Seren Memory
Persistent, tiered memory for GitHub Copilot. Seren Memory connects Copilot to a locally-hosted memory service so facts, preferences, and project context survive across sessions - without sending anything to a third party.
How it works
Seren Memory runs a small Python service on your machine (or your team's internal server). The extension registers a set of Copilot language model tools that Copilot calls automatically to read and write memory during normal conversations. You stay in full control: everything lives in a local ChromaDB database that you own.
Three memory tiers
| Tier |
What goes here |
Lifetime |
| Short-term |
Session observations, notes, working context |
Days - ages out automatically |
| Near-term |
Future intents: "remind me to X", "do Y next time" |
Until completed or expired |
| Long-term |
Durable facts promoted through consolidation |
Permanent until explicitly forgotten |
Long-term is a gated tier - nothing gets written there directly. Facts earn their way in through the consolidation cycle or an explicit promote, which means long-term stays clean and accurate over time.
Requirements
- GitHub Copilot (Chat) - the extension registers Copilot language model tools; Copilot Chat is required to use them.
- SerenMemory service - the Python backend. Install it with the one-shot setup script from the SerenMemory repository.
Quick start
1. Install the SerenMemory service
Windows:
.\seren-memory-setup.ps1 -Mcp -GenToken -AutoStart
macOS / Linux:
bash seren-memory-setup.sh --mcp --gen-token --service
Both scripts print the exact MCP config JSON to paste into your editor at the end.
2. Configure the extension
Open Settings (Ctrl+Shift+P → Open User Settings) and set:
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
serenMemory.endpoint |
http://localhost:7420 |
Base URL of the SerenMemory service |
serenMemory.startCommand |
python -m seren_memory |
Command used by Start Service |
serenMemory.suppressStartPrompt |
false |
Suppress the startup "not reachable" prompt |
3. Set your bearer token (if auth is enabled)
Run Ctrl+Shift+P → Seren Memory: Set Bearer Token. The token is stored in the OS keychain, never in settings files.
4. Check the status bar
The $(database) Seren item in the bottom-right of the status bar shows service health at a glance:
Seren ✓ - service is reachableSeren ✗ - service is not reachable (click to retry)
Once the service is running, Copilot can use these tools automatically. You can also reference them directly in chat with #serenSearch, #serenWrite, etc.
Memory access
| Tool |
Reference |
What it does |
| Search Memory |
#serenSearch |
Retrieve relevant past context before answering. The main recall path - call before anything that might benefit from prior knowledge. |
| Write Memory |
#serenWrite |
Store a fact to short-term (tier: short) or a future intent to near-term (tier: near). |
Memory lifecycle
| Tool |
Reference |
What it does |
| Preserve Verbatim |
#serenPreserveVerbatim |
Flag a short-term entry so the consolidator promotes its exact wording instead of synthesising. Use for quotes, specs, or anything where the precise words matter. |
| Promote Now |
#serenPromoteNow |
Immediately move a short-term entry to long-term, skipping the consolidation cycle. Use when "remember this forever" is explicit. |
| Forget Long-Term |
#serenForgetLong |
Flag a long-term entry for removal or correction. PII triggers a purge; other reasons demote the entry. |
| Complete Intent |
#serenCompleteIntent |
Mark a near-term intent as done. Completed intents are promoted to long-term as a record. |
Consolidation
| Tool |
Reference |
What it does |
| Submit Brief |
#serenBrief |
Tell the consolidator what mattered in this session. promote_hints / noise_hints steer which topics make it to long-term. |
| Run Consolidation |
#serenConsolidate |
Trigger a consolidation pass immediately. |
Draft review
The consolidator produces drafts before anything lands in long-term. Copilot reviews and gates them.
| Tool |
Reference |
What it does |
| List Drafts |
#serenListDrafts |
List drafts by status: pending, approved, rejected, requires_selection. |
| Get Draft Chain |
#serenDraftChain |
Show all synthesis attempts for one cluster - useful when a draft is in requires_selection. |
| Approve Draft |
#serenApproveDraft |
Commit a draft to long-term memory. |
| Reject Draft |
#serenRejectDraft |
Reject with a critique. The consolidator redrafts up to the configured limit; be specific ("conflated X with Y" beats "wrong vibe"). |
| Select Best Draft |
#serenSelectDraft |
When retries are exhausted and the chain is requires_selection, pick the best attempt (optionally with edits). |
Closed-system / no-local-model mode
If you're in a locked-down environment where a local consolidator model isn't available, the service runs in closed-system mode automatically - just leave model_url blank in the config. In this mode:
- The consolidator runs its mechanical cycle (clustering, aging, promotion) normally.
- All model calls are skipped silently - no chatter, no connection attempts.
- Copilot owns briefs, drafts, and consolidation via the tools above. This is the intended workflow for air-gapped or security-restricted deployments.
Commands
Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) and search Seren Memory:
| Command |
What it does |
| Seren Memory: Set Bearer Token |
Store your auth token in the OS keychain |
| Seren Memory: Check Service Health |
Ping the service and update the status bar |
| Seren Memory: Start Service |
Launch the service using serenMemory.startCommand |
MCP transport (optional)
The service also exposes an MCP HTTP endpoint at /mcp/. This lets you connect directly via the VS Code or Visual Studio MCP client config without the extension, or use both at the same time.
Install with the --mcp flag and paste the config the setup script prints:
.vscode/mcp.json (VS Code):
{
"servers": {
"seren-memory": {
"type": "http",
"url": "http://localhost:7420/mcp/",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"
}
}
}
}
.vs/mcp.json (Visual Studio):
{
"servers": {
"seren-memory": {
"type": "http",
"url": "http://localhost:7420/mcp/",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"
}
}
}
}
Omit the headers block if you didn't set a bearer token.
Memory viewer
The service ships a browser UI at http://localhost:7420/viewer - short-term, near-term, long-term, briefs, drafts, and search, all in one place. If auth is enabled it prompts for the bearer token on load.
Source & issues
github.com/ChadRoesler/SerenMemory
