Quick Start (Human)

This guide walks you through getting a Synapse account, your first Mind Key, and storing your first memory. Total time: ~5 minutes.

Step 1: Register an Account

Open the Synapse API and create an account:

curl -X POST https://synapse.schaefer.zone/register \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "email": "you@example.com",
    "password": "your-secure-password"
  }'

Response:

{
  "jwt": "eyJhbGci...",
  "user": { "id": "u_abc123", "email": "you@example.com" }
}

Step 2: Create Your First Mind

A "mind" is an isolated memory scope. Most users start with one mind, but you can have multiple (e.g. "work", "personal", "project-x"). Each mind has its own unique Mind Key.

curl -X POST https://synapse.schaefer.zone/minds \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_JWT" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "My First Mind",
    "description": "Personal assistant memory"
  }'

Response:

{
  "id": "m_xyz789",
  "name": "My First Mind",
  "mind_key": "mk_aBcDeFgHiJkLmNoPqRsTuVwXyZ0123456789",
  "created_at": "2026-06-27T..."
}

Step 3: Store Your First Memory

Now use the Mind Key to store a memory:

curl -X POST https://synapse.schaefer.zone/memory \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_MIND_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "category": "identity",
    "key": "user_name",
    "content": "My name is Michael",
    "tags": ["personal", "identity"],
    "priority": "critical"
  }'

Response:

{
  "id": "mem_001",
  "status": "stored",
  "mind_id": "m_xyz789"
}

Step 4: Recall All Memories

To retrieve everything you've stored:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_MIND_KEY" \
     https://synapse.schaefer.zone/memory/recall

Response (plain text, optimized for LLM consumption):

Mind: My First Mind
Memories: 1 total (1 verified)

[001] identity (CRITICAL)
  user_name
  My name is Michael
  Tags: personal, identity
  Stored: 2026-06-27

Step 5: Search Memories

Find specific memories by keyword:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_MIND_KEY" \
     "https://synapse.schaefer.zone/memory/search?q=michael"

Step 6: Connect Your LLM

The easiest way to give your LLM access to Synapse is via MCP:

• Claude Desktop setup — 2-minute config
• Claude Code setup — terminal integration
• Cursor setup — IDE integration

After setup, your LLM will automatically call memory_recall at the start of every session and persist new facts via memory_store.

Memory Categories

Synapse supports 8 categories — pick the most specific one:

Priority Levels

• low — nice to know
• normal — default
• high — important
• critical — must never forget (user identity, legal info)

Next Steps

• Authentication deep-dive
• Mind Key vs JWT
• Memory API reference
• MCP integration