> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/thedotmack/claude-mem/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Modes and languages

> Switch Claude Mem's behavior, observation categories, and output language using the mode system — without reinstalling.

Claude Mem uses a **mode system** to adapt its behavior, observation types, and output language. You can switch between different workflows (like coding versus email investigation) or generate memory in any of 28+ languages, all through a single setting.

## What is a mode?

A mode is a configuration profile that defines four things:

1. **Observer role** — how Claude analyzes your work (e.g. "Software Engineer" or "Forensic Analyst")
2. **Observation types** — valid categories for memory (e.g. "Bug Fix" and "Feature" vs. "Person" and "Organization")
3. **Concepts** — semantic tags used for indexing (e.g. "Pattern", "Trade-off")
4. **Language** — the language used for generating observation titles, narratives, facts, and summaries

## Configuration

Set the active mode in `~/.claude-mem/settings.json`:

```json theme={null}
{
  "CLAUDE_MEM_MODE": "code--es"
}
```

Or via an environment variable:

```bash theme={null}
export CLAUDE_MEM_MODE="code--fr"
```

The default mode is `code` (English).

## Available modes

### Code mode (default)

The standard mode for software development. Captures bug fixes, features, refactors, discoveries, and architectural decisions.

**Mode ID:** `code`

***

### Code–Chill variant

A behavioral variant of code mode that produces fewer observations. It only records things that would be "painful to rediscover" — shipped features, architectural decisions, and non-obvious gotchas. Routine work and obvious changes are skipped.

**Mode ID:** `code--chill`

***

### Multilingual code modes

All multilingual modes inherit behavior from code mode and instruct Claude to generate memory artifacts (titles, narratives, facts, summaries) in the target language.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="European languages">
    | Language            | Mode ID       | Native name          |
    | ------------------- | ------------- | -------------------- |
    | Czech               | `code--cs`    | Čeština              |
    | Danish              | `code--da`    | Dansk                |
    | Dutch               | `code--nl`    | Nederlands           |
    | Finnish             | `code--fi`    | Suomi                |
    | French              | `code--fr`    | Français             |
    | German              | `code--de`    | Deutsch              |
    | Greek               | `code--el`    | Ελληνικά             |
    | Hungarian           | `code--hu`    | Magyar               |
    | Italian             | `code--it`    | Italiano             |
    | Norwegian           | `code--no`    | Norsk                |
    | Polish              | `code--pl`    | Polski               |
    | Portuguese (Brazil) | `code--pt-br` | Português Brasileiro |
    | Romanian            | `code--ro`    | Română               |
    | Russian             | `code--ru`    | Русский              |
    | Spanish             | `code--es`    | Español              |
    | Swedish             | `code--sv`    | Svenska              |
    | Turkish             | `code--tr`    | Türkçe               |
    | Ukrainian           | `code--uk`    | Українська           |
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Asian and Middle Eastern languages">
    | Language   | Mode ID    | Native name      |
    | ---------- | ---------- | ---------------- |
    | Arabic     | `code--ar` | العربية          |
    | Bengali    | `code--bn` | বাংলা            |
    | Chinese    | `code--zh` | 中文               |
    | Hebrew     | `code--he` | עברית            |
    | Hindi      | `code--hi` | हिन्दी           |
    | Indonesian | `code--id` | Bahasa Indonesia |
    | Japanese   | `code--ja` | 日本語              |
    | Korean     | `code--ko` | 한국어              |
    | Thai       | `code--th` | ภาษาไทย          |
    | Urdu       | `code--ur` | اردو             |
    | Vietnamese | `code--vi` | Tiếng Việt       |
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

### Email investigation mode

A specialized mode for analyzing email dumps such as FOIA releases and corporate archives. Focuses on identifying entities, relationships, timeline events, and key topics rather than code changes.

**Mode ID:** `email-investigation`

**Observation types:**

| Type             | Description                                    |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| `entity`         | Person, organization, or email address         |
| `relationship`   | Connection between entities                    |
| `timeline-event` | Time-stamped event in a communication sequence |
| `evidence`       | Supporting documentation or proof              |
| `anomaly`        | Suspicious pattern or irregularity             |
| `conclusion`     | Investigative finding or determination         |

### Law study mode

A specialized mode for legal education — case briefing, doctrine synthesis, and exam preparation. Captures case holdings, legal rules, issue patterns, and professor frameworks rather than code changes.

**Mode ID:** `law-study`

**Chill variant:** `law-study--chill`

**Observation types:**

| Type                    | Description                                                                          |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `case-holding`          | Case brief (2–3 sentences: key facts + holding) with extracted legal rule            |
| `issue-pattern`         | Exam trigger or fact pattern that signals a legal issue to spot                      |
| `prof-framework`        | Professor's analytical lens, emphasis, or approach to a topic or doctrine            |
| `doctrine-rule`         | Legal test, standard, or doctrine synthesized from cases, statutes, or restatements  |
| `argument-structure`    | Legal argument or counter-argument worked through with analytical steps              |
| `cross-case-connection` | Insight linking multiple cases, doctrines, or topics that reveals a deeper principle |

**Observation concepts:** `exam-relevant`, `minority-position`, `gotcha`, `unsettled-law`, `policy-rationale`, `course-theme`

***

## Mode inheritance

The system supports inheritance using the `--` separator in mode IDs. For example, `code--es` is resolved as:

1. Load `code` (parent) configuration
2. Load `code--es` (child) configuration
3. Merge child into parent — child values override parent values

This allows lightweight "remix" modes that change only specific aspects (like the language prompt) while keeping the core mode definition intact.

```json theme={null}
{
  "CLAUDE_MEM_MODE": "code--es"
}
```

This is equivalent to Spanish code mode — all observation types and concepts from `code` mode, with all memory output generated in Spanish.

## Examples

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Switch to French">
    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "CLAUDE_MEM_MODE": "code--fr"
    }
    ```

    All future observations, session summaries, and titles will be generated in French.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Reduce observation volume">
    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "CLAUDE_MEM_MODE": "code--chill"
    }
    ```

    Only significant moments are recorded: shipped features, architectural decisions, and non-obvious gotchas.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Investigate email archives">
    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "CLAUDE_MEM_MODE": "email-investigation"
    }
    ```

    Switches observation types to entities, relationships, timeline events, evidence, anomalies, and conclusions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Switch to law study mode">
    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "CLAUDE_MEM_MODE": "law-study"
    }
    ```

    Observation types change to case holdings, issue patterns, doctrine rules, professor frameworks, argument structures, and cross-case connections. Designed for law students briefing cases and synthesizing doctrine.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Set via environment variable (temporary)">
    ```bash theme={null}
    export CLAUDE_MEM_MODE="code--ja"
    ```

    Useful for a single session without changing your persistent settings file.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Configuration" icon="gear" href="/configuration">
    Full settings reference including CLAUDE\_MEM\_MODE
  </Card>

  <Card title="Getting started" icon="rocket" href="/usage/getting-started">
    Set up Claude Mem for the first time
  </Card>
</CardGroup>