FAQ

The basics

What is Jackdaw? A long-term memory layer for AI. You connect your sources once; Jackdaw builds a structured profile of who you are and what you've decided, then serves the right slice to any AI you connect — so you stop re-explaining yourself every session. See How Jackdaw works.

How is this different from ChatGPT's or Claude's built-in memory? Built-in memory is per-tool: ChatGPT's memory stays in ChatGPT, Claude's stays in Claude, and each only knows what you typed into that chatbot. Jackdaw is one memory that you own and that every AI reads — and it's built from your real data (email, calendar, code, messages), not just chat. It's also transparent: you can see every fact, where it came from, and change it. Built-in memories are mostly opaque.

Do I have to use Jackdaw's assistant? No. The built-in assistant is handy, but the point is to point your own AI at your context — over MCP, the Claude Code hook, or the browser extension. Jackdaw is the memory; the AI is your choice.

Access & cost

Is it free? Yes — Jackdaw is in free closed beta. There's no billing right now. Request access to get in.

How do I get access? Request access on the homepage; we're letting people in gradually during the beta.

Privacy & your data

Is my data used to train models? No. Your data is never used to train models, and it's never shared with third parties.

What actually leaves my computer? Cloud sources (Gmail, Calendar, GitHub, Slack, …) sync to Jackdaw so it can build your profile. On-device sources — iMessage, Apple Notes, browser history, your local codebase — are read by the desktop app and stay on your machine unless you explicitly turn them on. You choose what goes in. See the privacy notes.

Who can see my workspace? Only you — until you deliberately share one. That's what team and family workspaces are for; a personal workspace is yours alone.

Can I remove things? Yes. Disconnect any source at any time to stop future syncs, and edit or remove anything in your wiki directly — your edits always win over what Jackdaw synthesized.

How the memory behaves

Does Jackdaw change my profile on its own? No — nothing lands silently. Corrections and anything a connected AI proposes wait in your inbox for you to approve. (Facts you state directly to the assistant save right away.)

I connected a source but my profile is still empty — why? The first sync and extraction take a few minutes; a large mailbox or long repo history takes longer. Jackdaw works in the background — give it a little time, then refresh your wiki.

What does a connected AI actually see? Not your whole profile — a ranked, relevant slice for the question it's answering. It can read your context and propose additions (which go to your inbox); it can't silently rewrite your memory.

Languages & platforms

Does it work in languages other than English? Your content and your wiki can be in any language. English is what we've tested most so far.

Where does Jackdaw run? A web app, a macOS desktop app (needed for on-device sources), and mobile. Your wiki and context are the same everywhere.

Which AIs can I connect? Anything that speaks the Model Context Protocol — Claude.ai, Cursor, Claude Code, and more — plus the Claude Code hook. A browser extension for Claude.ai and ChatGPT is in closed beta.