How memory works in Cursor today

Last updated October 31, 2026

Cursor removed its Memories feature in version 2.1, released in November 2025, and pointed users to rules instead. Today, what Cursor's agent knows between chats comes from rules: project rules in .cursor/rules, your User Rules, Team Rules on Team and Enterprise plans, and AGENTS.md files. Some people add a memory-bank folder the agent maintains, or an MCP memory server. Memlo's sign-in doesn't work from Cursor yet, so it isn't one of those options today.

What happened to Cursor Memories

Cursor Memories were notes Cursor's agent saved about you and your projects. In a forum reply on November 25, 2025, a Cursor team member wrote: "The Memories feature was intentionally removed starting from version 2.1.x." The same reply explains how to keep them: type "Export memories," which saves them to an .mdc file, then add that content to your rules, as User Rules or Project Rules.

Cursor's 2.1 changelog, dated November 21, 2025, doesn't mention Memories. It does add that rules in your home folder's .cursor/rules folder are now included in context.

What Cursor uses instead: rules

Cursor's documentation describes four places rules come from, applied in this order: "Team Rules → Project Rules → User Rules," plus AGENTS.md.

• Project rules live in .cursor/rules as .mdc files. "A plain .md file in .cursor/rules is ignored."
• User Rules are "global preferences defined in Customize → Rules that apply across all projects."
• Team Rules: "Team and Enterprise plans can create and enforce rules across their entire organization from the Cursor dashboard."
• AGENTS.md: "Cursor supports AGENTS.md in the project root and subdirectories."

Each project rule says when it applies: always, when the agent decides it's relevant, when a matching file is involved, or only when you @-mention it. The full details are in What are Cursor rules?.

Rules are not the same as memory

Rules are instructions you write; Memories were notes the agent wrote. With Memories gone, nothing in Cursor saves what the agent learns on its own. If you want that, you have three choices:

• Ask the agent to update a rule or AGENTS.md when it learns something worth keeping. Simple, but those files load into context, so keep them short.
• A memory bank: Markdown files the agent reads and updates, set up through a rule. See What is a memory bank?.
• An MCP memory server: a service the agent searches when it needs something. Cursor supports MCP servers, including ones that sign in with OAuth.

Memlo and Cursor

Memlo doesn't work with Cursor yet. Cursor's sign-in for MCP servers returns to a cursor:// address, and Memlo's sign-in refuses that address today.

Memlo does work today with Claude Code, Codex, claude.ai, Claude Desktop, ChatGPT, Gemini and other MCP clients that sign in with OAuth. If you use Cursor alongside one of those, they can share one memory now, and Cursor can join when its sign-in works.

Frequently asked questions

Does Cursor have memory?

Not a feature that saves memories on its own any more. Cursor removed Memories in version 2.1. It loads rules (project rules, User Rules, Team Rules) and AGENTS.md into the agent's context, and you can add a memory bank or an MCP memory server.

Where did my Cursor memories go?

Cursor removed the feature in version 2.1. A Cursor team member's forum reply says you can type "Export memories" to save them to an .mdc file, then add the content to your User Rules or Project Rules.

What replaced Cursor Memories?

Rules. Cursor's team pointed users to export their memories into User Rules or Project Rules. Cursor also reads AGENTS.md.

Does Memlo work with Cursor?

Not yet. Cursor's MCP sign-in returns to a cursor:// address, which Memlo's sign-in refuses today. Memlo works with Claude Code, Codex, ChatGPT, claude.ai and other MCP clients now.

Sources

Checked on October 31, 2026:

• Are my memories gone?, Cursor forum, reply from the Cursor team, November 25, 2025
• Cursor 2.1 changelog, November 21, 2025
• Rules and Model Context Protocol, Cursor documentation
• Memlo: the setup page