https://github.com/varun29ankus/mif-spec

MIF — Memory Interchange Format. A vendor-neutral JSON schema for portable AI agent memories. Convert between mem0, CrewAI, LangChain, and more.
https://github.com/varun29ankus/mif-spec

ai ai-agents ai-memory crewai interchange-format json-schema langchain llm mcp mem0 memory mif model-context-protocol portability

Last synced: 3 months ago
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MIF — Memory Interchange Format. A vendor-neutral JSON schema for portable AI agent memories. Convert between mem0, CrewAI, LangChain, and more.

Host: GitHub
URL: https://github.com/varun29ankus/mif-spec
Owner: varun29ankuS
License: apache-2.0
Created: 2026-03-06T07:11:13.000Z (3 months ago)
Default Branch: main
Last Pushed: 2026-03-06T14:20:13.000Z (3 months ago)
Last Synced: 2026-03-09T22:08:04.747Z (3 months ago)
Topics: ai, ai-agents, ai-memory, crewai, interchange-format, json-schema, langchain, llm, mcp, mem0, memory, mif, model-context-protocol, portability
Language: Python
Homepage: https://varun29ankus.github.io/mif-spec/
Size: 136 KB
Stars: 2
Watchers: 0
Forks: 0
Open Issues: 1
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
- License: LICENSE

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README

          # Memory Interchange Format (MIF)

[![PyPI](https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/mif-tools?label=PyPI&logo=python&logoColor=white)](https://pypi.org/project/mif-tools/)

[![npm](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/@varunshodh/mif-tools?label=npm&logo=npm&logoColor=white)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@varunshodh/mif-tools)

[![License](https://img.shields.io/github/license/varun29ankuS/mif-spec)](https://github.com/varun29ankuS/mif-spec/blob/main/LICENSE)

[![Tests](https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/varun29ankuS/mif-spec/validate.yml?label=tests&logo=github)](https://github.com/varun29ankuS/mif-spec/actions/workflows/validate.yml)

[![Docs](https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/varun29ankuS/mif-spec/pages.yml?label=docs&logo=github)](https://varun29ankus.github.io/mif-spec/)

**Your AI agent has 6 months of memories in System A. You want to try System B. Without MIF, you lose everything. With MIF:**

```bash

pip install mif-tools

mif convert mem0_export.json --to shodh -o memories.mif.json

```

Done. Your memories are portable.

## What is MIF?

A vendor-neutral JSON envelope for AI agent memories. Like vCard for contacts or iCalendar for events — a minimal schema so memories move between providers without data loss.

**3 required fields.** That's it.

```json

{

  "mif_version": "2.0",

  "memories": [

    {

      "id": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890",

      "content": "User prefers dark mode across all applications",

      "created_at": "2026-01-15T10:30:00Z"

    }

  ]

}

```

Everything else — memory types, tags, entities, embeddings, knowledge graph, vendor extensions — is optional. Add what you have, ignore what you don't.

## Install

```bash

# Python

pip install mif-tools              # core (zero dependencies)

pip install mif-tools[validate]    # with JSON Schema validation

pip install mif-tools[mcp]         # with MCP server

# Node.js / TypeScript

npm install @varunshodh/mif-tools

```

## Convert Between Formats

```bash

# mem0 → MIF

mif convert mem0_export.json --from mem0 -o memories.mif.json

# MIF → Markdown (Obsidian/Letta style)

mif convert memories.mif.json --to markdown -o memories.md

# Auto-detect source format

mif convert any_memory_file.json -o output.mif.json

# Inspect any memory file

mif inspect memories.json

# Validate MIF document

mif validate memories.mif.json

```

## Python API

```python

from mif import load, dump, convert, MifDocument, Memory

# Load from any format (auto-detects mem0, markdown, generic JSON, MIF)

doc = load(open("mem0_export.json").read())

print(f"{len(doc.memories)} memories loaded")

# Convert between formats in one line

markdown = convert(data, from_format="mem0", to_format="markdown")

# Create memories from scratch

doc = MifDocument(memories=[

    Memory(

        id="123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000",

        content="User prefers dark mode",

        created_at="2026-01-15T10:30:00Z",

        memory_type="observation",

        tags=["preferences", "ui"],

    )

])

print(dump(doc))  # MIF v2 JSON

# Deep validation (UUIDs, references, timestamps, embedding dimensions)

from mif import validate_deep

ok, warnings = validate_deep(open("export.mif.json").read())

