Stack
guardana/guardana
Run and inspect the local pieces of Guardana — the throwaway PostgreSQL for the collector, the collector itself, a fake OpenAI-compatible endpoint to probe, the documentation site served locally…
Runs the Cognee AI memory platform in Docker, from a one-file prebuilt image to a full compose stack with UI, MCP server, Postgres and Neo4j.
Install Cognee Docker Setup
$ npx skills add topoteretes/cognee --skill cognee-docker -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install topoteretes/cognee cognee-docker --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/topoteretes/cognee.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/cognee-docker .claude/skills/cognee-docker && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.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/
Install the "cognee-docker" agent skill from https://github.com/topoteretes/cognee/tree/main/.agents/skills/cognee-docker into .claude/skills/cognee-docker/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cognee-docker", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/topoteretes/cognee/tree/main/.agents/skills/cognee-dockerType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add topoteretes/cognee --skill cognee-docker -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install topoteretes/cognee cognee-docker --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/topoteretes/cognee.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/cognee-docker .agents/skills/cognee-docker && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "cognee-docker" agent skill from https://github.com/topoteretes/cognee/tree/main/.agents/skills/cognee-docker into .agents/skills/cognee-docker/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cognee-docker", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add topoteretes/cognee --skill cognee-docker -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install topoteretes/cognee cognee-docker --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/topoteretes/cognee.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/cognee-docker .cursor/skills/cognee-docker && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "cognee-docker" agent skill from https://github.com/topoteretes/cognee/tree/main/.agents/skills/cognee-docker into .cursor/skills/cognee-docker/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cognee-docker", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/topoteretes/cognee.git --path .agents/skills/cognee-docker--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add topoteretes/cognee --skill cognee-docker -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install topoteretes/cognee cognee-docker --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/topoteretes/cognee.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/cognee-docker .gemini/skills/cognee-docker && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "cognee-docker" agent skill from https://github.com/topoteretes/cognee/tree/main/.agents/skills/cognee-docker into .gemini/skills/cognee-docker/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cognee-docker", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install topoteretes/cognee cognee-dockerInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add topoteretes/cognee --skill cognee-docker -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/topoteretes/cognee.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/cognee-docker .github/skills/cognee-docker && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "cognee-docker" agent skill from https://github.com/topoteretes/cognee/tree/main/.agents/skills/cognee-docker into .github/skills/cognee-docker/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cognee-docker", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add topoteretes/cognee --skill cognee-docker -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install topoteretes/cognee cognee-docker --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/topoteretes/cognee.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/cognee-docker .opencode/skills/cognee-docker && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "cognee-docker" agent skill from https://github.com/topoteretes/cognee/tree/main/.agents/skills/cognee-docker into .opencode/skills/cognee-docker/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cognee-docker", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
cognee-docker- GitHub stars
- 32k
- Token cost
- ~901 tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 271 words
- Files
- 1
- Skills in repo
- 19
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
At a glance
Runs the Cognee AI memory platform in Docker, from a one-file prebuilt image to a full compose stack with UI, MCP server, Postgres and Neo4j.
- Trying Cognee locally without cloning or building the repository
- SKILL.md covers Fastest path: prebuilt image,…, Full stack from the repo and Gotchas
- Calls docker and curl; needs LLM_API_KEY
- Starting the Cognee API server in a container
What it does
Two ways to start Cognee are covered. The quick one needs no clone or build: save the short docker-compose.yml from the repository's minimal compose guide into an empty folder, export an OpenAI key as LLM_API_KEY, run docker compose up and check the health endpoint on port 8000. An interactive API reference is served at /docs. The first calls are a remember request that ingests a file and builds the graph in one step, and a recall request that takes the question as query.
Recall routes the query automatically when no search type is passed, with HYBRID_COMPLETION as the fallback, or you can pin a strategy such as GRAPH_COMPLETION. The older add, cognify and search endpoints still exist, and improve and forget complete the memory API. Data stays inside the container unless you set DATA_ROOT_DIRECTORY and SYSTEM_ROOT_DIRECTORY and mount a named volume.
