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Privacy and providers#

Your memory source is readable Markdown on your disk. You choose which agents use it, whether extraction uses a provider, and whether to keep encrypted snapshots remotely. Those choices have different data boundaries.

What leaves your machine#

Feature	Data boundary	Default / control
Local memory storage	Source files and indexes stay in the configured local directory. Anyone/process with filesystem access may be able to read them.	Local files; use your operating system's access controls and disk protection.
Local embeddings and reranker	Memory/query processing is local; first use may download model weights.	`embedding_provider=local`; reranker enabled.
Ollama provider	Text goes to the configured Ollama endpoint. “Local” depends on where that endpoint runs.	Opt-in provider/model/base URL.
LiteLLM generation provider	Selected conversation/file text and maintenance inputs can be sent to the configured model provider.	`llm_provider=none` by default; opt in deliberately.
Remote embeddings	Memory text and queries go to the selected embedding provider.	Opt-in `embedding_provider=litellm` or a remote Ollama endpoint.
Connected coding agent	Recalled or whispered memory becomes part of the agent's context and follows that agent/provider's processing policy.	Depends on the client you connect and use.
Encrypted cloud snapshots	The client encrypts locally; remote object storage receives encrypted bytes. The service handles relevant account, device/store, snapshot and operational metadata.	Cloud backup disabled until configured; entitlement and recovery readiness also apply.
Local diagnostics	Logs/database records can contain prompts, memories, candidate traces and feedback. They are local operational data, not part of a source-memory snapshot.	Review/redact before sharing diagnostics.

Choose an extraction mode#

No separate Ormah LLM: explicit memory tools and local retrieval work. Raw transcript/file extraction is unavailable unless a caller provides pre-extracted memories.
Ollama: configure an endpoint and a model you have made available there. Restart Ormah after configuration changes.
LiteLLM: install the optional extra, choose a model, and explicitly configure credential selection. llm_api_key_env_var names the environment variable containing the key; it is not the key itself. llm_inherit_api_key=false prevents ambient-key inheritance by default.

Choosing agent-driven maintenance can use the connected agent to classify maintenance work. It does not supply the server with a transcript-extraction provider. Setup explains the controls.

Local service access#

Ormah defaults to 127.0.0.1:8787. General agent/admin routes are designed for a local trusted environment; they are not all protected by an account login. CORS allows loopback browser origins, which is different from authenticating every API caller.

Sensitive account/protection routes additionally require a loopback caller and a local capability header. That capability is separate from your cloud account credential. Do not publish either. Changing the bind address or forwarding the port does not create a securely authenticated remote memory service. See HTTP API.

Ownership and portability#

You can read and move source files, but a snapshot is not a complete copy of all runtime state. Configuration, keys, operational feedback and logs need separate handling. Use Back up and recover for the supported local path and the detailed cloud reference.

Review session/file capture directories before enabling them. Exclude sensitive files you do not want extracted, and inspect the resulting memories. Deleting a memory from Ormah cannot remove copies already delivered to another agent or sent to a provider.