# Memory & context

> How Hermes remembers, what it forgets, and where each kind of knowledge should live.

Canonical: https://hermeswatcher.com/topics/memory

Memory is the most asked-about part of Hermes. It has several layers that do different jobs: compact persistent memory, project context files, searchable past sessions, optional external memory providers, and ordinary files you keep yourself. Knowing which layer holds what is the difference between an agent that recovers your project next week and one that starts from zero.

## Guides, tools and workflows

- [Carry project knowledge into the next session](https://hermeswatcher.com/workflows/project-knowledge.md): Keep decisions, source material, and next actions in durable project records that an agent can actually recover.
- [Persistent memory: retain compact working knowledge](https://hermeswatcher.com/tools/memory.md): Retain stable preferences and environment facts across sessions while keeping detailed evidence in durable project records.
- [Context files: give a project durable instructions](https://hermeswatcher.com/tools/context-files.md): Keep project rules, conventions, and operating boundaries in files that Hermes can discover from the working directory.
- [External memory providers: deeper long-term recall](https://hermeswatcher.com/tools/memory-providers.md): Add one external memory backend, such as Honcho, Mem0, Hindsight or Supermemory, on top of Hermes's built-in memory.
- [Hermes Agent memory vs context files vs project notes](https://hermeswatcher.com/learn/memory-context-and-project-records.md): Choose where a fact belongs so a future session can recover it without carrying your entire project in every prompt.
- [Hermes Agent memory not carrying over between sessions](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/memory-did-not-persist.md): Check the actual write, profile and session boundary before adding more reminders to the prompt.
- [Hermes Agent ignoring your project instructions](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/project-instructions-not-loaded.md): Verify the active directory, chosen context file and loading evidence before rewriting the rules.
- [How Hermes Agent memory works (and where it stops)](https://hermeswatcher.com/learn/how-hermes-memory-works.md): A plain-English tour of Hermes's two built-in memory files, the frozen snapshot they load into, their hard size limits, and when an external memory provider or session search is the better tool.
- [Hermes Agent sessions: search and resume past work](https://hermeswatcher.com/learn/sessions-and-session-search.md): How Hermes stores every conversation, how to name, resume, export and prune sessions, and how the agent searches its own history.
- [Hermes Agent forgets things mid-conversation](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/forgets-mid-conversation.md): Why a long Hermes session can lose earlier details after context compression, and how to keep the important parts in view.

## Questions

- [How does Hermes remember things between sessions?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#how-does-memory-work)
- [How much can Hermes remember? Is there a limit?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#memory-size-limits)
- [How do I see, correct or reset what Hermes remembers, and does deleting it make it forget for good?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#view-or-edit-memory)
- [I told Hermes to remember something and it forgot. Why?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#told-it-to-remember-but-it-forgot)
- [Can I use Honcho, Mem0 or another memory service?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#external-memory-providers)
- [Can Hermes search my old conversations?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#session-search)
- [How do I continue a previous conversation?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#resume-a-session)
- [What are AGENTS.md and other context files?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#context-files-agents-md)
- [SOUL.md, USER.md, MEMORY.md or AGENTS.md: which file should I edit, and how should I structure them?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#which-file-to-edit)
- [Why does Hermes lose track in long sessions, and what does “context is over the compression threshold” mean?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#long-session-losing-track)
- [How do I hand Hermes a file, a git diff or a web page in my message?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#attach-files-context-references)
- [Do profiles share memory, and can two agents share the same memory?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#shared-memory-multiple-agents)
- [Which memory setup should I use: built-in, Honcho, Hindsight, Mem0, Obsidian or something else?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#which-memory-setup)
- [When should I start a new session instead of continuing, and how do I clean up old ones?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#new-session-or-resume)
- [Can Hermes share memory with Claude Code, Codex or other agents?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#share-memory-with-claude-code)

All answers: https://hermeswatcher.com/faq.md

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HermesWatcher is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Nous Research. The [official Hermes Agent documentation](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs) and [repository](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent) from Nous Research are the authority; each page here lists the official sources it was written from. If this site and the official docs disagree, trust the official docs. Index for agents: https://hermeswatcher.com/llms.txt