> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/steveyegge/beads/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# bd recall

> Retrieve the full content of a specific memory by key

## Overview

The `bd recall` command retrieves the complete content of a stored memory by its key. Unlike `bd memories` which truncates long content, `recall` shows everything.

**Added in:** v0.58.0

## Syntax

```bash theme={null}
bd recall <key>
```

## Arguments

<ParamField path="key" type="string" required>
  The exact key of the memory to retrieve. Keys are case-sensitive.
</ParamField>

## How It Works

The command queries the key-value store for the entry matching `kv.memory.<key>` and returns the full content without truncation. This is useful for:

* Reading long, multi-line memories
* Copying content for reference
* Verifying exact stored text
* Piping to other commands

## Examples

### Basic Recall

Retrieve a simple memory:

```bash theme={null}
bd recall test-race
```

Output:

```
always run tests with -race flag to catch concurrency bugs
```

### Multi-line Memory

Recall complex, structured information:

```bash theme={null}
bd recall auth-jwt
```

Output:

```
Auth module uses JWT not sessions.
Token expiry is 24h.
Refresh tokens stored in Redis.
Refresh endpoint: POST /api/v1/auth/refresh
Requires: Bearer token in Authorization header
```

### Long Content

Get full text that was truncated in `bd memories`:

```bash theme={null}
bd recall deployment-checklist
```

Output:

```
Pre-deployment checklist:
1. Run full test suite with race detector
2. Update CHANGELOG.md with new version
3. Run bd doctor to check for issues
4. Tag release in git: git tag v1.2.3
5. Push tags: git push --tags
6. Verify CI passes on tag
7. Run deploy script: ./scripts/deploy.sh production
8. Monitor logs for 10 minutes
9. Check health endpoint: curl https://api.example.com/health
10. Update status page if needed
```

### Memory Doesn't Exist

When the key is not found:

```bash theme={null}
bd recall nonexistent-key
```

Output (stderr):

```
No memory with key "nonexistent-key"
```

Exit code: 1

## JSON Output

For programmatic use, add `--json`:

```bash theme={null}
bd recall auth-jwt --json
```

Success output:

```json theme={null}
{
  "key": "auth-jwt",
  "value": "Auth module uses JWT not sessions.\nToken expiry is 24h.\nRefresh tokens stored in Redis.",
  "found": true
}
```

Not found output:

```json theme={null}
{
  "key": "nonexistent-key",
  "value": "",
  "found": false
}
```

Exit code: 1 when not found, 0 when found.

## Use Cases

### Copy to Clipboard

On macOS:

```bash theme={null}
bd recall api-staging | pbcopy
```

On Linux:

```bash theme={null}
bd recall api-staging | xclip -selection clipboard
```

### Use in Scripts

Extract configuration from memories:

```bash theme={null}
#!/bin/bash
S3_BUCKET=$(bd recall s3-staging)
aws s3 ls "$S3_BUCKET"
```

### Verify Memory Content

Check exact wording before updating:

```bash theme={null}
# See what's currently stored
bd recall deploy-checklist

# Update if needed
bd remember "$(bd recall deploy-checklist)
New step: Notify team in Slack" --key deploy-checklist
```

### Pipe to Editor

Edit long memories:

```bash theme={null}
bd recall deployment-checklist > /tmp/checklist.txt
$EDITOR /tmp/checklist.txt
bd remember "$(cat /tmp/checklist.txt)" --key deployment-checklist
```

### Compare Versions

If you're tracking similar info in git:

```bash theme={null}
bd recall deployment-notes > /tmp/bd-notes.txt
cat docs/DEPLOYMENT.md > /tmp/doc-notes.txt
diff /tmp/bd-notes.txt /tmp/doc-notes.txt
```

### Agent Context Retrieval

AI agents can fetch specific knowledge:

```bash theme={null}
# Agent discovers it needs to know about auth
bd recall auth-jwt
# Gets full details to inform implementation
```

## Finding Keys

If you don't know the exact key:

```bash theme={null}
# Search first
bd memories auth
# Output shows: auth-jwt, auth-config, etc.

# Then recall the right one
bd recall auth-jwt
```

Or use JSON for parsing:

```bash theme={null}
bd memories auth --json | jq 'keys[]'
# Lists all keys matching "auth"
```

## Exit Codes

* **0**: Memory found and retrieved successfully
* **1**: Memory key not found

This makes it easy to check in scripts:

```bash theme={null}
if bd recall staging-api-key >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  echo "Found staging API key"
else
  echo "No staging API key stored"
  bd remember "abc123xyz" --key staging-api-key
fi
```

## Related Commands

* [`bd memories`](/cli/memories) - List all memories or search by keyword
* [`bd remember`](/cli/remember) - Store or update a memory
* [`bd forget`](/cli/forget) - Delete a memory

## Tips

<Tip>
  Use `bd recall` when you need the full, untruncated content. Use `bd memories <search>` when you're browsing or don't know the exact key.
</Tip>

<Tip>
  Pipe output to tools:

  ```bash theme={null}
  bd recall code-style | less  # Page through long content
  bd recall api-endpoints | grep POST  # Search within memory
  bd recall config --json | jq -r .value  # Extract value only
  ```
</Tip>

<Note>
  Keys are case-sensitive. `bd recall Auth-JWT` won't find `auth-jwt`. Use `bd memories` to find the correct key if unsure.
</Note>

<Warning>
  Output goes to stdout. Error messages go to stderr. This allows safe piping:

  ```bash theme={null}
  config=$(bd recall my-config)  # Works even if not found (empty string)
  ```
</Warning>