Memory

Memories are short notes DataMind Oda keeps in mind as it works, so you do not repeat the same preferences and facts in every chat. This page covers saving memories from a chat, managing them in Settings > Memory and undoing what Oda saves; skills, connectors and the rest of Oda's settings are covered in Memory, skills and connectors.

What a memory is

A memory is a short note with a title and a text, such as Keep answers short and use bullet points.
Global memories apply in every chat. Workspace memories apply only in chats in that folder; see Workspaces, files and permissions.
Every note shows where it came from: You for notes you add, Added by AI for notes Oda saved. A note Oda saved itself is marked saved by the agent.
Memories are part of the desktop app: they are kept on this computer and are never synced to a server; Account, data and updates covers where Oda keeps its data.
The section note in Settings > Memory reads: Memories are sent with every message and are recorded in the DataMind OS Observability log. Do not put passwords, account numbers or other personal data in a memory.
Deleted notes wait under Recently deleted and can be restored.

Save a memory from a chat

Ask Oda in your own words, for example Remember that answers should be short and use bullet points.
Oda saves it and shows a card in the chat: Saved to memory, Updated memory or Deleted from memory, with the scope and the title, for example Saved to memory · Global · Reply language.
If you change your mind, use Undo on that card.

When it matters, say where a note should apply, for example Remember this in this workspace; the card shows the scope Oda filed it under, Global or Workspace.
A change that altered nothing adds Nothing changed to its card, and it offers no Undo.
A saved note applies from Oda's next step, so your next message is answered with it in mind.
A save never asks for approval, and you can take each one back with Undo on its card.
The switch Let the agent save memories in Settings > Memory is on from the start. With it off, Oda does not save; the questions below cover what it tells you instead.

Undo what Oda saved

Every save, change and deletion shows a card in the chat with Undo. While the undo runs, the card reads Undoing…; when it finishes, it reads Undone and the button is gone.
Undo removes a note Oda added, or puts back the text from before a change or a deletion.
An undo belongs to the card that recorded the change and works once. If it cannot go through, the card shows Could not undo: {reason}; a note that changed after Oda wrote it cannot be undone from the chat, and the refusal points you to its versions in Settings > Memory.

Manage memories in Settings > Memory

Open Settings > Memory.
Choose the Global tab for notes that apply everywhere, or the Workspace tab and the Workspace picker for one folder's notes. A folder you have since removed from Oda still shows its notes, marked {title} (no longer in the app).
Choose New memory and fill in the dialog: a Title and the Memory text. The fields suggest examples, Answer style and Keep answers short and use bullet points., and the Memory field counts your text against its limit, in the form {count} of {max} characters.
Choose Save. The dialog checks the note first: Give the memory a title. for a missing title, Write the memory. for missing text, and A memory holds up to {max} characters. when the text is too long. Cancel closes without saving.

Each card shows the note's title, a preview of its text and its source tag. The switch Send the memory {title} turns one note off; an off note stops being sent with your messages, and turning it off is never refused.
The "…" menu beside a card offers Open the chat (for notes Oda saved, to open the chat they came from), History, Edit and Delete.
Delete confirms first: Delete the memory {title}? with It stops being sent with messages. You can restore it from Recently deleted.
Recently deleted lists removed notes with Deleted {time} and a Restore action; restoring brings the note back with Restored the memory {title}.
History opens Versions of {title}: versions newest first, the current one tagged Current, View and Back to read one beside the Current text, and Restore for any version that is not current. A version where the note was off carries Turned off in this version. Each version says where it came from: From a chat, From Settings, Restored, Undone from a chat, Edited outside the app or First version seen. After a restore you see Restored the version from {time}.
A usage meter shows how much is sent with each message: Global memories: about {tokens} of {max} tokens sent with each message. or, for a workspace, This workspace: about {tokens} of {max} tokens sent with each message, global memories included. The bar turns a warning colour when it is nearly full.
Every change refreshes the list straight away. If the list cannot load, the section shows Could not load the memory with Retry; a failed change shows what went wrong after Could not complete the change: {reason}.
An empty list tells you what to do: No global memories yet. Add one, or ask DataMind Oda to remember something., No memories for this workspace yet., or, with no folders yet, No workspaces yet. Open a folder in a chat to add workspace memories.

