memory-first-workflow

A workflow that checks stored project knowledge before exploring code or answering technical questions. It covers decisions, architecture, conventions, and known conflicts.

In plain words
What is it for?
Use it when answering questions about code, architecture, patterns, or technical choices, and before implementing changes.
Why use it?
It reduces repeated investigation and helps keep answers consistent with earlier project decisions and practices.

Skill for Claude CodeCodex

Install

Getting it into your agent

One page per mod, every tool's command on it. A separate URL per tool would split the same page into five that compete with each other.

agentmods
npx agentmods add skills/codenamev/claude_memory/memory-first-workflow
Any agent
npx skills add codenamev/claude_memory --skill memory-first-workflow
Clone the repo
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/codenamev/claude_memory

Made for: Claude Code, Codex.

Per session 26 Skills are progressive disclosure: only the name and description are preloaded; the body loads when the skill is used.
When invoked 940 The whole file, excluding the scripts and references it only reads on demand.
Security scan A 0 findings. Scan, not verified.
Origin original No closer match found in the catalogue.
Token cost

What it costs to keep this loaded

Counted locally with the o200k_base tokenizer, which is exact for GPT models; Claude uses its own tokenizer and its counts differ. Treat this as one consistent yardstick across the catalogue rather than a bill. Prices are per million input tokens.

ModelPer sessionOnce invoked
Fable 5 $0.00026 $0.00940
Opus 5 $0.00013 $0.00470
Sonnet 5 $0.00005 $0.00188
Haiku 4.5 $0.00003 $0.00094

Measured 2d ago against content hash ac5c32457fbf, method: parsed. Prices are Anthropic first-party input rates as of 2026-08-30, from the pricing page.

Security

Grade A, and why

memory-first-workflow scanned grade A with 0 findings against 26 rules in 11 categories — prompt injection, anti-refusal, data exfiltration, privilege escalation, supply chain, agent snooping, system-prompt leakage, SSRF and excessive agency — measured 2d ago.

A static scan of the body, not an audit. Every finding is printed with the line that produced it so you can judge whether it matters here. A mod is markdown that instructs an agent; that is exactly why what it instructs is worth reading.

Nothing flagged

None of the 26 patterns this scan looks for appear in this file: no shell pipes, no recursive deletes, no credential paths, no hidden text, no instruction-override or anti-refusal phrasing, no agent-config snooping. That is not a guarantee, it is the absence of the things that are checkable.

skills/memory-first-workflow/SKILL.md · 145 lines

How it starts

The opening of the file, as written. The whole thing — 145 lines — stays where its author put it; the contents beside it link to each section on GitHub.

Memory-First Research Pattern

When answering questions about code, architecture, patterns, decisions, or technical choices, follow this workflow:

Step 1: Query Memory First

Before reading files or exploring code, check if memory already has the answer:

memory.recall "<topic>"

Example queries:

  • memory.recall "authentication flow"
  • memory.recall "database choice"
  • memory.recall "error handling patterns"

Step 2: Use Specialized Shortcuts

For specific types of questions, use targeted memory tools:

Before Implementing Features

memory.decisions

Returns architectural decisions and constraints that may affect implementation.

Before Working with Frameworks/Databases

memory.architecture

Returns framework choices, database selection, and architectural patterns.

Before Writing Code

memory.conventions

Returns coding style, naming conventions, and project standards.

If Finding Contradictions

memory.conflicts

Returns open disputes that need resolution.

Step 3: Evaluate Memory Results

If memory has sufficient information:

  • Answer using recalled facts
  • Cite fact IDs or sources: "From memory (fact #42): ..."
  • Avoid unnecessary file reads

If memory has partial information:

  • Share what memory knows
  • Note what needs investigation: "Memory shows we use PostgreSQL, but I need to check the connection pooling setup..."
  • Proceed to file exploration for missing details

If memory has no information:

  • Note explicitly: "Memory has no prior knowledge about [topic]"
  • Proceed to file exploration
  • After learning, consider if this should be stored in memory

Step 4: Explore Code (Only If Needed)

When memory is insufficient, use file exploration tools:

  • Read for specific files
  • Grep for searching content
  • Glob for finding files by pattern
  • Task (Explore agent) for broad investigations

Step 5: Distinguish Sources

When presenting findings, clearly separate:

  • Recalled knowledge: "From memory: We use RSpec for testing"
  • Discovered information: "From code exploration: Found additional test helper in spec/support/"

Read the full file on GitHub · 145 lines

Changes

What this file has done since we first saw it

Hashed on every crawl. A supply-chain change to an agent config is a question of when, not whether, so the history is kept rather than the latest state alone.

  1. 2d ago First seen · 145 lines · 26 tokens per session scan A ac5c32457fbf

Subscribe to this mod's changes

memory-first-workflow is a skill published in the GitHub repository codenamev/claude_memory (24 stars, last pushed 1mo ago), licensed MIT. It adds 26 tokens to every session and 940 once invoked, about $0.0001 per session on Opus 5. A static security scan graded it A with 0 findings. No closer match exists in the catalogue, so it is treated as the original; first seen 2026-08-30.

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