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Storage

Storage is where Ren keeps things between chats. Anything Ren writes outside storage disappears when the chat ends. File stores hold documents and data files. Memory stores hold information Ren should remember. Databases hold structured data that Ren queries.

In the API and CLI, these are fileStore, memoryStore, and podDatabase.

Choose a store

Store Holds Example How Ren reaches it
File store Files you give Ren or files it produces Brand assets, a pricing sheet, exported reports A folder in every chat of an attached project
Memory store Facts, decisions, and preferences, as Markdown Team conventions, a customer’s history A folder Ren reads when relevant and updates
Database Tables Ren queries with SQL A lead list, daily sales figures A SQLite file shared by the space’s projects

Use a database when you need to filter, join, or aggregate rows. File and memory stores suit documents, Markdown, and config files. Don’t keep git repositories or SQLite files in them; use a repository or a database instead.

What Ren creates for you

When Ren creates
Your organization is created An organization file store and memory store, named after the organization, attached to the General space’s Default project
You join an organization A personal file store and memory store, named after you, attached to the Default project in your personal space
You create a project A <project> Files file store and a <project> Memory memory store, attached to the project

A space has no file or memory stores of its own, but each database belongs to a space.

Every new file store and memory store starts with an empty AGENTS.md. Ren reads it when it opens the store, so use it to say what the store is for and how to organize it.

Ownership and access

A file store or memory store is either organization-wide or private to one person:

  • Organization-wide stores are visible to every member, and any project in the organization can attach them.
  • Private stores are visible only to their owner, and only that person’s projects can attach them. Your personal stores and the stores of projects in your personal space are private.

Projects can share an attached file or memory store. Every project in a space can query its databases, and only that space’s members can see them.

Only organization admins can open Settings → Storage. Any member can attach stores to a project from the project’s Storage tab.

Memory stores

A memory store is a folder of Markdown files. Ren reads it for past context and updates it with decisions, preferences, or customer facts. Project instructions define what Ren should keep.

Ren sees attached memory stores but doesn’t load all their contents into every chat. When it opens a store, it reads AGENTS.md, then the files it needs. Your current request takes precedence over stored memory.

Your personal memory store may also hold a WHOAMI.md profile that Ren writes when you join, so it knows your role from your first chat.

Databases

A database is a SQLite file on the space’s machine at /home/user/db/<slug>.db. Ren backs it up continuously, so it survives when the machine is replaced. Use one when Ren needs to store rows and query them, for example to track leads across daily runs or to feed an artifact dashboard.

All projects in a space share its databases, and projects in other spaces can’t access them.

Manage storage

Create a file store or memory store

  1. Open Settings → Storage and choose the Memory or Files tab.
  2. Select New memory store or New file store.
  3. Choose where it goes: your organization, or a project. Choosing a project also attaches the store to it.
  4. Enter a Name and select Create memory store or Create file store.

Attach storage to a project

  1. Open the project and go to its Storage tab.
  2. Choose Memory or Files, then select Attach memory store or Attach file store.
  3. Pick the store and select Attach.

To detach one, open its menu and select Detach. The store and its files stay.

Attachment changes reach chats when the space’s machine receives the update, usually within seconds.

Upload files

Each file can be up to 50 MB.

  1. Open the project’s Storage tab, or Settings → Storage.
  2. Open the store’s menu and select Browse.
  3. Drop files into the browser.

An upload that isn’t finalized doesn’t appear in the store.

Create a database

  1. Open Settings → Storage and choose the Databases tab.
  2. Select New database, choose the space, and enter a Name.
  3. Select Create database.

Select Copy path on a database to copy its path on the machine.

Delete a store

After you delete a file or memory store, projects lose access on their next update. Ren keeps the files for 30 days, then deletes them permanently. Archived databases keep their backups.

  1. Open Settings → Storage and choose the tab.
  2. For a file store or memory store, select Delete. For a database, select Archive.

FAQ

Can I bring my memory from ChatGPT, Claude, or Claude Code?

Yes. Connect the assistant you already use to Ren, then ask it to push what it knows about you into a Ren memory store. See Migrate from Claude Code.