---
title: "How Supermemory Works"
description: "Understanding the knowledge graph architecture that powers intelligent memory"
icon: "brain"
---


Supermemory isn't just another document storage system. It's designed to mirror how human memory actually works - forming connections, evolving over time, and generating insights from accumulated knowledge.

![](/images/graph-view.png)

## The Mental Model

Traditional systems store files. Supermemory creates a living knowledge graph.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Traditional Systems" icon="folder">
    - Static files in folders
    - No connections between content
    - Search matches keywords
    - Information stays frozen
  </Card>

  <Card title="Supermemory" icon="network">
    - Dynamic knowledge graph
    - Rich relationships between memories
    - Semantic understanding
    - Information evolves and connects
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Documents vs Memories

Understanding this distinction is crucial to using Supermemory effectively.

### Documents: Your Raw Input

Documents are what you provide - the raw materials:
- PDF files you upload
- Web pages you save
- Text you paste
- Images with text
- Videos to transcribe

Think of documents as books you hand to Supermemory.

### Memories: Intelligent Knowledge Units

Memories are what Supermemory creates - the understanding:
- Semantic chunks with meaning
- Embedded for similarity search
- Connected through relationships
- Dynamically updated over time

Think of memories as the insights and connections your brain makes after reading those books.

<Note>
**Key Insight**: When you upload a 50-page PDF, Supermemory doesn't just store it. It breaks it into hundreds of interconnected memories, each understanding its context and relationships to your other knowledge.
</Note>


## Memory Relationships

![](/images/memories-inferred.png)

The graph connects memories through three types of relationships:

### Updates: Information Changes

When new information contradicts or updates existing knowledge, Supermemory creates an "update" relationship.

<CodeGroup>
```text Original Memory
"You work at Supermemory as a content engineer"
```

```text New Memory (Updates Original)
"You now work at Supermemory as the CMO"
```
</CodeGroup>

The system tracks which memory is latest with an `isLatest` field, ensuring searches return current information.

### Extends: Information Enriches

When new information adds to existing knowledge without replacing it, Supermemory creates an "extends" relationship.

Continuing our "working at supermemory" analogy, a memory about what you work on would extend the memory about your role given above.

<CodeGroup>
```text Original Memory
"You work at Supermemory as the CMO"
```

```text New Memory (Extension) - Separate From Previous
"Your work consists of ensuring the docs are up to date, making marketing campaigns, SEO, etc."
```
</CodeGroup>

Both memories remain valid and searchable, providing richer context.

### Derives: Information Infers

The most sophisticated relationship - when Supermemory infers new connections from patterns in your knowledge.

<CodeGroup>
```text Memory 1
"Dhravya is the founder of Supermemory"
```

```text Memory 2
"Dhravya frequently discusses AI and machine learning innovations"
```

```text Derived Memory
"Supermemory is likely an AI-focused company"
```
</CodeGroup>

These inferences help surface insights you might not have explicitly stated.

## Processing Pipeline

Understanding the pipeline helps you optimize your usage:

| Stage | What Happens |
|-------|-------------|
| **Queued** | Document waiting to process
| **Extracting** | Content being extracted |
| **Chunking** | Creating memory chunks |
| **Embedding** | Generating vectors |
| **Indexing** | Building relationships |
| **Done** | Fully searchable |

<Note>
**Tip**: Larger documents and videos take longer. A 100-page PDF might take 1-2 minutes, while a 1-hour video could take 5-10 minutes.
</Note>


## Next Steps

Now that you understand how Supermemory works:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Add Memories" icon="plus" href="/add-memories/overview">
    Start adding content to your knowledge graph
  </Card>

  <Card title="Search Memories" icon="search" href="/search/overview">
    Learn to query your knowledge effectively
  </Card>
</CardGroup>
