---
name: agentmemory-config
description: agentmemory configuration, environment variables, ports, and feature flags. Use when enabling a feature, changing ports, setting an API key, configuring auth, or explaining why a feature is off by default.
user-invocable: false
---

agentmemory reads configuration from the environment and from `~/.agentmemory/.env` (one `KEY=value` per line, no `export` prefix). Restart the server after changing it.

## Quick start

Enable richer memory and set a provider key in `~/.agentmemory/.env`:

```env
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
AGENTMEMORY_AUTO_COMPRESS=true
AGENTMEMORY_INJECT_CONTEXT=true
```

## Defaults worth knowing

- No API key is required. Without one, agentmemory runs zero-LLM with BM25 plus local embeddings.
- Token-spending features ship OFF on purpose: `AGENTMEMORY_AUTO_COMPRESS` (LLM summaries) and `AGENTMEMORY_INJECT_CONTEXT` (auto context injection) both cost tokens proportional to tool-use frequency.
- Tool visibility: `AGENTMEMORY_TOOLS=all` (default) or `core` for the lean set.
- Auth: set `AGENTMEMORY_SECRET` to require `Authorization: Bearer` on the REST API.

## Ports

REST is the anchor at 3111. Streams = N+1 (3112), viewer = N+2 (3113), engine = N+46023 (49134). Relocate the whole block with `--port <N>` or `--instance <N>`.

## See also

- agentmemory-rest-api for how the secret is used.
- agentmemory-architecture for the port quartet rationale.

## Reference

The full recognized-variable list lives in REFERENCE.md, generated by scanning `src/`.