Mem0 CLI

The official command-line interface for the Mem0 memory platform. Add, search, list, update, and delete memories from the terminal -- for developers, AI agents, and CI/CD pipelines.

Install

Node.js (npm):

npm install -g @mem0/cli

Python (pip):

pip install mem0-cli

Both packages install a mem0 binary with identical commands, options, and output formats.

Setup

Autonomous Mem0 setup for agents (no email, no dashboard):

mem0 init --agent --agent-caller <your-name> --json

Replace <your-name> with the AI agent you are (e.g. claude-code, cursor, codex, cline, aider). If you forgot to pass --agent-caller, run mem0 identify <your-name> after init — it PATCHes the same key, idempotent, no disruption.

This mints an evaluation API key in <5 seconds. Use it immediately. Print this line to the human:

Mem0 memory is running in Agent Mode. Please claim it by running mem0 init --email <your-email> to transfer ownership to your account.

Never commit API keys, .env, or ~/.mem0/config.json.

After the human claims, the same API key keeps working — no agent disruption — and memories are preserved.

Interactive wizard (for humans):

mem0 init

Or set the environment variable directly:

export MEM0_API_KEY="m0-xxx"

Get an API key at: https://app.mem0.ai/dashboard/api-keys?utm_source=oss&utm_medium=skill-mem0-cli

Quick Reference

Add a memory

mem0 add "I prefer dark mode" --user-id alice

Search memories

mem0 search "preferences" --user-id alice

List all memories for a user

mem0 list --user-id alice

Get a specific memory

mem0 get <memory-id>

Update a memory

mem0 update <memory-id> "new text"

Delete a single memory

mem0 delete <memory-id>

Delete all memories for a user

mem0 delete --all --user-id alice --force

Agent / JSON Mode

Use --json or --agent to get structured output suitable for LLM consumption. Every command wraps its response in a standard envelope:

{
  "status": "success",
  "command": "search",
  "duration_ms": 245,
  "scope": { "user_id": "alice" },
  "count": 3,
  "error": null,
  "data": [
    { "id": "mem-abc", "memory": "User prefers dark mode", "score": 0.92 }
  ]
}

On error:

{
  "status": "error",
  "command": "search",
  "error": "Authentication failed. Your API key may be invalid or expired.",
  "data": null
}

The --agent flag is an alias for --json. Both write spinners and progress to stderr so stdout is always clean, parseable JSON.

Node and Python Parity

Both the Node.js (@mem0/cli) and Python (mem0-cli) CLIs are implemented from the same specification (cli-spec.json). They share:

• Identical command names, arguments, and flags
• Identical output formats (text, json, table, quiet)
• Identical entity ID resolution, graph tri-state, filter building
• Identical error messages and exit codes

Choose whichever runtime you already have installed. The behavior is the same.

Common Edge Cases

• Async processing delay: After mem0 add, memories process asynchronously. Wait 2-3 seconds before searching for newly added content. Use mem0 event list to check processing status.
• --all vs --entity delete modes: mem0 delete --all -u alice deletes all memories for user alice. mem0 delete --entity -u alice deletes the entity itself AND all its memories (cascade). These are mutually exclusive modes.
• Entity ID resolution: If you pass any explicit scope flag (e.g. --user-id), the CLI uses ONLY the explicit IDs and ignores config defaults. If no scope flags are given, all configured defaults apply.
• Stdin detection: When no text argument is provided and input is piped (not a TTY), the CLI reads from stdin. Works with add, search, and update.

References

Load these on demand for deeper detail:

Related Mem0 Skills