```

## Add MIF to Your MCP Server (10 lines)

```python

from mif import load, dump

# Export handler

def export_memories(user_id: str) -> str:

    memories = my_storage.get_all(user_id)

    return dump(memories)

# Import handler — auto-detects mem0, markdown, generic JSON, MIF

def import_memories(data: str) -> dict:

    doc = load(data)

    for mem in doc.memories:

        my_storage.save(mem.id, mem.content, mem.created_at)

    return {"memories_imported": len(doc.memories)}

```

## Supported Formats

| Format | ID | Auto-detect | Description |

|--------|----|-------------|-------------|

| **MIF v2** | `shodh` | `"mif_version"` in JSON | Native format, lossless round-trip |

| **mem0** | `mem0` | JSON array with `"memory"` field | mem0 memory exports |

| **CrewAI** | `crewai` | JSON array with `"task_description"` | CrewAI LTMSQLiteStorage exports |

| **LangChain** | `langchain` | JSON array with `"namespace"` + `"value"` | LangChain/LangMem Item format |

| **Generic JSON** | `generic` | JSON array with `"content"` field | Any JSON memory array |

| **Markdown** | `markdown` | Starts with `---` | YAML frontmatter (Letta/Obsidian style) |

## Full Spec

MIF supports optional fields for rich memory data:

- **Memory types** — `observation`, `decision`, `learning`, `error`, `context`, `conversation`, and custom types

- **Entity references** — named entities with type and confidence

- **Embeddings** — model name, dimensions, vector (reuse or regenerate)

- **Knowledge graph** — entities and relationships with confidence scores

- **Vendor extensions** — system-specific metadata preserved on round-trip

- **Privacy** — PII detection and redaction markers

Full specification: [`spec/mif-v2.md`](./spec/mif-v2.md) | JSON Schema: [`schema/mif-v2.schema.json`](./schema/mif-v2.schema.json)

## MCP Server

Expose MIF tools to any MCP-compatible AI client:

```bash

pip install mif-tools[mcp]

mif mcp

```

Tools: `export_memories`, `import_memories`, `validate_memories`, `inspect_memories`, `list_formats`

## Adapters & Implementations

| System | Status | Type |

|--------|--------|------|

| [shodh-memory](https://github.com/varun29ankuS/shodh-memory) | Production | Built-in HTTP API (`/api/export/mif`, `/api/import/mif`) |

| [mif-tools (PyPI)](https://pypi.org/project/mif-tools/) | Production | Python package with CLI + MCP server |

| [@varunshodh/mif-tools (npm)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@varunshodh/mif-tools) | Production | TypeScript/Node.js package with CLI |

| mem0 | Adapter ready | Python + npm |

| CrewAI | Adapter ready | Python + npm |

| LangChain | Adapter ready | Python + npm |

| Generic JSON | Adapter ready | Python + npm |

| Markdown (YAML frontmatter) | Adapter ready | Python + npm |

## Design Principles

1. **Minimal** — 3 required fields. Everything else is optional.

2. **Extensible** — Unknown fields and vendor extensions MUST be preserved on round-trip.

3. **Vendor-neutral** — The schema doesn't favor any implementation.

4. **Forward-compatible** — Importers MUST ignore unknown fields.

## Contributing

We welcome adapter implementations for any memory system. See [CONTRIBUTING.md](./CONTRIBUTING.md).

## Related

- [Documentation](https://varun29ankus.github.io/mif-spec/) — Full docs site

- [MCP SEP #2342](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/modelcontextprotocol/pull/2342) — Original proposal to the Model Context Protocol

- [tower-mcp #531](https://github.com/joshrotenberg/tower-mcp/issues/531) — Tracking issue in tower-mcp

- [shodh-memory](https://github.com/varun29ankuS/shodh-memory) — Reference implementation (Rust)

- [mif-tools on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/mif-tools/) — Python package

- [@varunshodh/mif-tools on npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@varunshodh/mif-tools) — npm package

## License

Apache 2.0

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