Knowns
Project memory for AI coding assistants. Structured tasks, docs, specs, templates, and memory exposed via MCP.
Knowns is the memory layer for AI-native development — giving AI coding assistants (Claude, Cursor, Kiro, Copilot…) structured, persistent project context across sessions.
Instead of pasting files and re-explaining your project every time you open a new chat, your assistant works from project state — tasks, docs, specs, templates, and memory are all linked together and accessible through MCP.
Why Knowns?
Your AI forgets. Every new session starts from scratch. CLAUDE.md and AGENTS.md are static instruction files — no tasks, no acceptance criteria, no links between spec and code.
Knowns fills that gap:
- Structured tasks: every task has acceptance criteria and links to specs, templates, and memory
- Semantic doc search: find docs by meaning, not grep
- Specs as graph nodes: acceptance criteria stay in sync with tasks automatically
- Layered memory: project-level and global, tagged and searchable
- Code intelligence: symbol graph and dependency tracking
Key features
- Context flows through your project: when a task, spec, or template changes, Knowns traces the impact downstream. Your AI always works with fresh, connected context.
- Incremental delta updates: only the changes are synced — no full reindex.
- Browser UI: Kanban board, docs editor, AI chat, and semantic search — all running locally via
knowns browser. - MCP server: exposes tasks, docs, specs, memory, templates, and code intelligence through a single MCP server.
- Workflow skills for Claude Code:
/kn-research,/kn-plan,/kn-implement,/kn-extract— a standardized working loop.
How it compares
- CLAUDE.md / AGENTS.md are static instructions. Knowns tells the AI what to build and what "done" looks like.
- Task managers are built for humans. Knowns structures tasks so the AI can read them, verify acceptance criteria, and extract knowledge when done.
- Memory tools only store facts. Knowns links memory to specs, tasks, templates, and code intelligence.
- Spec tools help you write specs. Knowns connects specs to everything else — ACs sync, templates generate code from specs, and verification checks coverage.
- MCP is the transport layer. Knowns is the structured context that travels through it.
Get started
Install via Homebrew, a shell script, PowerShell, npm, or npx. Node.js 20+ is required for npm-based installs.
Full install instructions and platform-specific guides are on knowns.sh and the GitHub repo.
Open source
Knowns is open source (MIT), local-first, self-hosted, and free. Bug reports, pull requests, and doc improvements are welcome at github.com/knowns-dev/knowns.