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Search the Graph

"I know I captured this somewhere. How do I find it?"

Run /kmgraph:kmg-recall to search. KMGraph supports two search paths — file-walk (default) and indexed (optional, faster).

How search works​

Without an index, kmgraph reads each file in the knowledge graph sequentially and returns results in file order. With an index, a single query returns results sorted by relevance — files that closely match the query float to the top. Both paths return results from the same knowledge graph files; the difference is speed and ranking. The search label (FTS5) in results means the index was used — FTS5 (Full-Text Search version 5) is the underlying search technology.

Enable the index​

The index is off by default and takes about a second to build. Once enabled, it stays current automatically — no maintenance required.

Build the index at any time by calling kg_fts5_rebuild from the MCP tool panel — this is also the recommended step right after a /kmgraph:kmg-backfill run that imported a large batch of content.

The index covers all knowledge graph entries including exported chat logs (knowledge/chat-history/) — chat exports are searchable alongside lessons, ADRs, and sessions.

  • How to tell it is active: search results show (FTS5) — this means the index was used
  • How to re-enable after declining: run kg_fts5_rebuild directly

Manage the index​

To revert to file-walk search, delete the index database file for the relevant knowledge graph:

  • Project KG: ~/.kmgraph/index/projects/<kgName>-<pathHash>.db
  • Personal KG: ~/.kmgraph/index/personal.db

<pathHash> is a short digest of where the knowledge graph actually lives on disk (added in v0.7.4). It is what keeps two unrelated projects that happen to use the same <kgName> from sharing — and silently shadowing — one another's index. Rather than reconstructing the filename by hand, run kg_fts5_status: it reports the exact db_path for the active graph without creating or modifying anything.

Run kg_fts5_rebuild to recreate the index at any time.

Upgrading from before v0.7.4: indexes built under the older name-only format (projects/<kgName>.db) are no longer read. Run kg_upgrade and accept the stale-fts5-index-format item to rebuild at the new location — it is non-destructive and leaves the old file in place for you to delete at your convenience.

  • Session Memory — how KMGraph automatically surfaces relevant knowledge at session start
  • Linking Entries — connecting related entries so recall pulls the right cluster