Memory vs Context

Choosing between $memory and $context comes down to one simple question: do you need this data after the conversation ends?

Use $context when

Use $context when the data is only needed during the current conversation. Use cases:

Checking product availability: The user asks about a product, you query your inventory and save the available stock in $context.stock to display it and validate the quantity they want to buy in the following nodes
Validating a discount code: The user enters a coupon, you validate it with your API and save the percentage in $context.discount to apply it when calculating the total
Temporary authentication: You get a token from your API and save it in $context.token to use in subsequent calls within the same flow
Intermediate calculations: The user selects products, you keep adding up the subtotal in $context.subtotal to display it before confirming the purchase

Example:

User asks: "Do you have the blue shirt in size M?"
API node → Queries inventory and saves $context.stock = 5
Message node → "We have {{$context.stock}} units available"
User purchases → You validate the quantity does not exceed $context.stock

Use $memory when

Use $memory when the data must persist between conversations. You can configure the time-to-live (TTL) for each variable. Use cases:

Remembering the user’s name to greet them personally
Saving the last shipping address to offer it as a default
Storing preferences that improve the experience in future interactions
Remembering that the user completed a verification step

Example:

Conversation 1: User says "My name is Maria"
→ You save $memory.name = "Maria"

Conversation 2 (same day):
→ You use {{$memory.name}} to greet: "Hello Maria"

For details on data types, TTL, files, and available methods, see the complete Memory guide.

Quick decision criteria

Do you need the data in future conversations?

No → Use $contextYes → Use $memory

Summary

Aspect	$context	$memory
Duration	Only during the conversation	Up to 30 days of user inactivity (renewed on every write). Optional per-variable TTL: up to 1 day (JSON) or 1 week (files)
Types	Any JavaScript value	Primitives, JSON (15 KB), Files (10 MB)
Use	Temporary conversation data	Improve experience between conversations
Security	Ideal for temporary sensitive data	Do not use for sensitive data

$memory is not a database: it is per-user working memory with a limited lifetime (30 days of inactivity, per-variable TTL up to 1 day for JSON or 1 week for files). If your use case needs real persistence, cross-user data, queries by field, or audit history, use Datum instead. Signs that $memory is not the right tool:

You need to keep the data for more than 30 days, even if the user stops writing.
The data is business data (orders, invoices, catalogs), not per-turn user state.
Several users or workflows in the same project must read the same record.
You need to filter, search by field, or audit changes.

Aspect	$memory	Datum
Scope	Per user	Global — shared across project workflows and users
Persistence	Up to 30 days of inactivity; per-variable TTL	Permanent until you delete it
Queries	Only by exact `key`	Field filters, search, pagination
Ideal for	Conversation state, user preferences	Orders, catalogs, historical records

Rule of thumb: if the data still has value when the user stops writing to you for a month, it does not live in $memory. It lives in Datum.

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Use $context when

Use $memory when

Quick decision criteria

Summary

​Use $context when

​Use $memory when

​Quick decision criteria

​Summary

​What if I need to store data for longer or share it across users?

Use $context when

Use $memory when

Quick decision criteria

Summary

What if I need to store data for longer or share it across users?