VS Code

Edit your knowledge base directly in VS Code -- full syntax highlighting, markdown preview, and the Basic Memory CLI right in your terminal.

Cloud Sync Workflow

Basic Memory Cloud lets you edit locally in VS Code while keeping notes synced to the cloud.

bm cloud login

bm cloud setup

# For a project-specific docs folder
bm project add my-project --local-path ~/workspace/my-project/docs

# Or for a shared knowledge base
bm project add knowledge --local-path ~/Documents/knowledge

# Preview first (recommended)
bm cloud bisync --name my-project --resync --dry-run

# Establish baseline
bm cloud bisync --name my-project --resync

bm cloud bisync --name my-project

Local Setup

If you're running Basic Memory locally (no cloud), setup is simple:

# Install Basic Memory
uv tool install basic-memory

# Add a project pointing to a folder
bm project add my-project --local-path ~/workspace/my-project/docs

Then open that folder in VS Code. That's it -- your markdown files are the knowledge base. Every edit you make is automatically synced to the knowledge graph.

Try It

Edit Files Directly

VS Code is a first-class way to work with Basic Memory notes. Open any markdown file, edit it, save. Basic Memory watches for changes and updates the knowledge graph automatically.

Use split editors to view code on one side and documentation on the other. Use VS Code's built-in search to find content across your knowledge base.

Terminal CLI

Open VS Code's integrated terminal for quick operations:

# Search your knowledge base (including semantic search)
bm tool search-notes --query "authentication flow"
bm tool search-notes --query "how to handle errors" --search-type hybrid

# Check recent activity
bm tool recent-activity --timeframe "2 days"

# Write a quick note
bm tool write-note --title "API Design Decision" --folder "decisions"

Set up aliases in your shell profile (.bashrc, .zshrc, etc.) for faster access:

alias note="bm tool write-note"
alias search="bm tool search-notes --query"
alias recent="bm tool recent-activity"

Copilot Chat with MCP

VS Code's Copilot Chat now supports MCP servers. You can add Basic Memory as an MCP server in your VS Code settings and use it directly through Copilot -- search your knowledge base, write notes, and build context without leaving the chat panel. See the VS Code MCP documentation for setup details.

Troubleshooting

Sync not picking up changes? Check sync status with bm status and verify file permissions in your project directory.

Search missing results? VS Code's built-in search works for text matches. For knowledge graph queries and semantic search, use the CLI: bm tool search-notes --query "your query".

Cloud sync conflicts? Run bm cloud bisync --name my-project --dry-run to preview before syncing. See the Cloud Sync Guide for conflict resolution.

Next Steps