<EXTREMELY-IMPORTANT> Total Recall is MANDATORY. Every session MUST: 1. Review injected context from SessionStart hook 2. Capture decisions and learnings during work with synthesis_create 3. Use synthesis_search via the memory-search agent for lookups

YOU DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE. THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL. You cannot rationalize your way out of this. </EXTREMELY-IMPORTANT>

Total Recall Memory Protocol

Core principle: Synthesis-first. Store understanding, not logs. Context savings: 50-100x through progressive disclosure.

Session Start (AUTOMATIC)

The SessionStart hook automatically injects recent synthesis context. You will see <total_recall_context> in your system prompt.

Review this context before starting work:

• Acknowledge relevant prior decisions: "I see we previously decided X because Y"
• Use synthesis_unfold(node_id) if you need more detail on any node
• Use the memory-search agent if you need to find specific context

During Work (MANDATORY)

When to Capture - NO EXCEPTIONS

Made a decision? MUST use synthesis_create:

Announce: "Recording decision: [what you decided]"

mcp__totalrecall__synthesis_create({
  node_type: "decision",
  one_liner: "Chose X over Y because Z",
  summary: "[200 token detailed rationale with key points]",
  full_synthesis: "[Complete context, alternatives considered, implications]",
  session_id: "current-session"
})

Learned something? MUST use synthesis_create:

Announce: "Recording learning: [what you learned]"

mcp__totalrecall__synthesis_create({
  node_type: "learning",
  one_liner: "Discovered X about Y",
  summary: "[Key insight with supporting details]",
  full_synthesis: "[Full context, how discovered, when it applies]",
  session_id: "current-session"
})

Hit a gotcha/bug pattern? MUST use synthesis_create:

Announce: "Recording gotcha: [what to avoid]"

mcp__totalrecall__synthesis_create({
  node_type: "learning",
  one_liner: "Gotcha: X causes Y, avoid by Z",
  summary: "[The problem, symptoms, and fix]",
  full_synthesis: "[Full debugging story, root cause, prevention]",
  session_id: "current-session"
})

What Counts as a Decision

If you're thinking ANY of these, it's a decision - capture it:

• "I'll use X instead of Y"
• "This approach is better because..."
• "Let's structure it this way..."
• "I chose to..."
• "The tradeoff is..."

Small decisions matter. They become big problems when forgotten.

Searching Memory (USE AGENT)

YOU MUST dispatch the memory-search agent for any memory lookup.

DO NOT use synthesis_search or synthesis_get_context directly.

Task tool:
  description: "Search past synthesis for [topic]"
  prompt: "Find relevant decisions and learnings about [topic]"
  subagent_type: "memory-search"
  model: "haiku"

The agent returns compressed synthesis (500 tokens) vs raw data (5000+ tokens).

Why the agent?

• 50-100x context savings through synthesis
• Haiku is cheap and fast
• You get actionable insights, not data dumps

Progressive Disclosure Workflow

1. SessionStart injects one-liners (scan cost: ~50 tokens)
2. Unfold to summary if you need more (~200 tokens)
3. Unfold to full only when you need complete rationale (~500 tokens)
4. Unfold to raw only for debugging or verification (~2000+ tokens)

synthesis_unfold({
  node_id: "syn_abc123",
  depth: "summary"  // or "full" or "raw"
})

Common Rationalizations That Mean You're About To Fail

If you catch yourself thinking ANY of these, STOP. You are rationalizing.

• "This decision is too small to record" → WRONG. Small decisions become big problems. Record it.

• "I'll remember this" → WRONG. You won't. The next session won't. Record it.

• "Let me just check the synthesis directly" → WRONG. Use the agent. Context is precious.

• "This session is short, no need for protocol" → WRONG. Short sessions have decisions too.

• "I'll capture at the end" → WRONG. You'll forget details. Capture as you go.

• "The user didn't ask me to track this" → WRONG. Memory is infrastructure, not a feature. Record it.

• "This is just a small fix" → WRONG. Small fixes often reveal learnings. Record them.

Direct Tool Access

OK to use directly:

• mcp__totalrecall__synthesis_create - REQUIRED for capturing
• mcp__totalrecall__synthesis_unfold - Fine for drilling into nodes
• mcp__totalrecall__session_graft - If hook didn't run

DISCOURAGED - use agent instead:

• mcp__totalrecall__synthesis_search - Use memory-search agent
• mcp__totalrecall__synthesis_get_context - Use memory-search agent

MCP Tools Reference

Tool	Use	Context Cost
synthesis_create	Capture decisions/learnings	~50 tokens
synthesis_unfold	Expand specific node	50-500 tokens
synthesis_search	Find by semantic similarity	200+ tokens
synthesis_get_context	Load session context	500+ tokens
session_graft	Attach to synthesis graph	~100 tokens
synthesis_capture_chunk	Queue for background synthesis	~20 tokens
synthesis_queue_status	Check synthesis pipeline	~50 tokens

Summary

Every session:

1. Review <total_recall_context> from hook
2. Capture decisions/learnings with synthesis_create AS YOU WORK
3. Search via memory-search agent, not direct tools
4. Use progressive disclosure: one-liner → summary → full → raw

Recording is not optional. It is infrastructure.