Piia Engram

What is Piia Engram?

Piia Engram is a local-first AI work identity layer for developers. It stores your personal preferences, coding standards, lessons learned, decisions, and project context in local files under ~/.engram/ as JSON and Markdown. Multiple MCP-compatible coding tools (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, and others) can read this same approved context, so you never have to re-explain yourself when switching tools or starting new chats. It is not an agent memory database; it is a user-owned layer above your tools.

How to use Piia Engram?

Install with pip install piia-engram and run engram setup. The wizard auto-detects supported AI tools, lists the config files it will touch, writes the MCP connection after confirmation, and backs up every file before modifying it. After restarting your configured tool, its first conversation can load your approved identity and knowledge through startup or search tools.

Key features of Piia Engram

• Local files you own, no cloud account required
• AI-proposed knowledge reviewed by user before high-risk writes
• Portable identity across multiple MCP-compatible coding tools
• Memory Lens (engram preview --html) shows what AI callers receive
• Field-level optional AES-256-GCM encryption for sensitive profile fields
• 17 core MCP tools (loaded by default) + 40 advanced tools (opt-in)

Use cases of Piia Engram

• Developers who switch between Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor and want consistent context
• Users who open many AI chat windows per week and want each to start from the same identity
• Developers who lost preferences after a tool update and want persistent local memory
• System architects maintaining living Architecture Decision Records queryable by AI tools
• Vibe coders who want consistent patterns and preferences across sessions

FAQ from Piia Engram

How is Piia Engram different from native AI tool memory?

Native memories (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor) are scoped to one tool or workspace. Piia Engram provides one portable identity layer above them: local files you own, AI-proposed knowledge you review, and context that follows you across tools.

What are the dependencies and runtime requirements?

Python 3.10 or higher. The core store runs locally with no network calls by default. Optional features like read_web_content may make network requests; remote telemetry requires explicit opt-in.

Where does my data live?

All identity and knowledge files are stored under ~/.engram/ as plain JSON and Markdown by default. You can inspect, edit, and override them at any time. Encryption is optional for specific profile fields.

Does Piia Engram require approval for every AI write?

By default, high-risk items (credentials, shell commands, MCP config, permission rules) wait for your review; low/medium writes are auto-absorbed but fully auditable and reversible. Set ENGRAM_APPROVAL=strict to gate every write.

Which transport and authentication does Piia Engram use?

It uses MCP over stdio. No cloud account is needed; authentication is not required because everything runs locally on your machine.