> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://langchain-5e9cc07a-preview-opensw-1772748614-696205f.mintlify.site/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Long-term memory > Learn how to extend deep agents with persistent memory across threads Deep agents come with a local filesystem to offload memory. By default, this filesystem is stored in agent state and is **transient to a single thread**—files are lost when the conversation ends. You can extend deep agents with **long-term memory** by using a `CompositeBackend` that routes specific paths to persistent storage. This enables hybrid storage where some files persist across threads while others remain ephemeral. ```mermaid theme={null} graph LR Agent[Deep Agent] --> Router{Path Router} Router --> |/memories/*| Store[Store Backend] Router --> |other| State[State Backend] Store --> Persist[(Persistent
across threads)] State --> Ephemeral[(Ephemeral
single thread)] classDef trigger fill:#DCFCE7,stroke:#16A34A,stroke-width:2px,color:#14532D classDef process fill:#DBEAFE,stroke:#2563EB,stroke-width:2px,color:#1E3A8A classDef decision fill:#FEF3C7,stroke:#F59E0B,stroke-width:2px,color:#78350F classDef output fill:#F3E8FF,stroke:#9333EA,stroke-width:2px,color:#581C87 class Agent trigger class Router decision class Store,State process class Persist,Ephemeral output ``` ## Setup Configure long-term memory by using a `CompositeBackend` that routes the `/memories/` path to a `StoreBackend`: ```typescript theme={null} import { createDeepAgent } from "deepagents"; import { CompositeBackend, StateBackend, StoreBackend } from "deepagents"; import { InMemoryStore } from "@langchain/langgraph-checkpoint"; const agent = createDeepAgent({ store: new InMemoryStore(), // Good for local dev; omit for LangSmith Deployment backend: (config) => new CompositeBackend( new StateBackend(config), // Ephemeral storage { "/memories/": new StoreBackend(config) } // Persistent storage ), }); ``` ## How it works When using `CompositeBackend`, deep agents maintain **two separate filesystems**: ### 1. Short-term (transient) filesystem * Stored in the agent's state (via `StateBackend`) * Persists only within a single thread * Files are lost when the thread ends * Accessed through standard paths: `/notes.txt`, `/workspace/draft.md` ### 2. Long-term (persistent) filesystem * Stored in a LangGraph Store (via `StoreBackend`) * Persists across all threads and conversations * Survives agent restarts * Accessed through paths prefixed with `/memories/`: `/memories/preferences.txt` ### Path routing The `CompositeBackend` routes file operations based on path prefixes: * Files with paths starting with `/memories/` are stored in the Store (persistent) * Files without this prefix remain in transient state * All filesystem tools (`ls`, `read_file`, `write_file`, `edit_file`) work with both `CompositeBackend` strips the route prefix before storing. For example, `/memories/preferences.txt` is stored as `/preferences.txt` in the `StoreBackend`. The agent always uses the full path. See [CompositeBackend](/oss/javascript/deepagents/backends#compositebackend-router) for details. ```typescript theme={null} // Transient file (lost after thread ends) await agent.invoke({ messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Write draft to /draft.txt" }], }); // Persistent file (survives across threads) await agent.invoke({ messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Save final report to /memories/report.txt" }], }); ``` ## Cross-thread persistence Files in `/memories/` can be accessed from any thread: ```typescript theme={null} import { v4 as uuidv4 } from "uuid"; // Thread 1: Write to long-term memory const config1 = { configurable: { thread_id: uuidv4() } }; await agent.invoke({ messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Save my preferences to /memories/preferences.txt" }], }, config1); // Thread 2: Read from long-term memory (different conversation!) const config2 = { configurable: { thread_id: uuidv4() } }; await agent.invoke({ messages: [{ role: "user", content: "What are my preferences?" }], }, config2); // Agent can read /memories/preferences.txt from the first thread ``` ## Accessing memories from external code (LangSmith) If deploying your agent on LangSmith, you can read or write memories from server-side code (outside the agent) using the [Store API](/langsmith/agent-server-api/store). The `StoreBackend` stores files using the namespace `(assistant_id, "filesystem")`. ```typescript theme={null} import { Client } from "@langchain/langgraph-sdk"; const client = new Client({ apiUrl: "" }); // Read a memory file (path without /memories/ prefix) const item = await client.store.getItem( [assistantId, "filesystem"], "/preferences.txt" ); // Write a memory file await client.store.putItem( [assistantId, "filesystem"], "/preferences.txt", { content: ["line 1", "line 2"], created_at: "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z", modified_at: "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z" } ); // Search for items const items = await client.store.searchItems([assistantId, "filesystem"]); ``` The key does not include the `/memories/` prefix because `CompositeBackend` strips it before storing. See [Path routing](#path-routing) for details. For more information, see the [Store API reference](/langsmith/agent-server-api/store). ## Use cases ### User preferences Store user preferences that persist across sessions: ```typescript theme={null} const agent = createDeepAgent({ store: new InMemoryStore(), backend: (config) => new CompositeBackend( new StateBackend(config), { "/memories/": new StoreBackend(config) } ), systemPrompt: `When users tell you their preferences, save them to /memories/user_preferences.txt so you remember them in future conversations.