Getting Started

External context management for Claude Code. Never lose knowledge between sessions.

What is ContextVault?

ContextVault is a two-tier documentation system that helps AI coding assistants (like Claude Code) remember context across sessions. Instead of losing everything when a conversation ends, ContextVault persists your knowledge in organized markdown files.

Why ContextVault?

AI assistants start fresh every session. ContextVault solves this by creating a persistent knowledge base that Claude reads at session start, giving it full context of your project.

Key Features

Two-Tier System — Global vault for reusable knowledge, project vault for specific docs
25 Slash Commands — Quick commands for every documentation need
Smart Hooks — Automatic reminders to document your work
Configurable Enforcement — Light, balanced, or strict reminder modes
Auto-Bootstrap — Scan and document entire codebases automatically

Installation

macOS & Linux

Install with a single command:

curl -sL https://ctx-vault.com/install | bash

Or install directly from GitHub:

curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ahmadzein/ContextVault/main/install-contextvault.sh | bash

Windows

Native PowerShell installation (run as Administrator):

irm https://ctx-vault.com/install.ps1 | iex

Windows Note

For full hook support on Windows, install Git for Windows which includes Git Bash. The installer will auto-detect it.

Alternative: WSL

Windows users can also use WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux):

# In WSL terminal
curl -sL https://ctx-vault.com/install | bash

What Gets Installed

Component	Location	Purpose
`CLAUDE.md`	`~/.claude/`	Global instructions for Claude
25 Commands	`~/.claude/commands/`	Slash command definitions
Global Vault	`~/.claude/vault/`	Cross-project knowledge
Hooks	`~/.claude/settings.json`	Smart reminder system

Quick Start

1. Initialize a Project

Navigate to your project and initialize ContextVault:

cd your-project
# In Claude Code, type:
/ctx-init

This creates .claude/vault/ in your project with an index.md file.

2. Start Documenting

As you work, use commands to capture knowledge:

# Fixed a bug?
/ctx-error

# Made an architecture decision?
/ctx-decision

# Learned something useful?
/ctx-doc

# Ending your session?
/ctx-handoff

3. Auto-Document a Codebase

For new projects, let ContextVault scan and document automatically:

/ctx-bootstrap

This creates architecture docs and feature docs based on your codebase structure.

4. Continue in Future Sessions

When you start a new Claude Code session, it automatically reads your vault indexes and has full context of your project.

Pro Tip

Use /ctx-status anytime to see your vault's current state — how many docs, which mode, etc.

Next Steps

Understand the Architecture — How the two-tier system works
Browse All 25 Commands — Complete reference with examples
Configure Your Setup — Modes, enforcement levels, limits
Follow Tutorials — Step-by-step guides for common workflows