Give GitHub Copilot CLI a memory you own.
Local, persistent, human-readable memory with explicit commands and no server, database, telemetry, or network calls.
Memories are plain Markdown files you can inspect, edit, back up, or delete. It is especially useful when your organisation disables GitHub's managed Copilot Memory but still permits local extensions and custom instructions.
Important
/memory (singular) is GitHub's built-in command and only accepts
on, off, or show. This extension uses /memories (plural) to list or
search locally stored caveats.
Requires GitHub Copilot CLI with plugin support, experimental extensions enabled, and Node.js 20 or newer.
copilot plugin install shankarnarayanb/copilot-cli-local-memory
copilot --experimental
The plugin bundles the extension directly. There is no separate npm install,
database, server, or runtime dependency to configure.
Inside Copilot CLI, confirm that both the plugin and extension are available:
/plugin list
/extensions manage
Then save your first caveat:
/remember When the Saviynt access token expires, refresh it once and retry.
/memories Saviynt
Remove the old extension copy before installing the plugin so Copilot does not load the same commands twice. The uninstall script keeps your saved memories.
Windows PowerShell:
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File ./uninstall.ps1
copilot plugin install shankarnarayanb/copilot-cli-local-memorymacOS or Linux:
sh uninstall.sh
copilot plugin install shankarnarayanb/copilot-cli-local-memoryIf your Copilot CLI version does not yet support plugins, the original scripts can still place the extension in Copilot's documented user extension directory.
git clone https://github.com/shankarnarayanb/copilot-cli-local-memory.git
cd copilot-cli-local-memory
sh install.sh
copilot --experimentalgit clone https://github.com/shankarnarayanb/copilot-cli-local-memory.git
Set-Location copilot-cli-local-memory
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File ./install.ps1
copilot --experimentalInside Copilot CLI, confirm that the extension is running:
/extensions manage
The installer copies only extension.mjs and memory-store.mjs to
~/.copilot/extensions/local-memory/. It respects COPILOT_HOME when that
environment variable is set and backs up an existing installation before
replacing it.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/remember <caveat> |
Saves a caveat for future sessions |
/remember --scope "src/**/*.ts" <caveat> |
Saves a caveat for matching files only |
/memories |
Lists all local memories |
/memories <search> |
Finds memories by ID, text, or file scope |
/forget <ID> |
Deletes one exact memory |
/forget <unique text> |
Deletes a memory only when the text identifies one result |
Examples:
/remember Always run deploy-tool with --dry-run before production.
/remember For acme-api, a 404 may mean propagation is incomplete; retry once.
/remember --scope "src/**/*.ts" Use Zod rather than Joi for validation.
/memories
/memories deploy-tool
/forget a1b2c3d4e5
You can also ask Copilot naturally:
Save this caveat to local memory: run deploy-tool with --dry-run first.
Check local memory for caveats about deploy-tool.
Natural-language requests use the extension tools
local_memory_remember and local_memory_recall. Copilot decides whether to
call a tool and may ask for permission. Use the slash commands when you want
deterministic behaviour.
After /remember or /forget, start a new session with /new before relying
on automatic instruction loading. The command result is immediate, but Copilot
CLI loads custom instructions when a session starts.
Equivalent memories are stored only once. Repeating the same save request
returns the existing memory ID instead of creating another file. Deletion by
text is also ambiguity-safe: when several entries match, /forget asks you to
choose an exact ID.
flowchart TD
A["/remember caveat"] --> B["Validate and reject secrets"]
B --> C["Write one .instructions.md file"]
C --> D["~/.copilot/instructions/local-memory/"]
D --> E["Copilot loads matching instructions next session"]
F["/memories query"] --> G["Local term ranking"]
G --> D
H["/forget ID"] --> D
Every caveat is stored as a separate modular custom-instruction file:
~/.copilot/instructions/local-memory/*.instructions.md
If COPILOT_HOME is set, the files are stored beneath that directory instead.