`, }); ``` ### Self-improving instructions An agent can update its own instructions based on feedback: ```typescript theme={null} const agent = createDeepAgent({ store: new InMemoryStore(), backend: (config) => new CompositeBackend( new StateBackend(config), { "/memories/": new StoreBackend(config) } ), systemPrompt: `You have a file at /memories/instructions.txt with additional instructions and preferences. Read this file at the start of conversations to understand user preferences. When users provide feedback like "please always do X" or "I prefer Y", update /memories/instructions.txt using the edit_file tool.`, }); ``` Over time, the instructions file accumulates user preferences, helping the agent improve. ### Knowledge base Build up knowledge over multiple conversations: ```typescript theme={null} // Conversation 1: Learn about a project await agent.invoke({ messages: [{ role: "user", content: "We're building a web app with React. Save project notes." }], }); // Conversation 2: Use that knowledge await agent.invoke({ messages: [{ role: "user", content: "What framework are we using?" }], }); // Agent reads /memories/project_notes.txt from previous conversation ``` ### Research projects Maintain research state across sessions: ```typescript theme={null} const researchAgent = createDeepAgent({ store: new InMemoryStore(), backend: (config) => new CompositeBackend( new StateBackend(config), { "/memories/": new StoreBackend(config) } ), systemPrompt: `You are a research assistant. Save your research progress to /memories/research/: - /memories/research/sources.txt - List of sources found - /memories/research/notes.txt - Key findings and notes - /memories/research/report.md - Final report draft This allows research to continue across multiple sessions.`, }); ``` ## Store implementations Any LangGraph `BaseStore` implementation works: ### InMemoryStore (development) Good for testing and development, but data is lost on restart: ```typescript theme={null} import { InMemoryStore } from "@langchain/langgraph-checkpoint"; import { createDeepAgent, CompositeBackend, StateBackend, StoreBackend } from "deepagents"; const store = new InMemoryStore(); const agent = createDeepAgent({ store, backend: (config) => new CompositeBackend( new StateBackend(config), { "/memories/": new StoreBackend(config) } ), }); ``` ### PostgresStore (production) For production, use a persistent store: ```typescript theme={null} import { PostgresStore } from "@langchain/langgraph-checkpoint-postgres"; import { createDeepAgent, CompositeBackend, StateBackend, StoreBackend } from "deepagents"; const store = new PostgresStore({ connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL, }); const agent = createDeepAgent({ store, backend: (config) => new CompositeBackend( new StateBackend(config), { "/memories/": new StoreBackend(config) } ), }); ``` ## FileData schema Files stored via `StoreBackend` use the following schema: ```python theme={null} { "content": ["line 1", "line 2", "line 3"], # List of strings (one per line) "created_at": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z", # ISO 8601 timestamp "modified_at": "2024-01-15T11:45:00Z" # ISO 8601 timestamp } ``` You can use the `create_file_data` helper to create properly formatted file data: ```typescript theme={null} import { createFileData } from "deepagents"; const fileData = createFileData("Hello\nWorld"); // { content: ['Hello', 'World'], created_at: '...', modified_at: '...' } ``` For more details on backend protocols, see [Backends](/oss/javascript/deepagents/backends#protocol-reference). ## Best practices ### Use descriptive paths Organize persistent files with clear paths: ``` /memories/user_preferences.txt /memories/research/topic_a/sources.txt /memories/research/topic_a/notes.txt /memories/project/requirements.md ``` ### Document the memory structure Tell the agent what's stored where in your system prompt: ``` Your persistent memory structure: - /memories/preferences.txt: User preferences and settings - /memories/context/: Long-term context about the user - /memories/knowledge/: Facts and information learned over time ``` ### Prune old data Implement periodic cleanup of outdated persistent files to keep storage manageable. ### Choose the right storage * **Development**: Use `InMemoryStore` for quick iteration * **Production**: Use `PostgresStore` or other persistent stores * **Multi-tenant**: Consider using `assistant_id`-based namespacing in your store ***
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