CLAUDE DESKTOP · MCP

Claude Desktop Integration

Give Claude Desktop persistent memory that survives across conversations. Dakera's MCP server connects directly — Claude remembers your preferences, project context, and past interactions without re-explaining every session.

Native MCP support. Claude Desktop supports MCP servers natively. Add one config block to claude_desktop_config.json and you're set. All memory stays on your infrastructure.

Quick Start

1

Start Dakera

docker run -d --name dakera \
  -p 3300:3300 \
  -e DAKERA_API_KEY=dk-your-key-here \
  -v dakera-data:/data \
  ghcr.io/dakera-ai/dakera:latest
2

Configure Claude Desktop

Edit claude_desktop_config.json:

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dakera": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": ["run", "--rm", "-i",
        "--network", "host",
        "ghcr.io/dakera-ai/dakera-mcp:latest"],
      "env": {
        "DAKERA_URL": "http://localhost:3300",
        "DAKERA_API_KEY": "dk-your-key-here",
        "DAKERA_AGENT_ID": "claude-desktop",
        "DAKERA_MCP_PROFILE": "core"
      }
    }
  }
}
3

Restart Claude Desktop

Quit and reopen Claude Desktop. You'll see a hammer icon indicating MCP tools are available. Claude now has access to 14 core memory tools (86+ available via profiles).

What Claude Can Do with Memory

CapabilityWhat It Means
Store memoriesSave facts, preferences, and context with importance scores
Recall by meaningHybrid vector + keyword search finds relevant past context
Session trackingGroup related memories by conversation session
Knowledge graphsBuild entity relationships from conversations (people, projects, decisions)
Memory decayOld, unaccessed memories fade naturally — keeping recall sharp
Namespace isolationSeparate work memory from personal memory

Example Interactions

Personal Preferences

Claude automatically stores preferences you mention:

You: "I prefer TypeScript over JavaScript and always use strict mode"
Claude: [stores with importance 0.8, tags: preferences, coding]

// Next session:
You: "Help me set up a new project"
Claude: [recalls preference] "I'll set this up with TypeScript in strict mode,
since that's your preference."

Project Context

You: "We're building a SaaS with Next.js, Prisma, and Stripe"
Claude: [stores project architecture context]

// Days later:
You: "Add a webhook handler for subscription changes"
Claude: [recalls Stripe + Next.js context] "I'll create a Next.js API route
at /api/webhooks/stripe that handles subscription.updated events using
your Prisma schema..."

Research & Notes

You: "I've been researching RAG approaches. Key finding: hybrid retrieval
     outperforms pure vector by 15-20% on factual recall tasks."
Claude: [stores as high-importance research finding]

// Later:
You: "Should we use pure vector search for our docs chatbot?"
Claude: [recalls research] "Based on your earlier research, hybrid retrieval
outperforms pure vector by 15-20% on factual recall. I'd recommend combining
vector with BM25..."

Privacy & Data Control

  • Self-hosted: All memory data stays on your machine or server. Nothing leaves your infrastructure.
  • Encrypted: AES-256-GCM encryption at rest. Even if someone accesses the data files, they can't read your memories.
  • You own the data: Export, backup, or delete any time. No lock-in.
  • Per-namespace control: Create separate namespaces for work, personal, or different projects.

Configuration Options

VariableDescriptionDefault
DAKERA_URLDakera server addresshttp://localhost:3300
DAKERA_API_KEYAuthentication keyRequired
DAKERA_AGENT_IDUnique identifier for this agent"default"
DAKERA_NAMESPACEMemory namespace for isolation"default"
DAKERA_MCP_PROFILETool profile: core, power, admin, or all"core"

Profile Selection (DAKERA_MCP_PROFILE)

The DAKERA_MCP_PROFILE environment variable controls which tools appear when Claude lists available tools. Profiles let you balance capability vs. context window usage:

ProfileToolsTokensBest For
core14~2,964Most users — store, recall, search, sessions, knowledge graphs
admin32~5,975Operators — adds namespaces, API keys, policies, decay config
power68~13,014Advanced agents — adds entity extraction, graph traversal, agent stats, feedback
all86~16,026Full API surface — vectors, bulk ops, export/import, encryption
# Set in your claude_desktop_config.json env block:
"DAKERA_MCP_PROFILE": "power"    # Options: core, power, admin, all
Tip: Start with core (default). Use the built-in dakera_discover_tools and dakera_load_tools meta-tools to pull in additional capabilities on demand without switching profiles.
Works with Claude Pro and Team plans. Any Claude Desktop version with MCP support works with Dakera. No additional subscription needed beyond Claude itself.

Next Steps

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add persistent memory to Claude Desktop?

Run the Dakera server via Docker, then add the dakera-mcp server block to your claude_desktop_config.json with your Dakera URL and API key. Restart Claude Desktop and the memory tools become available automatically.

Does Dakera work with Claude Desktop?

Yes, via the official dakera-mcp MCP server. Claude Desktop supports MCP natively, so no additional plugins or code changes are needed — just one config block.

What does Dakera add to Claude Desktop?

Dakera gives Claude persistent memory across conversations, hybrid BM25 + vector semantic search over past interactions, knowledge graph construction for entities and relationships, session tracking, namespace isolation, and memory decay. All data stays self-hosted on your infrastructure.