Memory Delete

Remove or update entries across the two-layer memory system: central memory/ sub-files and local folder MEMORY.md files. Always search, confirm, then delete.

For the full memory architecture, see the memory-create skill's references/memory-structure.md.

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Language

See METHODOLOGY.md language mirror rule. Reply in the user's language.

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Procedure

Step 1: Identify What to Delete

Parse the user's request to extract keywords for searching.

Examples of triggers:

• "Forget that Sarah is at Acme" → search for "Sarah" + "Acme"
• "Remove my preference about email tone" → search for "email tone"
• "That deadline has passed, delete it" → search for recent deadline entries
• "Clean up my memory" → show summary of all memory files for review

Step 2: Search Memory Files

Search across the memory system in this order:

1. Guess the most likely file based on content type:

   • Person reference → ~/Tandem/memory/people/index.md + any people/<name>.md
   • Preference → ~/Tandem/memory/preferences.md
   • Decision → ~/Tandem/memory/decisions/index.md
   • Work/project context → ~/Tandem/memory/work-context.md + memory/projects/index.md

2. If not found, search current folder's local MEMORY.md

3. If still not found, search all memory files:

   ~/Tandem/memory/*.md
   ~/Tandem/memory/**/*.md
   ~/Tandem/*/MEMORY.md
   

Use fuzzy keyword matching — the user won't remember exact wording.

Step 3: Show Found Entries

If one match found:

I found this entry in [file path]:

> - [2026-03-10] Sarah Cohen — CFO at Acme Corp. Prefers email. Formal tone.

AskUserQuestion:
  - "Delete it"
  - "Keep it"
  - "Edit it instead"

If multiple matches found (may span different files):

I found several entries matching "[keyword]":

1. [memory/people/index.md] - [2026-03-10] Sarah Cohen — CFO at Acme Corp
2. [memory/work-context.md] - [2026-03-10] Acme Corp project started
3. [email/MEMORY.md] - [2026-03-12] Sarah always replies within 2 hours

AskUserQuestion:
  - "Delete #1"
  - "Delete #2"
  - "Delete #3"
  - "Delete all of them"
  - "Keep all — cancel"

If no match found:

I couldn't find an entry matching "[keyword]" in any memory file.

AskUserQuestion:
  - "Try different keywords"
  - "Show me all memory files"
  - "Never mind"

Step 4: Confirm Deletion

Never delete without explicit confirmation. For bulk operations:

You're about to delete [N] entries across [M] files. This cannot be undone.

AskUserQuestion:
  - "Yes, delete all [N]"
  - "Let me review them first"
  - "Cancel"

Step 5: Execute and Confirm

Remove the entry/entries from the target file(s). Confirm:

Deleted from [file path]:
- [entry text]

Step 6: Update Index (if needed)

If a person was deleted from memory/people/, check if their individual file (people/<name>.md) should also be removed. Ask before deleting files:

AskUserQuestion:
  - "Also delete the detailed file for [name]"
  - "Keep the detailed file"

If a deletion makes the root MEMORY.md index stale, update the "Quick Context" section.

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Bulk Operations

"Clean up my memory"

When the user asks to review or clean up their memory:

1. Read the memory index (~/Tandem/MEMORY.md) and scan all sub-files
2. Present a summary by file with entry counts:

Your memory files contain:
- Work Context: 5 entries (memory/work-context.md)
- Preferences: 8 entries (memory/preferences.md)
- People: 4 contacts (memory/people/)
- Decisions: 3 entries (memory/decisions/index.md)
- Sessions: 12 daily logs (memory/sessions/)
- Email (local): 6 entries
- Tasks (local): 4 entries

AskUserQuestion:
  - "Review Work Context"
  - "Review People"
  - "Clear old session logs"
  - "Review Preferences"
  - "It's fine, cancel"

Clearing Session Logs

Session logs accumulate daily. Offer age-based cleanup:

AskUserQuestion:
  - "Archive entries older than 1 week"
  - "Archive entries older than 1 month"
  - "Review and pick individually"
  - "Keep all"

Archived entries move to memory/sessions/archive/ — not permanently deleted.

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Edit Instead of Delete

When the user selects "Edit it instead":

1. Show the current entry and its file location
2. Ask what should change
3. Delete the old entry from the file
4. Create a new entry with updated content via memory-create skill routing

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Safety Rules

1. Never delete without confirmation — Always show the entry and ask
2. Never delete file headers — Only remove individual entries
3. Never delete memory files themselves — Only remove entries within them
4. Show exact file path and entry — No ambiguity about what will be deleted
5. One confirmation per operation — Don't ask twice for the same deletion
6. Session logs get archived, not deleted — Move to sessions/archive/

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Proactivity Integration

After deletion, suggest one follow-up:

AskUserQuestion:
  - "Delete something else"
  - "Add a corrected entry"
  - "Done with memory cleanup"

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Error Handling

• File doesn't exist: Inform user there's no memory at that location
• Empty file: Inform user the memory file has no entries
• Entry already deleted: Inform user and skip (don't error)
• memory/ directory doesn't exist: Inform user memory hasn't been set up yet, offer to run /begin