Recall Markdown Memory

Retrieve only relevant sections from Markdown memory, project notes, decision logs, and heading-structured knowledge bases with the mdselect CLI. Use when Codex needs to recall prior context, decisions, preferences, or history from user-specified memory files, paths declared by project instructions, MEMORY.md, memory/, or .agents/memory/. Use only in a shell-enabled environment with mdselect on PATH; do not use for modifying memory or searching non-Markdown files.

Retrieve the smallest Markdown sections that answer the task. Keep the workflow read-only and avoid loading entire memory files when heading-aware selection is available.

Check the dependency

1. Run mdselect --version before reading memory.

2. If the command is unavailable, stop the workflow and explain that mdselect must be installed on PATH. Do not install software automatically.

3. Offer these installation choices:

   bash

   pipx install mdselect
   uv tool install mdselect
   python -m pip install mdselect
   

4. If none of those package managers or a compatible Python runtime is available, say that the execution environment must be prepared before this skill can run. Resume only after mdselect --version succeeds.

Resolve memory sources

Use the first applicable source in this order:

1. Files or directories named by the user.
2. Memory locations declared by applicable AGENTS.md or other project instructions.
3. Existing conventional locations: MEMORY.md, memory/**/*.md, and .agents/memory/**/*.md.

Do not scan every Markdown file in the repository by default. When a source is a directory, narrow candidates with the task's distinctive terms. Prefer rg when it is available, but use another available file-search capability when it is not. Keep only Markdown candidates.

Retrieve relevant sections

1. Run mdselect outline <file> for each promising candidate before reading a large file in full.
2. Choose the smallest heading path that covers the needed context.
3. Run mdselect select --mpath '<mpath>' <file> and inspect the selected subtree. Quote paths safely for the active shell.
4. Prefer exact, anchored segments when heading names are known. Remember that mpath segments are Python regular expressions, a leading slash anchors the first segment to an H1, a trailing slash omits the matched heading, and a slash cannot occur inside a segment. Run mdselect select -h when more syntax detail is needed.
5. Repeat selection only for additional sections needed to answer the task. Do not surface or load unrelated subtrees.

Treat empty standard output with status 0 as a successful no-match. Consult the outline and refine the mpath instead of reporting a command failure. If the outline is empty, the document may lack supported ATX headings. Fall back to a bounded line search, and read the whole document only when it is small enough for the task context.

Use recalled context safely

• Cite the source file and selected heading when presenting recalled material.
• Reconcile conflicting memories explicitly instead of silently choosing one.
• Treat memory as contextual evidence, not as authority for facts that may have changed; verify current facts through an appropriate current source.
• Follow the user's current request and applicable project instructions when they conflict with stored memory.
• Never create, edit, reorganize, or delete memory files under this skill.