cogitlog
v0.6.1
Published
Semantic memory protocol for AI agents working in codebases
Readme
cogitlog
Semantic session memory for AI agents working in codebases.
cogitlog records what an AI agent did, decided, and why — stored alongside git history so future agents (and humans) can understand not just what changed but why.
Install
npm install -g cogitlogQuick start
# In your project
cogitlog init
# At the start of every AI task
cogitlog begin "add dark mode toggle"
# During the task
cogitlog note "using CSS custom properties, not a theme provider"
cogitlog decision "store preference in localStorage, not a cookie" \
-a "cookie:overkill for a UI-only setting"
cogitlog attempt "toggling class on <html>" --outcome failed \
--reason "SSR mismatch on first render"
cogitlog uncertainty "not sure if prefers-color-scheme should override manual toggle"
# At the end
cogitlog close --outcome completedCommands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| init | Initialize .cogitlog/ in the current directory |
| remindme | Append cogitlog reminder to agent instruction files (CLAUDE.md, etc.) |
| begin "<intent>" | Open a new session |
| note "<text>" | Add a free-form note |
| decision "<text>" | Record a decision (supports --alternative "option:reason") |
| attempt "<text>" --outcome <succeeded\|failed\|partial> | Record an attempt and its outcome |
| uncertainty "<text>" | Flag something you are not sure about |
| close --outcome <completed\|partial\|abandoned\|interrupted> | Close the current session |
| log | List recent sessions |
| show [session-id] | Show full detail of a session |
| why <file> | Show decisions that touched a file |
| query "<text>" | Search sessions by intent / outcome note |
| status | Show the current session status |
| onboard | Print usage instructions (useful to paste into agent context) |
| hook install | Install a post-commit hook that auto-closes sessions on git commit |
| repair | Rebuild index.jsonl from session files |
How it works
cogitlog init creates a .cogitlog/ directory with:
index.jsonl— lightweight index of all sessions (intent, outcome, files touched)sessions/<id>.jsonl— full event log per sessionAGENTS.md— instructions for agents that discover the directory
It also appends a usage reminder to any existing agent instruction files it finds (CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, GEMINI.md, .cursorrules, etc.).
Sessions are plain JSONL files — no server, no database.
Integrating with your agent workflow
After cogitlog init, agents that read CLAUDE.md (or equivalent) will see the reminder automatically. For projects where cogitlog was initialized without an instruction file, run:
cogitlog remindmeThis appends the reminder to any existing instruction files, or creates CLAUDE.md if none are found.
License
MIT