The full stack uses the repository's own docker-compose.yml, which builds from source and needs a .env with at least LLM_API_KEY. Opt-in profiles add a frontend on port 3000, an MCP server on port 8001, and Postgres with pgvector and Neo4j containers. The excerpt ends partway through the database profile details.
When your agent uses it
- Trying Cognee locally without cloning or building the repository
- Starting the Cognee API server in a container
- Bringing up the UI, MCP server, Postgres and Neo4j through compose profiles
- Keeping Cognee data across container restarts with a named volume
Example prompts
- “Get Cognee running in Docker so I can try it, then check the health endpoint.”
- “Start the full Cognee stack with the UI and the MCP server using the compose profiles.”
- “Ingest ./note.txt into Cognee through the remember endpoint and then ask it what the note says.”
Requirements
- Docker with docker compose
- An OpenAI API key set as LLM_API_KEY
- A .env file copied from .env.template for the full stack
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 0ec7a9f. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
Shell commands in SKILL.md call:
dockercurl
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use docker and curl, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names these keys or tokens, usually read from environment variables:
LLM_API_KEY
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Cognee Docker Setup loads about 901 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 61 tokens; SKILL.md has 271 words of instructions outside code blocks.
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.
- NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:68
profiles. From the repo root (needs a `.env` with at least `LLM_API_KEY`;
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 topoteretes/cognee at commit 0ec7a9f, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© topoteretes). 271 words, ~901 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/cognee-docker/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).- name
- cognee-docker
- description
- Use when the user wants to run cognee with Docker or docker compose — trying it out from the prebuilt image, starting the API server in a container, or bringing up the full stack (UI, MCP, Postgres, Neo4j) with compose profiles.
Start cognee from the Docker image
Fastest path: prebuilt image, one file
For a local try-out, do NOT clone or build anything. Follow
docs/minimal-docker-compose.md: save this as docker-compose.yml in an
empty directory:
services:
cognee:
image: cognee/cognee:main
ports:
- "8000:8000"
environment:
LLM_API_KEY: ${LLM_API_KEY:?set LLM_API_KEY to your OpenAI API key}
# Single-user try-out: no auth, shared local databases.
ENABLE_BACKEND_ACCESS_CONTROL: "false"Then:
export LLM_API_KEY="sk-..." # OpenAI key (default LLM + embedding provider)
docker compose up
curl http://localhost:8000/healthInteractive API reference: http://localhost:8000/docs. First requests:
echo "Cognee turns documents into AI memory." > note.txt
# remember = ingest + build the graph in one call (multipart form)
curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/api/v1/remember -F "data=@note.txt" -F "datasetName=main_dataset"
# recall = query it (JSON)
curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/api/v1/recall -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"query": "What does Cognee do?", "datasets": ["main_dataset"]}'/api/v1/recall takes the question as query. Omit search_type (or pass
null) and the query is auto-routed by the same rule-based router the SDK
recall() uses, with HYBRID_COMPLETION as the fallback; pass a value such as
"search_type": "GRAPH_COMPLETION" to pin a strategy. The rule table is in
docs/recall-vs-search.md.
Request DTOs accept both snake_case and camelCase for every field
(alias_generator=to_camel + populate_by_name in cognee/api/DTO.py), so
search_type and searchType are equally valid.
The legacy /api/v1/add + /api/v1/cognify + /api/v1/search endpoints still
exist and are what remember/recall call underneath; use them only when you
need a single stage on its own. /api/v1/improve and /api/v1/forget complete
the memory API.
Data lives inside the container by default. To persist it, set
DATA_ROOT_DIRECTORY=/cognee-data/data and
SYSTEM_ROOT_DIRECTORY=/cognee-data/system and mount a named volume at
/cognee-data (full example in docs/minimal-docker-compose.md).