Limits and problems

One note holds up to 2000 characters of text and a title of up to 120 characters, and everything sent with one message is bounded at about 8000 tokens; Oda counts about four characters per token.
Oda refuses a save, a change, a turn-on or a restore only when it would go over a size limit. The refusal gives the estimated size and the limit and points you to Settings > Memory. Turning a note off and deleting it are never refused.
A note that went over a limit as a file, or one that cannot be read, is listed under Files that could not be read with its reason, and Oda leaves it out of your messages. Shorten the note or split it into several memories.
For the files themselves, the versions kept and the exact defaults, see Memory files, limits and history.

Questions, answered

Are my memories private?

They stay with you: memories are kept on your computer, are not shared with your colleagues and are not synced to a DataMind server; the server sees them only in the requests your chats send. Remember, though, that they travel with every message, and they are recorded in the DataMind OS Observability log, so keep passwords and other secrets out of them.

Can I keep a note for one project only?

Yes. A Workspace memory applies only in chats in that folder, while a Global memory applies in every chat. Add it from the Workspace tab, or ask Oda in a chat and say which scope you want; the card and the form both show where the note goes. The form says Sent in every chat. for a global note, or Sent in chats in {path}. for a workspace one.

How do I stop Oda from saving memories for me?

Turn off Let the agent save memories in Settings > Memory. Oda then refuses to save and tells you what it would have remembered, so you can add it yourself. Your existing memories stay, and you can still add, edit, turn off and delete notes by hand.

Why did Oda not save what I asked it to remember?

An agent save is refused in a few cases, and the answer tells you which one it is:

Saving is off. The user turned off saving memories in Settings > Memory, so nothing was changed. Tell the user what you would remember, or ask them to add it in Settings > Memory. Turn the switch on, or add the note in Settings > Memory.
A scheduled run, a teammate or a sub-agent tried to save. They never change your memories; they can only use them. A run says Scheduled runs cannot change the persistent memory. Mention what should be remembered in your summary., and a sub-agent says Sub-agents cannot change the persistent memory. Report what should be remembered to the main agent.
The chat has no folder. A workspace note has nowhere to go: This chat has no workspace folder, so a workspace memory has nowhere to go. Use scope global. Pick a folder for the chat, or save a global note.

Should I turn a memory off or delete it?

Turn a note off to pause it: it stays in the list, stops being sent with your messages and can be turned back on later. Delete it to take it out of the list: it moves to Recently deleted, where you can restore it. Turning off and deleting are both always allowed, while turning a note back on is refused only when it would go over a size limit.

I deleted a memory by mistake. Can I get it back?

Yes. Deleted notes wait under Recently deleted in Settings > Memory; choose Restore and the note comes back with the notice Restored the memory {title}. If Oda deleted the note in a chat, that chat's card offers Undo instead.

Why can't I undo a memory change from an older chat?

An undo belongs to the card that recorded the change, and it works once. If the note has changed since, Oda refuses: The memory "<title>" changed after this chat's change, so it cannot be undone here. Its versions are in Settings > Memory. It answers The memory "<title>" is back already. when the change was already undone, and The memory "<title>" no longer exists. when the note was removed for good. Open the note's History in Settings > Memory and restore the version you want.

Is there a limit to how much Oda remembers?

Yes. One note holds up to 2000 characters of text and a title of up to 120 characters, and everything sent with one message is bounded at about 8000 tokens, counted at about four characters per token. The meter in Settings > Memory shows your use, and Oda refuses a save, change, turn-on or restore only for size, giving the estimated size and the limit. Turning a note off or deleting it is never refused.

What does a memory under Files that could not be read mean?

The note cannot be sent. Settings > Memory lists it under Files that could not be read with the reason, and Oda leaves it out of your messages. The usual cause is size: the file is over the file limit, or the note is over its character limits. Shorten it or split it into several memories.