memory-search-best-practices

Guides multi-query memory recall with per-question-type recipes and stopping criteria.

2.9k|733|Updated Mar 12, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/zts212653/clowder-ai --skill memory-search-best-practices
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: memory-search-best-practices
Source: https://github.com/zts212653/clowder-ai/tree/main/cat-cafe-skills/memory-search-best-practices
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/zts212653/clowder-ai --skill memory-search-best-practices

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

Single-shot top-k search misses the full picture on recall tasks like "where was X mentioned" or "have we ever discussed Y". This Skill teaches agents how to run multi-query, multi-scope searches with union dedup, read original sources instead of summaries, and know exactly when to stop searching.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • 8 Question-Type Recipes: Maps recall task types (definition lookup, relationship traversal, decision archaeology, cold-start onboarding, full coverage, source-map provenance, absence check, delta comparison) to concrete search sequences using search_evidence, graph_resolve, get_thread_context, and list_recent.
  • Agent-Driven Query Expansion: The agent expands queries with domain knowledge, synonyms, abbreviations, and cross-language variants instead of relying on black-box system expansion.
  • Stopping Criteria Calibration: Per-question-type stop conditions plus bidirectional calibration for model families that stop too early or too late.
  • Use Case: When asked "where have we mentioned AUDHD across all docs and threads", run hybrid doc search plus semantic thread search, expand to related terms in Chinese and English, follow source thread links from canonical docs, and output a coverage matrix.

Quick Start

Ask the agent to find every place a topic has been mentioned across docs and threads and produce a coverage matrix with sources.

Frequently Asked Questions about memory-search-best-practices

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I find every place a topic was mentioned in memory?

Run at least three search passes: hybrid search over docs, semantic search over threads, then agent-driven expansion with synonyms, abbreviations, and both Chinese and English terms. Union and dedup results, follow source thread links from canonical docs, and stop only when no new anchors appear.

How do I check whether something was never discussed?

An absence check requires searching both the term itself and its related or opposite concepts; a single zero-hit query does not prove absence. Only when both directions plus at least one related concept return zero hits can you assert the topic is absent.

What is the difference between memory-navigation and memory-search-best-practices?

memory-navigation decides which tool to use for the first search pass, such as search versus graph versus list_recent. memory-search-best-practices decides whether follow-up passes are needed, how many passes each question type requires, and when to stop.

Why does a single top-k search miss results on recall tasks?

Top-k returns a ranked subset, not the full set; different agents searching the same topic each retrieve different partial subsets. Full coverage needs multi-query union, cross-language passes, and reading original documents rather than relying on summaries.

When should I stop searching during a coverage task?

Stop only after at least three search routes plus a second expansion round produce no new anchors, and all high-confidence hits have been read in the original source. Simple lookup questions stop after one high-confidence hit is read.