CLI: service and health
Use these commands before debugging query, TUI, watcher, MCP, or embedding behavior. Most symptoms start with one of three causes: the service is not reachable, config points at the wrong service, or PostgreSQL/pgvector is not ready.
| Command | Writes | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
memory service | Mixed | Run or manage the HTTP backend and web UI. |
memory status | No | Show aggregate diagnostic status for a project. |
memory doctor | No | Inspect config, database, service, tools, and environment. |
memory health | No | Check backend API health. |
memory watcher | Mixed | Inspect and flush automation state. |
memory service
The service hosts the HTTP API, web UI, and optional Streamable HTTP MCP route.
memory service run
memory service enable --dry-run
memory service status
memory service enable
memory service disable
memory service restart-all
memory service ensure-api-tokenmemory service run is a foreground command. A development cargo run --bin memory -- service run should not daemonize itself. Packaged installs use systemd on Linux or launchd on macOS for background operation.
Development defaults commonly use 127.0.0.1:4250; packaged installs commonly use 127.0.0.1:4040. Check your config and memory service status instead of assuming a port.
memory status
Use status for a combined project-level view.
memory status --project memory
memory status --project memory --jsonStatus is the fastest single command for checking service reachability, project config, watcher state, MCP status, and common doctor diagnostics.
memory doctor
Doctor performs a deeper environment inspection.
memory doctor
memory doctor --project memory
memory doctor --json
memory doctor --fixRun it after config edits, package upgrades, database migrations, token changes, or provider changes.
memory health
Use health to confirm the backend responds; use memory status to confirm the expected project has data.
memory healthIf health is green but a project command is empty or unauthorized, verify the project slug and credential with memory status --project <slug> and memory doctor --project <slug>.
memory watcher
Watchers inspect background work and can flush queued work when supported.
memory watcher --help
memory watcher status --project memoryTreat memory watcher flush as a write operation. Capture logs before changing queue state when diagnosing failures. The historic memory automation flush spelling is no longer a command.