Feature: Delete individual memories/observations

[jellydn]

What

Add the ability to delete individual memories (observations) from claude-mem.

Scope

• Viewer UI: Delete button/icon on observation cards in the memory viewer
• API endpoint: DELETE /api/observations/:id for programmatic access
• MCP tool: mem-delete skill for Claude Code to delete memories conversationally

Target users

• Users who want to remove accidental or sensitive recordings
• Users who need to clean up test/debug observations
• Users requiring privacy/data retention management

Why

Currently, users have no way to delete individual memories:

• Manual SQL commands are the only option (not user-friendly)
• Users cannot remove accidental recordings with private/sensitive content
• No data retention management capability exists
• This is a common expectation for any memory/notes system

How

Implementation approach

1. API Layer (src/services/worker-service.ts)

• Add DELETE /api/observations/:id endpoint
• Validate ownership and existence before deletion
• Return appropriate error codes if observation not found

2. SQLite (src/services/sqlite/ObservationStore.ts)

• Add deleteById(id: string) method
• Use existing DELETE trigger for audit trail in observation_audit table

3. Viewer UI (src/ui/viewer/components/)

• Add delete button to observation card component
• Show confirmation dialog before deletion
• Optimistic UI update after successful API response
• Handle errors gracefully with toast notifications

4. MCP Tool (plugin/skills/mem-search/)

• Add mem-delete tool definition
• Accept observation ID or search criteria
• Return confirmation of deletion

Database schema

No schema changes needed - SQLite supports DELETE natively. The existing observation_audit trigger already captures deleted records.

Related files

• src/services/sqlite/ - ObservationStore.ts (new delete method)
• src/services/worker-service.ts - API route handler
• src/ui/viewer/ - React components
• plugin/skills/mem-search/ - MCP tool definition

Out of scope (future work)

• Bulk delete (multiple IDs)
• Soft delete with archive
• Delete by date range or filters
• Undo capability

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Generated with Claude Code

[github-actions]

The GitHub issue proposes adding a feature to delete individual memories/observations in the claude-mem system. This functionality includes a delete button in the memory viewer UI, a new API endpoint (DELETE /api/observations/:id), and a conversational tool (mem-delete) via Claude Code for deletion based on observation IDs or criteria. The enhancement targets users who need to remove accidental, sensitive, or test/debug observations, providing better privacy and data management options, as current deletion methods rely on manual SQL commands. The implementation involves updates to the SQLite ObservationStore for database handling, enhancements to UI components for a user-friendly experience, and integration of validation and error-handling mechanisms on both frontend and backend. No schema changes are necessary as the existing database supports deletion and logs audit trails. Bulk deletion, soft delete, and undo functionality are noted as out-of-scope considerations for potential future development.

[jheavner]

I want to +1 this. I'm finding hallucinations and out-of-date data in memory that I want to purge for long-term memory.

[thedotmack]

Triage: Observation deletion. Basic CRUD completeness — users should be able to delete individual memories. The API endpoint and UI both need this capability.

[thedotmack]

Triage note: Confirmed no DELETE endpoint exists for observations. The API only provides GET (search/read) and POST (create) operations. This remains a valid feature request.

[VirtualMaestro]

I also need this functionality. E.g., I had an issue in my repo - I've uninstalled the Beads plugin, but couldn't commit after it, because the plugin didn't remove all the Git hooks. I asked Claude investigate the issue. After fixing, I've found that in the Memory, now completely useless information about the fixing (I'm new to Claude-Mem, and I've recently installed it), which brings garbage to the project memory.
Please add the option to remove memory rows (currently, I removed them directly from SQLite).