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1

Install Memory Crystal

Run the one-command installer from your terminal:
curl -fsSL https://memorycrystal.ai/crystal | bash
The installer sets up the Memory Crystal plugin and configures your memory backend. It walks you through choosing a deployment mode in the next step.
2

Choose a deployment mode

During installation, you’ll be prompted to choose how your memories are stored:
3

Get an API key

If you chose Cloud or Self-hosted mode, you need an API key to authenticate your client.
  1. Go to memorycrystal.ai/dashboard
  2. Sign in or create an account
  3. Navigate to API Keys and create a new key
  4. Copy the key — you won’t be able to see it again
Your API key is shown only once. Store it somewhere safe before closing the dashboard.
4

Connect to your AI client

Memory Crystal works with any MCP-compatible AI client. Choose yours:
The installer handles this automatically. Your plugin is registered and ready after install completes.To verify the plugin is active, check the gateway log for:
[crystal] capture hooks registered (message_received + llm_output)
5

Verify your setup

Run the health check to confirm everything is connected correctly:
npm run crystal:doctor
A passing check confirms that Memory Crystal is installed, your API key is valid, and your AI client is connected. You’re ready to go — your AI now has persistent memory.
Start a new session in your AI client and try asking it to remember something. Then start another session and ask if it remembers. Memory Crystal captures and recalls automatically.

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What happens next

From this point on, Memory Crystal runs automatically. Every conversation is captured, important facts are extracted into long-term memory, and relevant context is injected before each response. You can interact with your memory directly using tools like crystal_recall, crystal_remember, and crystal_what_do_i_know — available in your AI client’s tool list. For a full list of available tools, see the Tools overview.