> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://guide.ourdream.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Memory

> Give Auto Memory, Pinned Memories, Custom Instructions, and Persona separate jobs.

ourdream uses four layers of persistent context:

| Layer               | Best used for                                       |
| ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| Auto Memory Log     | A changing summary of what has happened             |
| Pinned Memories     | Stable facts and decisions that must stay available |
| Custom Instructions | Rules for how the AI should respond                 |
| Persona             | Who you are in this chat                            |

The clearest chats give each layer a separate job instead of copying the same text into all four.

## Auto Memory Log

The Auto Memory Log regenerates after approximately every 20 AI messages. It tracks major events and active context so older parts of a long chat can still influence the story.

Open **Chat settings → Memory** to:

* See the current log and its update progress.
* Force a regeneration after an important correction.
* Pause updates when you do not want the summary to change.
* Temporarily unlock and edit the current summary.

Manual edits can be replaced by a later regeneration. Put permanent facts in Pinned Memories instead.

As a roleplay grows, occasionally use `/analyze` to ask for the current major events, unresolved plot points, and known upcoming events. Correct any misunderstanding in the chat, then regenerate the memory log when needed.

## Pinned Memories

Pinned Memories hold up to 15,000 characters. Use them as a stable reference, not a second transcript.

Good pinned information includes:

* Non-negotiable narrative boundaries.
* Established relationship milestones.
* Facts that should survive a long conversation.
* Current date, day, or phase when time matters.
* Character and world anchors that were established during the chat.
* Planned scenes that should remain available until completed.

Avoid copying the Auto Memory Log into Pinned Memories. The two versions will eventually disagree about dates, sequence, or completed events.

## A practical pinned-memory structure

Put the strictest and most important material first:

```text theme={null}
CORE RULES
- Narrate only the character's actions, dialogue, and observable details.
- Do not assume the user's thoughts or feelings.
- Progress time only when the user does.

CURRENT STATE
- Day 6, early evening.
- The characters have agreed to meet at the station tomorrow.

CHARACTER ANCHORS
- Mara masks worry with practical questions.
- Mara does not know what happened before the user arrived.

WORLD AND CAST
- The city has no private vehicles.
- Inez is Mara's older sister and works at the station.

OPEN THREADS
- The missing package has not been found.
```

Headings make the memory easier for you to maintain. Emojis and repeated formatting are optional; clear language matters more.

## Use phases for deliberate pacing

For a structured romance or campaign, define the current phase and the conditions for leaving it:

```text theme={null}
PHASE 1 — BUILD TRUST
- Shared routines and cautious conversation.
- The character does not assume attraction.
- The next phase begins only after the user initiates a clear milestone.
```

Update or remove a phase when it is complete. Leaving outdated rules pinned is a common cause of looping and stalled progression.

## Memory is guidance, not a database

The AI can still misread or underweight a fact, especially when the memory is long or contradictory. When something is consistently ignored:

1. Move the rule closer to the top.
2. Make it shorter and more concrete.
3. Remove conflicting instructions elsewhere.
4. Test again before repeating it in multiple forms.

<Warning>
  Do not store passwords, payment information, or other sensitive personal data
  in character memory.
</Warning>