Memory Hygiene

Preserve useful evidence without turning past output into new authority.

Storage contract

Before writing, establish the permitted trigger, destination, owner, scope, and update mechanism. Follow host and user rules: task completion, an inferred preference, or a correction is not automatically permission to persist it. Where writes require an explicit request, keep unrequested observations in working context.

Separate transient task state from facts intended to survive the task. Keep durable entries focused on one retrievable topic; preserve the source, relevant version/date, and uncertainty. Do not assume every backend has the same tiers, document limits, or retention.

• Store only the minimum information needed for the authorized purpose.
• Keep credentials, tokens, and secrets out of memory. Store personal details only within the authorized purpose and scope.
• Record a fact once and link to its canonical entry instead of duplicating it across summaries.
• On correction, use the supported update mechanism. Replace a mutable entry or explicitly supersede it in an append-only store; do not silently leave conflicting entries equally current.
• Do not delete source records, versions, or archives as routine consolidation.

Retrieval

Use the smallest relevant index or scoped search when prior project decisions could affect the task. Skip retrieval for self-contained questions.