# Memos — Open Source Self-Hosted Note-Taking Tool

> Memos is a lightweight, self-hosted note-taking app with Markdown support, tag-based organization, and a Twitter-like timeline interface for quick idea capture.

## Install

Save the content below to `.claude/skills/` or append to your `CLAUDE.md`:

## Quick Use

```bash
docker run -d --name memos -p 5230:5230 -v memos:/var/opt/memos neosmemo/memos:stable
```

Open `http://localhost:5230` — register your account and start writing notes.

## Intro

**Memos** is an open-source, self-hosted note-taking tool designed for quick capture and knowledge management. Built with Go and React, it features a Twitter-like timeline interface where you can jot down thoughts, ideas, and snippets in Markdown — making it perfect for personal knowledge bases, micro-blogging, and daily journaling.

With 58.7K+ GitHub stars and MIT license, Memos has become one of the most popular self-hosted note-taking solutions, valued for its simplicity, speed, and complete data ownership.

## What Memos Does

Memos focuses on frictionless note capture:

- **Quick Capture**: Twitter-like compose box for instant note creation with Markdown formatting
- **Tag System**: Organize notes with #tags that auto-generate a tag tree for browsing
- **Timeline View**: Chronological feed of all memos with search and filter capabilities
- **Markdown Native**: Full Markdown support with code blocks, tables, task lists, and LaTeX math
- **Media Support**: Attach images, files, and embed links with preview cards
- **API & Webhooks**: RESTful API for automation and integration with other tools
- **Multi-user**: Self-hosted with user management and visibility controls (public/protected/private)

## Architecture

```
┌──────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐
│  Web UI      │────▶│  Memos       │────▶│  SQLite /    │
│  (React)     │     │  Server (Go) │     │  PostgreSQL  │
└──────────────┘     └──────────────┘     └──────────────┘
```

Memos uses SQLite by default for zero-configuration deployment, with PostgreSQL support for larger installations.

## Self-Hosting Options

### Docker (Simplest)

```bash
docker run -d 
  --name memos 
  -p 5230:5230 
  -v memos-data:/var/opt/memos 
  neosmemo/memos:stable
```

### Docker Compose

```yaml
services:
  memos:
    image: neosmemo/memos:stable
    container_name: memos
    ports:
      - "5230:5230"
    volumes:
      - ./memos-data:/var/opt/memos
    restart: unless-stopped
```

### With PostgreSQL

```yaml
services:
  memos:
    image: neosmemo/memos:stable
    environment:
      MEMOS_DRIVER: postgres
      MEMOS_DSN: postgresql://memos:memos@db:5432/memos?sslmode=disable
    ports:
      - "5230:5230"
    depends_on:
      - db

  db:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: memos
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: memos
      POSTGRES_DB: memos
    volumes:
      - pg-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

volumes:
  pg-data:
```

## Key Features

### Markdown Editor

Memos supports full GitHub-Flavored Markdown:

```markdown
# Meeting Notes 2024-01-15

## Action Items
- [x] Review PR #123
- [ ] Update documentation
- [ ] Schedule follow-up

## Code Snippet
```python
def process_data(items):
    return [transform(i) for i in items]
```

> Important: Deadline is Friday #work #urgent
```

### Tag-Based Organization

Tags are first-class citizens in Memos:
- Use `#tag` inline in any memo
- Nested tags with `#parent/child` syntax
- Tag tree sidebar for browsing
- Filter by multiple tags simultaneously

### API Integration

```bash
# Create a memo via API
curl -X POST http://localhost:5230/api/v1/memos 
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" 
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" 
  -d '{"content": "Quick thought from CLI #idea"}'

# List memos
curl http://localhost:5230/api/v1/memos 
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"
```

### Telegram Bot Integration

Memos can connect to a Telegram bot to capture notes directly from Telegram messages — perfect for mobile quick capture.

## Memos vs Alternatives

| Feature | Memos | Obsidian | Notion | Apple Notes |
|---------|-------|----------|--------|-------------|
| Open Source | Yes (MIT) | No | No | No |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Local files | No | iCloud |
| Quick capture | Timeline UI | Vault system | Pages | Notes |
| Markdown | Native | Native | Partial | No |
| API | REST API | Community | API | No |
| Multi-user | Yes | No | Yes | Family sharing |
| Storage | SQLite/PostgreSQL | Local files | Cloud | iCloud |

## FAQ

**Q: Is Memos good for knowledge management?**
A: Memos is better suited for quick captures and fragmented knowledge. If you need bi-directional links and graph views, pair it with Obsidian — Memos for quick capture, Obsidian for deep organization.

**Q: How do I back up data?**
A: In SQLite mode, just back up the `/var/opt/memos` directory (which contains the database and uploaded files). You can also export all memos as JSON via the API.

**Q: Is there a mobile app?**
A: Memos is a PWA — add it to your home screen from a mobile browser for a near-native experience. Community iOS and Android clients are also available (Moe Memos, MoeMemos).

## Source & Thanks

- GitHub: [usememos/memos](https://github.com/usememos/memos) — 58.7K+ ⭐ | MIT
- Website: [usememos.com](https://usememos.com)

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/memos-open-source-self-hosted-note-taking-tool-d4bf6827
Author: Script Depot