---
title: memory & goal
description: Hierarchical cross-session memory and autonomous goal execution with drift recovery.
sidebar:
  order: 5
  label: memory & goal
---

## `memory` & `goal`

Long-running autonomous workflows and cross-session knowledge persistence.

---

## `niki goal`

Runs autonomous, multi-step engineering goals. The Goal Runner autonomously breaks down a large objective, executes tasks sequentially, monitors test stability, and recovers from drift.

```bash
# Start a new autonomous goal
niki goal new "Refactor authentication system to support Passkeys and WebAuthn"

# List active and paused goals
niki goal list

# Inspect execution status and step history
niki goal status <goal-id>

# Pause or resume an execution
niki goal pause <goal-id>
niki goal resume <goal-id>
```

---

## `niki memory`

NIKI maintains a hierarchical project memory in `.niki/memory/` across runs so agents remember project architecture, conventions, and previous bug fixes.

```bash
# Query memory with natural language
niki memory query "What database conventions do we use?"

# Manually store a persistent architectural rule
niki memory store --tag arch "Always use UTC timestamps in database models"

# View all stored tags and entries
niki memory tags
niki memory show
```