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Configuration

Agent Memory uses the same configuration model across the CLI and Web UI.

API Key

Get a Backboard API key from Backboard (see Backboard documentation for API keys and setup).

Set the API key:

agent-memory config set api-key <your-api-key>

Assistant ID (Memory Bank ID)

Assistant ID is the Backboard assistant identifier used to group memories in a single memory bank.

You can set it explicitly:

agent-memory config set assistant-id <assistant-id>

Or let Agent Memory create one automatically on your first successful add operation if it is missing.

That automatic path is only used by add. Commands such as search, get, list, update, delete, and stats require an assistant ID to already exist. status is the exception: it only needs an API key plus the operation ID.

View Current Configuration

agent-memory config show

Clear Configuration

agent-memory config clear

Use --global or --local to target a specific config file.

Resolution Priority

Configuration resolves in this order (highest first):

  1. command-line arguments (core resolver capability used by embedded/programmatic usage)
  2. environment variables
  3. local config file
  4. global config file

Note: the current public agent-memory CLI commands do not expose direct --api-key or --assistant-id flags. For CLI usage, set values through config set or environment variables.

Environment variables:

  • BACKBOARD_API_KEY
  • BACKBOARD_ASSISTANT_ID

Configuration File Locations

  • Local: .agent-memory/config.json in your current working directory
  • Global (macOS/Linux): ~/.config/agent-memory/config.json
  • Global (Windows): %APPDATA%\agent-memory\config.json