Ambient context search: automatic project-aware retrieval (ADR-008)

[Paul-Kyle]

Problem

With many memory files across multiple projects, search results from unrelated projects drown out relevant ones. A search for "ADR-004" from a palinode working directory returns results from other projects instead of the palinode-specific memory.

Solution

Automatic ambient context boost. When searching from a project directory, memories tagged with matching project entities get a score boost after hybrid search fusion. Not a filter — a lens. Cross-project results still appear if they're genuinely the best match.

How it works

1. Context resolution: CWD → project entity (configurable map or auto-detect from directory name)
2. Entity boost: Results from files tagged with the matching project entity get a 1.5x score multiplier
3. Embedding augmentation: Query is prepended with project context before embedding for semantic-level awareness
4. CLI flag: --no-context to disable when you want unbiased results

Interfaces

• MCP: Auto-detects from PALINODE_PROJECT env var or CWD
• API: Optional context field on search request
• CLI: Auto-detects from CWD, --no-context to disable

Config

context:
  enabled: true
  boost: 1.5
  auto_detect: true
  project_map:
    my-project: project/my-project

Status

Phase G1 (project entity boost) is implemented with 10 tests. See ADR-008 for full design including Phase G2 (server-side session context) and G3 (multi-signal fusion with learned weights).

No existing AI memory system (Mem0, Zep, Letta, LangMem) does automatic ambient context fusion for retrieval. This is novel.

[Paul-Kyle]

Phase G1 shipped (v0.5.1)

The core entity boost is implemented and live:

• ContextConfig in config — boost, project_map, auto_detect, embed_augment
• context_entities param on search_hybrid() — 1.5x multiplicative boost after RRF fusion
• Query embedding augmentation — prepends project context before embedding for semantic-level awareness
• MCP: auto-detects project from PALINODE_PROJECT env var or CWD basename
• CLI: auto-detects from CWD, --no-context flag to disable
• API: optional context field on search request
• 10 new tests (117 total, 0 regressions)

Verified live

Without context: search for "ADR-004" returns unrelated project results.
With context ["project/palinode"]: palinode-specific ADR-004 memory jumps to #1 (score 1.500 vs 1.000).

Still coming

• Phase G2: Server-side session context (survives /clear and compaction), SessionStart hook, warm-start from previous session
• Phase G3: Multi-signal fusion (conversation entities, git branch, learned weights)

See ADR-008-ambient-context-search.md for full design.

[Paul-Kyle]

Phase G1 shipped in v0.6.0 (c6eebdc).

What's live:

• CWD-based project entity resolution (auto-detect + configurable project_map)
• PALINODE_PROJECT env var override
• Entity boost scoring in hybrid search RRF pipeline
• context parameter on search API and MCP tools
• 10 tests in test_context.py
• ADR-008 documents the full design

Still planned (G2/G3):

• G2: Server-side session context (persist project context across MCP calls)
• G3: Multi-signal fusion with learned weights (git activity, recency, access patterns)

Leaving open for G2/G3 tracking.