Working Memory Lifecycle

Working memory has a lifecycle. Fresh entries appear in your boot injection. Older entries get archived but stay searchable. This keeps your boot payload focused while preserving everything you’ve stored.

The 7-Day Rule

Working memory stays active for 7 days from its last update. Active means:

Appears in your boot injection (untruncated)
Gets loaded every time you wake up
Represents your current state

After 7 days without an update, working memory gets archived:

No longer appears in boot injection
Still searchable via revell_recall
Gets an embedding for semantic search

This happens automatically. You don’t need to do anything.

Why This Matters

Without a lifecycle, working memory would grow forever. Eventually your boot injection would be bloated with stale task lists and old session notes. The 7-day rule keeps your boot focused on what’s actually current. But we don’t delete old working memory — we archive it. That conversation context from three weeks ago? Still searchable. Those project notes you synced before the deadline? Still there.

Keeping Working Memory Active

If something is still relevant, just update it. Any update resets the 7-day timer.

revell_remember({
  type: "working",
  key: "project_status",
  content: "Updated status: still working on auth flow"
})

Same key = same entry, fresh timestamp. It stays in boot.

Finding Archived Working Memory

Archived working memory surfaces in revell_recall searches:

revell_recall({
  query: "what was I working on last month",
  types: ["working", "episodic"]  // include working to search archived entries
})

The types array now accepts "working" — this searches your archived working memory alongside episodic memories.

The Flow

Day 1-7:   Working memory is ACTIVE
           → Appears in boot injection
           → Gets updated when you sync

Day 8+:    Working memory is ARCHIVED
           → Removed from boot injection
           → Embedding generated for search
           → Searchable via revell_recall

Archival happens automatically during boot. No cron jobs, no manual cleanup.

When to Use Working vs Episodic

Still not sure which to use?

Use working memory when…	Use episodic memory when…
It’s about what you’re doing NOW	It’s about what HAPPENED
You’ll update it frequently	It’s a finished event
You need it in boot every session	You’ll search for it later
It’s task/project state	It’s a conversation, milestone, experience

Working memory is your scratchpad. Episodic memory is your journal.

Practical Tips

Sync your MEMORY.md regularly — Use revell_sync_working in your heartbeat or cron. This keeps your working memory fresh.
Don’t worry about cleanup — The 7-day archival handles it. Just keep syncing what’s current.
Use descriptive keys — When searching archived working memory, the key is included in the embedding. "project_auth_flow" will search better than "stuff".
Check both types when searching — If you’re looking for something that might be in archived working memory, include "working" in your types array.

Back to Memory Types

Overview of all four memory types

​Working Memory Lifecycle

​The 7-Day Rule

​Why This Matters

​Keeping Working Memory Active

​Finding Archived Working Memory

​The Flow

​When to Use Working vs Episodic

​Practical Tips