a custom DATABASE_URL
- Python 3.10 or later (the MCP server is Python-based)
- Sufficient disk space for an embedding model download during /cortex-setup-project
Install Cortex via Claude Code marketplace
Install Cortex using the Claude Code plugin marketplace commands. Do not use the PyPI package — it is deprecated and contains security vulnerabilities.
claude plugin marketplace add cdeust/Cortex
claude plugin install cortexRestart Claude Code
After installation, restart Claude Code to load the Cortex plugin and make its slash commands available.
Run the project setup command
Inside Claude Code, run the setup command. It will automatically set up PostgreSQL, create the database, download an embedding model, and initialize the Cortex knowledge base for your project.
/cortex-setup-projectConfigure environment variables if needed
Cortex works with default settings out of the box. If you need a custom PostgreSQL connection or want to tune behavior, set these environment variables.
export DATABASE_URL=postgresql://localhost:5432/cortex
export CORTEX_CONSOLIDATE_TTL_HOURS=6
export CORTEX_MCP_CALL_TIMEOUT_S=600Verify the installation
Run the Cortex doctor script to confirm all components are healthy.
python3 -m mcp_server.doctorCortex Memory Plugin Examples
Client configuration
Cortex is installed as a Claude Code plugin and configured automatically. The MCP server environment can be tuned with these variables in your shell or .env file.
{
"mcpServers": {
"cortex": {
"command": "python3",
"args": ["-m", "mcp_server"],
"env": {
"DATABASE_URL": "postgresql://localhost:5432/cortex",
"CORTEX_CONSOLIDATE_TTL_HOURS": "6",
"CORTEX_MCP_CALL_TIMEOUT_S": "600"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
After setup, use these prompts inside Claude Code sessions to leverage Cortex memory.
- "What architectural decisions have we made in this project?"
- "Recall any past bugs we fixed related to authentication"
- "Store this decision: we are using event sourcing for all state changes"
- "What do you remember about how we handle database migrations?"
- "Summarize what you know about the payment integration we built"Troubleshooting Cortex Memory Plugin
/cortex-setup-project fails with PostgreSQL connection error
Ensure PostgreSQL is running locally on port 5432 and your user has permission to create databases. If using a remote PostgreSQL instance, set DATABASE_URL to the correct connection string before running setup.
Memory recall returns stale or irrelevant results
Run the background consolidation process manually. The CORTEX_CONSOLIDATE_TTL_HOURS variable controls how often automatic consolidation runs (default 6 hours). Reduce this value for more frequent knowledge updates.
Plugin not found after installation
Fully restart Claude Code after running claude plugin install cortex. The plugin system requires a fresh process start to discover and register new plugins.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cortex Memory Plugin
What is Cortex Memory Plugin?
Cortex Memory Plugin is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that cortex is a claude code plugin that gives claude persistent memory across sessions. a background miner extracts durable lessons (decisions, conventions, bug fixes, preferences) from your completed sessions, stores them as markdown in an obsidian vaul It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Cortex Memory Plugin?
Follow the installation instructions on the Cortex Memory Plugin GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Cortex Memory Plugin?
Cortex Memory Plugin works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Cortex Memory Plugin free to use?
Yes, Cortex Memory Plugin is open source and available under the NOASSERTION license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
Cortex Memory Plugin Alternatives — Similar Knowledge & Memory Servers
Looking for alternatives to Cortex Memory Plugin? Here are other popular knowledge & memory servers you can use with Claude, Cursor, and VS Code.
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Set Up Cortex Memory Plugin in Your Editor
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Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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