> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.recallium.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Five rules for effective memory > Build a project history that remains useful to you and your agents Recallium works best when memories preserve complete units of reasoning and stay connected to the work they explain. ## 1. Search before editing established code Ask what the team already knows before changing an important file or behavior: > What context should I know before editing `src/auth/tokens.ts`? Earlier decisions, warnings, and bug fixes can change the safe implementation path. ## 2. Capture complete units, not narration Save one decision, root cause, experiment, or operational procedure at a time. Include enough context for a future agent to use it without the original chat. Avoid saving a stream of tiny updates such as “opened the file” or “changed one line.” ## 3. Preserve the reason “We chose Postgres” is incomplete. Record why it won, which alternatives were considered, and what trade-off the team accepted. The code shows what exists. Recallium should preserve why it exists. ## 4. Connect the files Ask your agent to link the files involved in a decision or fix: > Save this token rotation fix and include every file we changed or inspected. File links make the context discoverable when a later session returns to the same code. ## 5. Save hard-won context while it is fresh Capture a meaningful decision, diagnosis, or result when it lands. If work stops unfinished, leave a clear continuation point with what remains and the next action. A useful test is whether a teammate could understand the result two weeks later using only the memory and the repository history.