Memory vs context

Agent memory and context feeds solve different problems.

Agent memory helps an application remember user preferences, past tasks, and workflow state. It does not automatically keep the agent current on external source changes.

Synorb supplies context feeds: source-grounded Manifests from watched Streams that can refresh an agent or RAG system with current external information.

MCP · REST · Source URLs · Stable IDs · Manifests

What should the data layer include?

For the difference between stored agent state and fresh external context streams, the useful unit is not a loose search result. It is an object the agent can retrieve, cite, filter, store, and audit.

Freshness

Updated source context

Use feeds when the agent needs current information beyond model training data and static documentation.

Grounding

Evidence stays attached

Source URLs, dates, and stable IDs help the application cite, inspect, and audit what the model used.

Delivery

MCP, REST, webhooks, and archives

Agents can explore through Core MCP. Production systems use REST and webhooks for current delivery. The live window covers the current calendar month plus the previous three full months; S3 archive exports support historical backfills and replay for older months.

A Manifest is the object the agent can use.

This JSON manifest is the source-grounded object delivered through MCP or REST. It is compact enough for an agent workflow and explicit enough for an application to store, cite, and audit.

Manifest excerptJSON
{
  "manifest_id": "1777525429698648000",
  "headline": "Source-grounded update for an AI workflow",
  "summary": "What changed, why it matters, and what source supports it.",
  "source": {
    "name": "Watched source",
    "url": "https://source.example/update",
    "published_date": "2026-06-21"
  },
  "delivery": {
    "mcp": "https://mcp.synorb.com/mcp",
    "rest": "https://api.synorb.com"
  },
  "tags": ["company", "topic", "source-backed"]
}

Where Synorb fits in the workflow.

Use Synorb when your team already knows the sources or topics it needs to monitor, and the workflow needs current context again and again. Use search or crawling for open-ended discovery.

Agents

Pull live context

Use Synorb MCP to discover Streams, inspect details, and retrieve Manifests inside an agent workflow.

RAG

Load before prompts

Push source-grounded Manifests into retrieval stores before users ask for current answers.

Apps

Render with citations

Build dashboards, feeds, monitors, and briefings with source URLs available at display time.

Short answers for AI builders.

What is agent memory?

Agent memory stores information about users, sessions, tasks, or prior decisions so an application can maintain continuity.

What is a context feed?

A context feed supplies current source-grounded updates from external sources so the agent can reason with fresh evidence.

Does Synorb replace agent memory?

No. Synorb provides fresh external context. Agent memory can still store user state, preferences, and workflow history.

Why does the distinction matter?

Mixing memory and external context can make systems stale or hard to audit. Feeds keep current source evidence separate and reusable.

Test Synorb feeds for free.

Want to connect to Synorb's graph to test source-grounded feeds for free? Start with free test credentials, then connect through Core MCP or REST.

Free test credentialscurl
curl -s https://synorb.com/connect

Give your agent fresh source-backed context.

Start with keys, then connect through Core MCP while building or REST when your application owns the workflow.