Full stack from the repo
The repository's docker-compose.yml builds from source and adds opt-in
profiles. From the repo root (needs a .env with at least LLM_API_KEY;
copy .env.template):
docker compose up # API server only, port 8000
docker compose --profile ui up # + frontend on port 3000
docker compose --profile mcp up # + MCP server on port 8001
docker compose --profile postgres --profile neo4j up # + databasesPostgres profile: pgvector/pg17, user/password/db cognee/cognee/cognee_db
on 5432. Neo4j profile: neo4j/pleaseletmein on 7474/7687. When cognee runs
in a container and the database on the host, use DB_HOST=host.docker.internal.
Gotchas
- With
ENABLE_BACKEND_ACCESS_CONTROLunset (defaults to true), every API call requires authentication — the single-user try-out sets it tofalse. - The image defaults to OpenAI for both LLM and embeddings; configuring only one of them leaves the other on OpenAI, so keep a valid OpenAI key or configure both (see the cognee-integrations skill).
© topoteretes, 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 .agents/skills/cognee-docker of topoteretes/cognee.
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 0ec7a9f
Compare with similar skills
Cognee Docker Setup 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.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognee Docker Setup this skilltopoteretes/cognee | 32k | — | ~901 | Automated safety check: Notes | Apache-2.0 | |
| Stackguardana/guardana | 130 | — | ~568 | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Agentdock User Guideuvwt/agentdock | 1.2k | — | ~1.6k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Docker Agent Deploydocker/skills | 547 | — | ~1.9k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Agent RecallGoldentrii/AgentRecall-X | 371 | — | ~5.2k | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT | |
| Cauracaura-ai/caura | 545 | — | ~6.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 |
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Related
Categories
Questions about Cognee Docker Setup
What does Cognee Docker Setup do?
Runs the Cognee AI memory platform in Docker, from a one-file prebuilt image to a full compose stack with UI, MCP server, Postgres and Neo4j. Two ways to start Cognee are covered.yml from the repository's minimal compose guide into an empty folder, export an OpenAI key as LLM_API_KEY, run docker compose up and check the health endpoint on port 8000.
When should I use Cognee Docker Setup?
Cognee Docker Setup fits situations like: trying Cognee locally without cloning or building the repository; starting the Cognee API server in a container; bringing up the UI, MCP server, Postgres and Neo4j through compose profiles; keeping Cognee data across container restarts with a named volume.
How do I install Cognee Docker Setup in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add topoteretes/cognee --skill cognee-docker -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/cognee-docker in topoteretes/cognee) into .claude/skills/cognee-docker in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Cognee Docker Setup in Codex?
Run `npx skills add topoteretes/cognee --skill cognee-docker -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/cognee-docker in topoteretes/cognee) into .agents/skills/cognee-docker in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Cognee Docker Setup 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 topoteretes/cognee --skill cognee-docker -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/cognee-docker, .gemini/skills/cognee-docker, .github/skills/cognee-docker and .opencode/skills/cognee-docker in your project.
What does Cognee Docker Setup need to run?
Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Cognee Docker Setup needs the command-line tools its instructions call (docker and curl) and credentials named LLM_API_KEY. Our summary lists: Docker with docker compose; An OpenAI API key set as LLM_API_KEY; A .env file copied from .env.template for the full stack.
Does Cognee Docker Setup access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use docker and curl, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Cognee Docker Setup safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found notes only (mentions a .env file), nothing it rates as a warning. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does Cognee Docker Setup use?
Cognee Docker Setup 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 Cognee Docker Setup use?
About 901 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 3.6k 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 Cognee Docker Setup?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Cognee Docker Setup: Stack (guardana/guardana, 130 stars), Agentdock User Guide (uvwt/agentdock, 1.2k stars), Docker Agent Deploy (docker/skills, 547 stars) and Agent Recall (Goldentrii/AgentRecall-X, 371 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Cognee Docker Setup?
topoteretes (a GitHub organization) maintains it in topoteretes/cognee, which has 31,807 GitHub stars. The repository holds 19 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 9, 2026.
Source: topoteretes/cognee on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.