A generated file looks like this:
---
applyTo: "**"
---
<!-- copilot-local-memory {"id":"c440aa82dd", ...} -->
When the Saviynt access token expires, refresh it once and retry.The applyTo glob lets Copilot load a rule only for relevant files. Explicit
search uses deterministic term ranking: there are no embeddings, external
services, background processes, or hidden databases. Deletion is ambiguity-safe;
if text matches more than one entry, nothing is deleted until you supply an ID.
This does not imitate or bypass GitHub's server-side Memory service. It combines two documented Copilot CLI mechanisms: user extensions provide commands and tools, while modular custom instructions provide cross-session context.
The extension itself is offline and makes no network calls. However, when a stored instruction applies, GitHub Copilot CLI can include its text in the prompt sent to the model, just like any other custom instruction.
- Do not store passwords, tokens, private keys, regulated data, or customer data.
- The extension blocks several common credential formats, but no detector is perfect.
- Store a rule for obtaining a credential, never the credential value itself.
- Enterprise policy may disable extensions or custom instructions. This project does not bypass organisation policy.
| Capability | GitHub Copilot Memory | This extension |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | GitHub-managed | Plain files on your machine |
| Explicit save command | Agent-managed memory tool | /remember |
| Inspect entries | GitHub settings | /memories or open the files |
| Delete entries | GitHub settings | /forget |
| Works when Memory policy is disabled | No | Yes, if extensions and instructions are permitted |
| Automatic expiry | May expire | No automatic expiry |
The storage idea can be extended to other coding agents, but this repository is deliberately Copilot CLI-only for now.
| Agent | Native mechanism available today | Why this extension is not copied directly |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot CLI | Extensions plus modular instructions | Supported by this project |
| Codex | Built-in /memories and global/project AGENTS.md |
Copilot extensions do not run in Codex, and Codex already has native memory |
| Claude Code | Auto memory, /memory, CLAUDE.md, and modular rules |
Claude already stores and recalls plain-Markdown memory natively |
A future multi-agent edition should keep a neutral local store and generate a small adapter for each agent. It should not make Copilot, Codex, and Claude read one vendor-specific file directly because their loading, scoping, precedence, and lifecycle rules differ. It would also need conflict detection so the same rule cannot silently disagree with an agent's native memory.
For now, use each agent's native memory when it is available. This extension solves the specific gap where corporate policy removes Copilot's native Memory tool but still permits local extensions and custom instructions.
You used GitHub's singular built-in command. Search this extension's memories with the plural command:
/memories Saviynt
Start Copilot with copilot --experimental, or run /experimental on. Then
open /extensions manage and ensure extensions are not set to Disabled.
Inspect its status in /extensions manage. Extension logs are under
~/.copilot/logs/extensions/ (or the equivalent COPILOT_HOME path).
Start a new session, run /instructions, and confirm the generated instruction
file was discovered. Use /context to inspect the custom-instruction portion of
the active context.
The project uses only Node.js built-ins at runtime. Run all tests with:
npm testFor a plugin installation:
copilot plugin uninstall copilot-cli-local-memory
Saved memories are kept by default, so reinstalling the plugin restores access
to them. Delete individual entries with /forget before uninstalling if you do
not want to retain them.
For an installation made with the legacy scripts:
sh uninstall.shTo remove the extension and all saved memories:
sh uninstall.sh --purge-memoriespowershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File ./uninstall.ps1To remove the extension and all saved memories:
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File ./uninstall.ps1 -PurgeMemoriesBoth uninstallers respect COPILOT_HOME.
The project's design scope, public release chronology, and relationship to
earlier Copilot memory proposals are recorded in
Design and provenance. Machine-readable citation
metadata is available in CITATION.cff. Release v1.1.2 is
archived by Zenodo and
Software Heritage.
Created and maintained by Shankar Balakrishna.
Released under the MIT Licence. Copyright © 2026 Shankar Balakrishna.