Your AI Coding Agent Forgets Everything — Fix It With a Free Obsidian Vault

Every AI coding agent loses knowledge from one session to the next. This happens because the agent starts with a clean slate, unaware of previous interactions or preferences. To remedy this, it's recommended to provide the agent with a place to store its memory and ensure that the memory remains healthy. Claude Code is already configured to read CLAUDE.md at the beginning of every session.

The Verified Memory Vault is a compact Obsidian vault that transforms this mechanism into persistent memory. The vault consists of three folders, one boot file, one memory file, and two dependency-free Python scripts that validate the memory instead of assuming it. Setting up the vault takes only ten minutes and is entirely free, licensed under CC BY 4.0. The vault contains:

1. 00_Inbox: All incoming information is initially stored here.

2. 01_Daily: Each session yields a single note documenting the work completed, decisions made, and any blocks encountered.

3. 02_Templates: Includes daily note templates in both English and German, alongside CLAUDE.md, the boot file that every agent reads initially.

4. MEMORY.md: The durable memory where important facts are stored. Facts are added as dated, one-line entries and never rewritten.

5. tools/memory_check.py: A script that assesses the health of the memory, checking for protocol violations, dead links, bloating, and inbox pressure.

6. tools/memory_guard.py: An optional Git pre-commit hook that halts any commit that deletes the agent's memory.

The vault operates on three simple rules: capture everything without sorting, always create a new daily note, and ensure every session ends with a daily note. Durable facts should be migrated to MEMORY.md. Regular self-checking is crucial: run python3 tools/memory_check.py to receive a score, a list of issues, and an exit code that can be used by your continuous integration (CI) or agent loop to address any problems.

If you maintain the vault in Git (which is recommended), the guard hook can prevent mass deletions of MEMORY.md. The entire setup requires no additional plugins or complex configurations. Once installed, Claude Code automatically reads CLAUDE.md; for other agents, point them at the file or copy it to their boot file. After each session, fill in the daily note, promote durable facts to MEMORY.md, and run the memory check once.

This is all there is to the habit. The Verified Memory Vault is not a plugin collection, an autonomous system, or a replacement for your code repository; it is simply a structured method for storing memory about your work. It is free to use and has a CC BY 4.0 license, encouraging its adoption for both personal and commercial use.

Attribution is required. For more information, visit github.com/secondbrainstarter/verified-memory-vault.