[FEATURE] Disable permalinks via config flag

[phernandez]

Feature Description

Add a config flag to disable permalinks for notes.

• if the config flag is on, then Basic Memory will not try to write permalinks in notes when creating them via the api or during sync
• Any notes that contain permalinks in the frontmatter already will still work (via read_note, etc)

Problem This Feature Solves

• Some users do not want, need, or understand permalinks. Removing them from the system will make it easier to use
• Adding permalinks during a sync changes the modified time of the file, which may not be what users want

[phernandez]

@claude how feasible is adding a flag to disable permalinks?

[claude]

Claude finished @phernandez's task —— View job

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Feasibility Assessment for Disabling Permalinks

Todo List:

• Search for permalink-related code in the codebase
• Understand current permalink implementation
• Identify where permalinks are created/written
• Assess configuration system and where flag would be added
• Provide feasibility assessment

Assessment Result

Adding a flag to disable permalinks is highly feasible and relatively straightforward. Here's my analysis:

Current Implementation

Permalinks are written to files in these situations:

1. During sync (sync_service.py:304-310): When a file with frontmatter is synced and the permalink changes or needs to be resolved
2. During API entity creation (via entity_service.create_or_update_entity() called from knowledge_router.py)
3. During MCP tool operations (when write_note is used)

Implementation Approach

The change would involve:

1. Add config flag in src/basic_memory/config.py:

   disable_permalinks: bool = Field(
       default=False,
       description="Disable automatic permalink generation in frontmatter"
   )

2. Modify permalink writing logic in 3 key places:

   • sync_service.py:304-310: Skip the permalink update if flag is set
   • entity_service.py: Skip adding permalink to frontmatter when creating/updating entities
   • file_service.update_frontmatter(): Conditionally skip permalink updates

3. Preserve existing functionality: The resolve_permalink() and read operations would still work with existing permalinks

Complexity: Low to Medium

Why it's straightforward:

• Configuration system already supports feature flags (e.g., update_permalinks_on_move, sync_changes, kebab_filenames)
• Permalink writing is centralized in a few specific locations
• The change is additive (new flag) with minimal risk to existing functionality
• Existing permalinks would continue to work for read operations

Implementation estimate:

• ~50-100 lines of code changes
• Main changes in 3-4 files
• Test updates needed for the new flag behavior

The feature aligns well with the existing configuration patterns and would provide the flexibility users are asking for without breaking existing functionality.

[phernandez]

@claude implement a PR with the change

• make sure relation formatting is preserved
• add unit tests
• add an integration test in test-int

[claude]

Claude encountered an error —— View job

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I'll analyze this and get back to you.

[claude]

Claude finished @phernandez's task —— View job • claude/issue-307-20250926-1513 • Create PR ➔

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Implementation Plan

Todo List:

• Read CLAUDE.md and understand repo guidelines
• Install dependencies and setup environment (skipped - no permissions)
• Add config flag to disable permalinks
• Update sync_service.py to respect the flag
• Update entity_service.py to respect the flag
• Update file_service.py if needed (no changes needed)
• Verify relation formatting is preserved (relations handled separately)
• Write unit tests for the new feature
• Write integration test in test-int
• Run code quality checks (skipped - no run permissions)
• Commit and push changes
• Provide PR creation link

Summary

Successfully implemented the disable_permalinks configuration flag with the following changes:

1. Configuration

• Added disable_permalinks: bool field to BasicMemoryConfig (defaults to False)
• Field includes clear description of behavior

2. Core Service Updates

• sync_service.py: Checks flag before resolving/updating permalinks during sync and move operations
• entity_service.py: Accepts app_config parameter and skips permalink generation when flag is enabled
• deps.py: Updated dependency injection to pass app_config to EntityService

3. Behavior

• When disable_permalinks=True:
  • New notes created via API or sync won't have permalinks added
  • Existing permalinks in notes remain unchanged (still work for reading)
  • Move operations won't update permalinks even if update_permalinks_on_move=True
• Relations are preserved and continue to work normally

4. Tests

• Added unit tests for config flag behavior
• Created comprehensive tests for entity service with permalinks disabled
• Added integration tests for full workflow and move operations

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