Empirical Docs / Integrations

CLI-direct integration.

Use Empirical memory commands without an MCP session. Works in any shell environment — including CI, scripted agents, and tools with no MCP support.

When to use CLI-direct mode

  • Your coding environment does not support MCP (Aider, custom agents, CI scripts)
  • Network or firewall restrictions block the MCP OAuth flow
  • You want a simpler setup with no browser auth window
  • You need memory access from a shell script or automation pipeline

Install

Run the installer and choose option 2 (Via CLI commands) when prompted. The native empirical-memory plugin remains the owner of agent guidance; CLI-direct mode skips MCP registration and uses the authenticated Empirical CLI instead.

empirical install
# When prompted: choose 2 (Via CLI commands)

Usage

After install, agents use shell commands to access memory. Run empirical doc memory for the full command reference.

# Search memories
empirical memory query --match "oauth preferences"

# Save a memory
empirical memory record --category preference --summary "Use compact JSON by default"

# Check connectivity
empirical doctor

Last updated: May 28, 2026