Agent skill

Mem Search

by softspark in softspark/ai-toolkit

Search past coding sessions using natural language. An agent skill from softspark/ai-toolkit.

Apache-2.0Auto-check: notesAgent Workflows

Install Mem Search

skills CLI
$ npx skills add softspark/ai-toolkit --skill mem-search -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install softspark/ai-toolkit mem-search --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/softspark/ai-toolkit.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/app/plugins/memory-pack/skills/mem-search .claude/skills/mem-search && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
mem-search
GitHub stars
179
Token cost
~584 tokens
SKILL.md length
172 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
112
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
Apache-2.0

At a glance

Search past coding sessions using natural language. An agent skill from softspark/ai-toolkit.

  • Works in 5 steps: Parse the search query from $ARGUMENTS.… → Initialize the database if it does not… → Run the FTS5 search against the… → …
  • Agent Workflows work in your project
  • SKILL.md covers How It Works, Instructions and Query Tips
  • Calls python3 and sqlite3

What it does

Mem Search is an agent skill from softspark/ai-toolkit. Search past coding sessions using natural language. Finds relevant observations, decisions, and context from previous work.

Its SKILL.md is about 580 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Agent Workflows. The repository describes itself as: Professional-grade AI coding toolkit: 94 skills, 44 agents, multi-platform (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, Copilot, Gemini, Cline, Roo Code, Aider, Augment, Antigravity, Codex CLI… The licence is Apache-2.0.

When your agent uses it

  • Agent Workflows work in your project

Example prompts

  • “/mem-search”

Requirements

  • Python 3
  • Pre-approved tools (allowed-tools): Bash, Read

Workflow steps

5 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Parse the search query from $ARGUMENTS. If empty, prompt the user for a query.
  2. Initialize the database if it does not exist
  3. Run the FTS5 search against the observations table
  4. Progressive disclosure -- present results in two stages
  5. If no results found, suggest

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit d64db2b. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves these tools, so the agent can use them without asking each time:

    • Bash
    • Read

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • python3
    • sqlite3

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Mem Search loads about 584 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 34 tokens; SKILL.md has 172 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~34
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~584

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check: notes

The automated check noted patterns worth knowing about, such as sudo or a known installer.

  • NotePre-approves every shell command (allowed-tools: Bash)SKILL.md
    allowed-tools: Bash, Read

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from softspark/ai-toolkit at commit d64db2b, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© softspark). 172 words, ~584 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/mem-search/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
mem-search
description
Search past coding sessions using natural language. Finds relevant observations, decisions, and context from previous work.
allowed-tools
Bash, Read
effort
medium
argument-hint
[search query]
user-invocable
true

Search Session Memory

Search the persistent memory database for past coding observations, decisions, and context.

$ARGUMENTS

How It Works

This skill queries the SQLite FTS5 full-text search index at ~/.softspark/ai-toolkit/memory.db to find relevant observations from past sessions.

Instructions

  1. Parse the search query from $ARGUMENTS. If empty, prompt the user for a query.

  2. Initialize the database if it does not exist:

    bash
    python3 "$HOME/.softspark/ai-toolkit/hooks/../plugins/memory-pack/scripts/init_db.py" 2>/dev/null || true
  3. Run the FTS5 search against the observations table:

    bash
    sqlite3 ~/.softspark/ai-toolkit/memory.db "
      SELECT o.id, o.session_id, o.tool_name, o.content, o.created_at,
             s.project_dir, s.summary
      FROM observations_fts fts
      JOIN observations o ON o.id = fts.rowid
      LEFT JOIN sessions s ON s.session_id = o.session_id
      WHERE observations_fts MATCH '<query>'
      ORDER BY rank
      LIMIT 10;
    "

    Replace <query> with the user's search terms. Escape single quotes by doubling them.

  4. Progressive disclosure -- present results in two stages:

    Stage 1: Summary view (show first)

    markdown
    ## Memory Search: "<query>"
    
    Found N results across M sessions.
    
    | # | Session | Project | Tool | Time | Preview |
    |---|---------|---------|------|------|---------|
    | 1 | abc123  | /path   | Edit | 2025-01-15 | First 80 chars... |

    Stage 2: Detail view (on request) Show the full observation content, session summary, and related observations from the same session.

  5. If no results found, suggest:

    • Trying broader search terms
    • Checking if memory-pack hooks are installed
    • Running init-db.sh if the database is missing

Query Tips

  • Use simple keywords: mem-search database migration
  • FTS5 supports prefix matching: migrat* matches "migration", "migrate"
  • Boolean operators: database AND NOT test
  • Column filters: tool_name:Edit to search only Edit tool observations

© softspark, Apache-2.0. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in app/plugins/memory-pack/skills/mem-search of softspark/ai-toolkit.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit d64db2b

Compare with similar skills

Mem Search next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Mem Search compared with similar skills
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Mem Search this skillsoftspark/ai-toolkit179—~584Automated safety check: NotesApache-2.0
MCP Server Builderanthropics/skills180k64 repos~2.3kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Hook Development for Claude Code Pluginsanthropics/claude-plugins-official38k11 repos~4.1kAutomated safety check: NotesApache-2.0
Using Superpowersfarm-fe/farm5.6k35 repos~1.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Executing Plans Inlineobra/superpowers296k2 repos~5.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Claude Code Agent Developmentanthropics/claude-plugins-official38k8 repos~2.8kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0

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Categories

Questions about Mem Search

What does Mem Search do?

Search past coding sessions using natural language. An agent skill from softspark/ai-toolkit. Mem Search is an agent skill from softspark/ai-toolkit. Search past coding sessions using natural language.

When should I use Mem Search?

Mem Search fits situations like: agent Workflows work in your project.

How do I install Mem Search in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add softspark/ai-toolkit --skill mem-search -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (app/plugins/memory-pack/skills/mem-search in softspark/ai-toolkit) into .claude/skills/mem-search in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Mem Search in Codex?

Run `npx skills add softspark/ai-toolkit --skill mem-search -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (app/plugins/memory-pack/skills/mem-search in softspark/ai-toolkit) into .agents/skills/mem-search in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Mem Search in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add softspark/ai-toolkit --skill mem-search -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/mem-search, .gemini/skills/mem-search, .github/skills/mem-search and .opencode/skills/mem-search in your project.

What does Mem Search need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Mem Search needs the command-line tools its instructions call (python3 and sqlite3). Our summary lists: Python 3. Its frontmatter pre-approves these tools: Bash, Read.

Does Mem Search access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Mem Search safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found notes only (pre-approves every shell command (allowed-tools: bash)), nothing it rates as a warning. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Mem Search use?

Mem Search is published under the Apache-2.0 licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Mem Search use?

About 584 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 2.3k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Mem Search?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Mem Search: MCP Server Builder (anthropics/skills, 180k stars), Hook Development for Claude Code Plugins (anthropics/claude-plugins-official, 38k stars), Using Superpowers (farm-fe/farm, 5.6k stars) and Executing Plans Inline (obra/superpowers, 296k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Mem Search?

softspark (a GitHub user) maintains it in softspark/ai-toolkit, which has 179 GitHub stars. The repository holds 112 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 7, 2026.

Source: softspark/ai-toolkit on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.