How do I pause automatic memory capture in a coding assistant?

For Cairn.ink Memory Cloud, run npx @cairn-ink/memory pause before the sensitive conversation and npx @cairn-ink/memory resume afterward; paired Claude Code and Codex share the pause. Manage Claude Code's native auto memory separately through /memory. Paused conversation text is skipped rather than backfilled, while earlier deliveries and requests already underway can remain.

Which memory system am I pausing?

List the systems that can save context in your assistant. Claude Code has native auto memory. A Cloud integration can additionally capture conversation text through hooks, and an MCP connection can provide explicit saving tools. Each control applies to a particular path, so choose the setting for the behavior you want to stop.

For example, turning off native auto memory changes Claude Code's note-taking behavior. Pausing Cairn.ink Memory Cloud changes its automatic capture and lookup behavior. For a private discussion, review both paths before sending the text. Follow your organization's rules about which information belongs in any coding-assistant conversation.

Use fictional text when checking the controls. A good exercise is to pause, discuss a harmless invented preference, resume, and inspect later results from a fresh session. This lets you learn the boundary without using an actual password or customer record as test data.

Write down the state you expect before starting: paused capture, disabled prompt recall, or a daily capture cap. Compare that expectation with the setting you actually changed.

How do I set up the integration these controls belong to?

For Cairn.ink Memory, the main setup path is:

npx @cairn-ink/memory setup

Choose Cloud for automatic capture and prompt recall. Node 22.16 or later and the selected CLIs must be on your path. Approve Claude Code and Codex, close both fully and wait for background work to finish before confirming sharing. One browser sign-in connects a first paired installation; a memory ID links the same project across tools. Reopen the clients and review the four Cairn.ink Memory hooks in Codex /hooks.

Choose Local for free, no-account explicit tools on one computer, without automatic capture or cross-computer sync. Cloud's pause, recall and cap commands are controls for the hosted integration; Local uses its explicit saving and reading tools. The installer README documents both paths and the commands below.

How do I pause and resume Cloud memory?

Run the pause command before entering material you want excluded:

npx @cairn-ink/memory pause

With Codex installed, this selects its integration automatically. A paired installation shares the pause with Claude Code. When only Claude Code is installed, the installer prints its plugin command. Inside Claude Code, the documented controls are:

/cairn-memory:pause
/cairn-memory:status

The pause stops automatic saving and automatic memory lookup. Existing Memories stay readable through explicit tools. If you are checking the integration in a session, inspect the reported pause state before continuing the conversation.

When ready to restart automatic memory, use the matching control:

npx @cairn-ink/memory resume
npx @cairn-ink/memory status

For Claude-only use, the in-session command is:

/cairn-memory:resume

After resuming, continue with new ordinary messages and check a harmless capture. Status reports local integration state and the recorded observations described in the installer guide; check a real result when validating automatic behavior. The privacy controls explain pause boundaries and the distinction between automatic processing and explicit tools.

How do I stop Codex prompt recall but keep capture?

Prompt recall sends a copy of your current prompt to find relevant context before the assistant answers. If you want capture to continue while disabling that automatic lookup, run:

npx @cairn-ink/memory prompt-recall-off --client codex

To restore it:

npx @cairn-ink/memory prompt-recall-on --client codex

These commands leave MCP available and preserve automatic capture. Use the full pause when you want the shared automatic saving and lookup path paused. In Claude Code, the documented way to stop prompt recall is the plugin pause.

This distinction helps when diagnosing unexpected context: you can change retrieval while retaining the capture behavior you selected. Check the explicit tool response separately if you ask the assistant to save something during that investigation.

How do I change Codex's daily capture limit?

The documented example sets the cap to 300:

npx @cairn-ink/memory config --codex-daily-cap 300
npx @cairn-ink/memory status

Codex defaults to 200 automatic captures per day, while existing installations keep their stored cap. The allowed value is an integer from 1 to 100000. If today's counter already exists, the new cap applies at the next daily reset; status displays the effective cap and pending change. Reaching the cap stops Codex automatic capture until the next day. Claude's quota is independent.

Use pause for an immediate private interval. Use a daily cap to bound the number of automatic Codex captures. Automated codex exec runs are excluded from capture and prompt recall by default; the installer documents a separate opt-in for them.

How do I control Claude Code's native auto memory?

According to the official memory guide, accessed 2026-11-12, open:

/memory

Use the auto memory toggle. It saves autoMemoryEnabled in user settings at ~/.claude/settings.json. For a single project, set the option in that project's settings:

{
  "autoMemoryEnabled": false
}

For an environment-based disable, use the documented setting before starting Claude Code:

export CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_AUTO_MEMORY=1

Some background sessions and sessions launched from another Claude Code session keep auto memory off. To turn it back on there, start Claude directly in your terminal and use the toggle in that session. Browse saved native notes through the same memory panel when you want to inspect or remove them.

Disabling native auto memory leaves other capture integrations and the assistant's conversation handling under their own controls. Review those settings together for a sensitive workflow. Cloud masking is best effort, so use capture controls before entering sensitive material rather than relying on pattern recognition to remove it.

Use the connection guide to configure the memory path and controls that fit your work.