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sidebar_position: 8
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# Documents

Track and manage document sources in your memory bank. Documents provide traceability — knowing where memories came from.

import Tabs from '@theme/Tabs';
import TabItem from '@theme/TabItem';
import CodeSnippet from '@site/src/components/CodeSnippet';

{/* Import raw source files */}
import documentsPy from '!!raw-loader!@site/examples/api/documents.py';
import documentsMjs from '!!raw-loader!@site/examples/api/documents.mjs';

:::tip Prerequisites
Make sure you've completed the [Quick Start](./quickstart) and understand [how retain works](./retain).
:::

## What Are Documents?

Documents are containers for retained content. They help you:

- **Track sources** — Know which PDF, conversation, or file a memory came from
- **Update content** — Re-retain a document to update its facts
- **Delete in bulk** — Remove all memories from a document at once
- **Organize memories** — Group related facts by source

## Chunks

When you retain content, Hindsight splits it into chunks before extracting facts. These chunks are stored alongside the extracted memories, preserving the original text segments.

**Why chunks matter:**
- **Context preservation** — Chunks contain the raw text that generated facts, useful when you need the exact wording
- **Richer recall** — Including chunks in recall provides surrounding context for matched facts

:::tip Include Chunks in Recall
Use `include_chunks=True` in your recall calls to get the original text chunks alongside fact results. See [Recall](./recall) for details.
:::

## Retain with Document ID

Associate retained content with a document:

<Tabs>
<TabItem value="python" label="Python">
<CodeSnippet code={documentsPy} section="document-retain" language="python" />
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="node" label="Node.js">
<CodeSnippet code={documentsMjs} section="document-retain" language="javascript" />
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="cli" label="CLI">

```bash
# Retain content with document ID
hindsight memory retain my-bank "Meeting notes content..." --doc-id notes-2024-03-15

# Batch retain from files
hindsight memory retain-files my-bank docs/
```

</TabItem>
</Tabs>

## Update Documents

Re-retaining with the same document_id **replaces** the old content:

<Tabs>
<TabItem value="python" label="Python">
<CodeSnippet code={documentsPy} section="document-update" language="python" />
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="node" label="Node.js">
<CodeSnippet code={documentsMjs} section="document-update" language="javascript" />
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="cli" label="CLI">

```bash
# Original
hindsight memory retain my-bank "Project deadline: March 31" --doc-id project-plan

# Update
hindsight memory retain my-bank "Project deadline: April 15 (extended)" --doc-id project-plan
```

</TabItem>
</Tabs>

## Get Document

Retrieve a document's original text and metadata. This is useful for expanding document context after a recall operation returns memories with document references.

<Tabs>
<TabItem value="python" label="Python">
<CodeSnippet code={documentsPy} section="document-get" language="python" />
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="node" label="Node.js">
<CodeSnippet code={documentsMjs} section="document-get" language="javascript" />
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="cli" label="CLI">

```bash
hindsight document get my-bank meeting-2024-03-15
```

</TabItem>
</Tabs>

## Update Document

Update mutable fields on an existing document without re-processing the content. Currently supports updating `tags`.

<Tabs>
<TabItem value="python" label="Python">
<CodeSnippet code={documentsPy} section="document-update" language="python" />
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="node" label="Node.js">
<CodeSnippet code={documentsMjs} section="document-update" language="javascript" />
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="cli" label="CLI">

```bash
# Replace tags with new values
hindsight document update-tags my-bank meeting-2024-03-15 --tags team-a --tags team-b

# Remove all tags
hindsight document update-tags my-bank meeting-2024-03-15
```

</TabItem>
</Tabs>

:::info Observations are re-consolidated
When tags change, any consolidated observations derived from the document's memories are invalidated and queued for re-consolidation under the new tags. Co-source memories from other documents that shared those observations are also reset.
:::

## Delete Document

Remove a document and all its associated memories:

<Tabs>
<TabItem value="python" label="Python">
<CodeSnippet code={documentsPy} section="document-delete" language="python" />
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="node" label="Node.js">
<CodeSnippet code={documentsMjs} section="document-delete" language="javascript" />
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="cli" label="CLI">

```bash
hindsight document delete my-bank meeting-2024-03-15
```

</TabItem>
</Tabs>

:::warning
Deleting a document permanently removes all memories extracted from it. This action cannot be undone.
:::

## List Documents

List documents in a bank with optional filtering by ID and tags.

<Tabs>
<TabItem value="python" label="Python">
<CodeSnippet code={documentsPy} section="document-list" language="python" />
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="node" label="Node.js">
<CodeSnippet code={documentsMjs} section="document-list" language="javascript" />
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="cli" label="CLI">

```bash
# List all documents
hindsight document list my-bank

# Filter by ID substring
hindsight document list my-bank --q report

# Filter by tags
hindsight document list my-bank --tags team-a --tags team-b
```

</TabItem>
</Tabs>

### Filtering Options

| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| `q` | Case-insensitive substring match on document ID. `report` matches `report-2024`, `annual-report`, etc. |
| `tags` | Filter by document tags. Accepts multiple values. |
| `tags_match` | How to match tags (default: `any_strict`). See below. |
| `limit` / `offset` | Pagination. Default limit is 100. |

**`tags_match` modes:**

| Mode | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| `any_strict` *(default)* | Document must have **at least one** of the specified tags. Untagged docs excluded. |
| `any` | Same as `any_strict` but also includes untagged documents. |
| `all_strict` | Document must have **all** specified tags. Untagged docs excluded. |
| `all` | Same as `all_strict` but also includes untagged documents. |

## Document Response Format

```json
{
  "id": "meeting-2024-03-15",
  "bank_id": "my-bank",
  "original_text": "Alice presented the Q4 roadmap...",
  "content_hash": "abc123def456",
  "memory_unit_count": 12,
  "created_at": "2024-03-15T14:00:00Z",
  "updated_at": "2024-03-15T14:00:00Z"
}
```

## Next Steps

- [**Operations**](./operations) — Monitor background tasks
- [**Memory Banks**](./memory-banks) — Configure bank settings