> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cognee.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # CLI Reference > The cognee-cli command-line binary: subcommands, flags, config, retries, and logging. The command-line binary, built from the [`cognee-cli`](https://github.com/topoteretes/cognee-rs/blob/main/crates/cli/) crate. It drives the full pipeline and is also the on-device (Android) runner. Run `cognee-cli --help` for the authoritative flag list; the clap definitions are in [`crates/cli/src/cli.rs`](https://github.com/topoteretes/cognee-rs/blob/main/crates/cli/src/cli.rs). ```bash theme={null} cargo build --release # produces target/release/cognee-cli ``` ## Subcommands The **memory API** verbs (`remember` / `recall` / `improve` / `forget`) are the primary surface; the `add` / `cognify` / `memify` / `search` commands below them are the lower-level pipeline they compose. All of these are always built (not feature-gated). | Command | Purpose | Notable flags | Feature gate | | ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------- | | `remember ` | Store memory: `add` + `cognify` + (by default) `improve`. `` is inline text and/or file paths | `-d/--dataset-name` (`main_dataset`), `--session-id`, `--no-improve` (default OFF — improve runs by default), `--tenant-id` | — | | `recall ` | Query memory with auto-routing (session-aware + graph-backed) | `-t/--query-type` (optional — omit to auto-route), `-d/--datasets` (repeatable), `-k/--top-k` (10), `--session-id`, `-f/--output-format` (`pretty`/`json`/`simple`, default `pretty`) | — | | `improve` | Enrich memory / bridge sessions (feedback + enrichment stages) | `-d/--dataset-name` (`main_dataset`), `--session-id` (repeatable), `--node-name` (repeatable), `--feedback-alpha` (`0.1`), `--tenant-id` | — | | `forget` | Remove memory (a dataset, a single data item, or everything) | `-d/--dataset-name` \| `--data-id` (UUID; requires `--dataset-name`; conflicts with `--all`) \| `--all`, `--tenant-id` | — | | `add ` | Ingest text / file paths / HTTP(S) URLs into a dataset | `-d/--dataset-name` (`main_dataset`), `--tenant-id` | — | | `cognify` | Build the knowledge graph from one or more datasets | `-d/--datasets`, `--chunk-size`, `--chunker` (`TextChunker`/`LangchainChunker`/`CsvChunker`), `--ontology-file`, `-b/--background`, `--llm-max-retries`, `--llm-max-parallel-requests`, `--temporal-cognify` | — | | `add-and-cognify ` | `add` then `cognify` in one step | union of the above | — | | `memify` | Enrich an existing graph with triplet embeddings | `-d/--datasets`, `--node-type`, `--node-name`, `--batch-size` (100) | — | | `search ` | Query the graph/vectors | `-t/--query-type` (`GRAPH_COMPLETION`), `-d/--datasets`, `-k/--top-k` (10), `--system-prompt` / `--system-prompt-path`, `--session-id`, `-f/--output-format` (`pretty`/`json`), `--llm-max-retries` | — | | `delete` | Remove data/datasets across all backends | `-d/--dataset-name` \| `--dataset-id`, `--data-id`, `--all`, `--mode` (`soft`/`hard`), `--dry-run`, `-f/--force` | — | | `config get\|set\|unset ` | Read/write the persisted JSON config | — | — | | `run-sequence` | Run a scripted add/cognify/search sequence | — | — | | `visualize` | Render the graph to a self-contained HTML file | `-o/--output` (`~/graph_visualization.html`) | `visualization` | | `bench` | Phase-timed benchmark driver | `--memories`, `--mock-llm`, `--output` | `bench` | The feature-gated commands are enabled in the default build of `cognee-cli` (except platform-specific ones). See [Architecture: feature strategy](/rust/architecture#architecture-patterns). Cloud `serve` / `disconnect` are not part of OSS — they ship in the closed-source `cognee-cli-cloud` binary (`cognee-cli-cloud serve --url …` / `cognee-cli-cloud disconnect`). ## Memory API The four primary verbs cover the common workflow end-to-end: ```bash theme={null} # Store memory (add + cognify + improve). Inline text and/or file paths. cognee-cli remember "Cognee turns data into a knowledge graph" ./notes.txt -d my_dataset # Scope a turn to a session (session-backed memory) instead of permanent graph memory cognee-cli remember "follow-up note" --session-id chat-42 # Query memory — omit -t to let recall auto-route the retrieval strategy cognee-cli recall "what did we learn about X?" -d my_dataset -k 10 # Enrich memory / bridge sessions cognee-cli improve -d my_dataset --session-id chat-42 # Remove memory cognee-cli forget --all cognee-cli forget -d my_dataset cognee-cli forget --data-id 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 -d my_dataset ``` `remember` with a `--session-id` records session memory; without one it persists permanent, graph-backed memory. `recall` is session-aware and graph-backed; with no `-t/--query-type` it auto-routes to a suitable retrieval strategy. ## Lower-level pipeline The memory verbs compose `add → cognify → search`, which you can also drive directly for fine-grained control (`remember ≈ add + cognify + improve`; `recall ≈ auto-routed search`): ```bash theme={null} cognee-cli add ./notes.txt "some inline text" -d my_dataset cognee-cli cognify -d my_dataset cognee-cli search "what did we learn about X?" -t GRAPH_COMPLETION -d my_dataset -k 10 ``` ## `config` subcommand Reads/writes `~/.config/cognee-rust/config.json`. Keys are the snake\_case `Settings` field names. See [Configuration: CLI config](/rust/configuration#cli-config-subcommand). ```bash theme={null} cognee-cli config set llm_max_retries 4 cognee-cli config get llm_model cognee-cli config unset embedding_endpoint ``` ## LLM retries `--llm-max-retries N` (accepted by `cognify`, `add-and-cognify`, `search`) overrides the retry count for structured-output LLM calls for that run; the persistent default is the `llm_max_retries` config key (default `2`, minimum `1`). The CLI flag wins over the config value. It is passed to `OpenAIAdapter` and governs the strict-schema, function-call, and JSON-fallback parsing paths. ```bash theme={null} cognee-cli cognify --llm-max-retries 4 cognee-cli search "What is TechCorp?" --llm-max-retries 4 ``` ## Logging The CLI calls `cognee_logging::init_logging` at startup. The env-var surface (`COGNEE_LOG_*`, `RUST_LOG`/`LOG_LEVEL`, `LOG_FILE_NAME`) is shared with the HTTP server and bindings and documented canonically in [Configuration: logging](/rust/configuration#logging). Example — JSON logs to a custom directory: ```bash theme={null} COGNEE_LOG_FORMAT=json COGNEE_LOGS_DIR=/var/log/cognee cognee-cli cognify -d main_dataset ```