What your AI shouldhave knowns.

Give your AI persistent memory of your project context. No more repeating yourself.

AI Workflow
YouWork on task 42
AI
Reading task-42: "Add user authentication"
→ Spec: @doc/specs/user-auth | Template: @template/api-auth
Generated from @template/api-auth
Implemented JWT middleware
AC synced: "Users can login"
Time logged: 12m
AISpec coverage: 2/3 ACs done. Continue with task-43?
GitHub Stars
Downloads/mo
Forks
MIT
License

Everything you need to manage knowledge

A complete CLI toolkit for tasks, documentation, and time tracking. Built for developers, optimized for AI.

Spec-Driven Development
Write specs before code with /kn:spec. Tasks auto-link to specs, ACs sync automatically. Verify coverage with /kn:verify.
Task Management
Create tasks with acceptance criteria, track progress, and manage your backlog from the terminal.
Template System
Generate code with Handlebars templates linked to documentation. AI understands your patterns.
Automatic AI context
Assistants auto-resolve @doc/@task/@template refs (CLI or MCP) so prompts stay short—no manual copy-paste.
Import & Sync
Import docs and templates from Git repos, npm packages, or local folders. Keep them synced automatically.
MCP auto-setup
Run `knowns mcp setup` to generate .mcp.json and register the server in Claude Code automatically.
Time tracking built-in
Start/stop/pause timers and generate reports by label, date range, or task without extra tools.
Dashboard & Web UI
Full dashboard with SDD coverage, time tracking summary, and activity feed. Kanban + docs browser with spec badges.

Choose your workflow

From spec-driven development to quick fixes. Pick the right flow for your task.

Large features
Full SDD Flow
Spec-first development with auto-sync ACs and coverage tracking.
init → spec → plan → implement → verify
Small features
Normal Flow
Plan from existing task, implement with AI assistance.
init → plan → implement
Bug fixes
Quick Fix Flow
Jump straight to fixing. AI reads context automatically.
init → implement

All skills use the /kn:* namespace. View full workflow guide →

The Origin Story

Why Claude keeps writing slop?
Where is my test? Why it messed up my architecture?

The problem isn't the AI. The problem is the context.

Managing a complex project with AI is tough. You are constantly juggling multiple tasks, and one slip-up in your prompt, one missing file or forgotten constraint, leads the AI down a rabbit hole of bad code. We make errors too.

I was tired of doing the same thing every prompt:

  • Paste docs.
  • AI writes code.
  • AI forgets earlier instruction.
  • I realize I forgot to paste the new schema.
  • Start over.

I was spending more time managing the AI's memory and correcting errors than actually building my app.

So, Knowns CLI was born.

I stopped trying to be the manual bridge between my project management and my code. I built a tool that lets the AI read the map itself.

Now, when I say "work on Task 42," I don't paste anything. The AI reads the task state. It checks the documentation. It understands exactly what "done" looks like. It doesn't rely on my faulty memory or my copy-pasting skills.

The best part? It closes the loop. When the AI solves a tricky problem, it extracts that knowledge and updates the project docs automatically.

No more lost context. No more "wait, let me give you the new file."
No more drowning in task management.

It just Knowns.

Video Demo

Not sure how it works? Watch this

2 minutes to understand how Knowns gives your AI persistent project memory. Skip the docs, just watch and try.

Knowns CLI Demo
Click to watch (~2 min)

What you'll see:

  • Task management with acceptance criteria
  • AI automatically reads context from docs
  • Built-in time tracking
  • Web UI with Kanban board

💡 Tip: After watching, try it yourself:

npx knowns init

Quick Installation

Get started with Knowns in seconds

Prerequisites

Node.js 18+ or Bun 1.0+ is required. Download Node.js · Download Bun

Install with npm
$ npm install -g knowns
Install with bun
$ bun install -g knowns
Install with yarn
$ yarn global add knowns
Install with pnpm
$ pnpm add -g knowns
Quick Start
# Initialize Knowns in your project
$ knowns init
# Or try without installing globally (npx)
$ npx knowns init
# Verify installation
$ knowns --version
# Start the browser UI (optional)
$ knowns browser

Keeping Skills & Agents Updated

After a new release, update your installation then run:

knowns sync

This keeps your skills and agents always up to date.

Platform-Specific Instructions

Open Source

Built by the Community

Knowns is open source and made better by contributors like you. Join us in building the future of knowledge management.

Report Issues

Found a bug? Open an issue to help us improve.

Submit PRs

Have a fix or feature? We welcome pull requests.

Improve Docs

Help make our documentation clearer and more helpful.

Our Contributors

Meet the Team

The people building Knowns to help developers manage knowledge better.

HN

Howz Nguyen

Founder & Lead Developer

HV

Harry Vu

Developer

Interested in contributing? Join us on GitHub

Join the Community

Connect with developers building with Knowns. Share tips, get help, and stay updated on new features.

Get Help

Ask questions and get answers from the community

Early Access

Be the first to try new features and updates

Connect

Meet other developers using Knowns

Free to join. No spam. Just developers helping developers.

Knowns

Ready to give your AI
persistent memory?

Stop repeating yourself. Start building with an AI that actually remembers your project context.

npm install -g knowns

Open source. Self-hosted. Built for developers.