## Start with a read\, not a setting change

Your current conversation is OMP’s working context\. Durable memory is information it can retrieve in a later session\. Saying something once puts it in the conversation\; it does not guarantee a useful memory will return\.

Open OMP in your usual project directory and ask the agent\:

~~~text
Use recall to find my preferences for this project. Show the returned IDs, and say clearly if you find nothing.
~~~

The website’s Copy buttons only copy text\. They do not execute commands\, change OMP settings or save facts to real memory\.

Keep three input surfaces distinct\:

- **Agent requests\:** prose asking OMP to use `retain`\, `recall`\, `reflect`\, `memory_edit`\, `learn` or `manage_skill`\.
- **OMP slash commands\:** enter `/memory view` and related commands inside OMP\.
- **Terminal configuration commands\:** run `omp config …` in your shell\, not as slash commands\.

The homepage’s three\-stage illustration is fictional\: “Explain the test before the refactor” begins in conversation context\; an explicit retain can store a project preference\; a new session can later retrieve a relevant match\. Selecting a stage writes no real memory\. Retrieval is not guaranteed\.