---
title: REST API Server
description: Reach every Mem0 OSS capability through a FastAPI-powered REST layer.
icon: "code"
---

The Mem0 REST API server exposes every OSS memory operation over HTTP. Run it alongside your stack to add, search, update, and delete memories from any language that speaks REST.

<Info>
  **You’ll use this when…**
  - Your services already talk to REST APIs and you want Mem0 to match that style.
  - Teams on languages without the Mem0 SDK still need access to memories.
  - You plan to explore or debug endpoints through the built-in OpenAPI page at `/docs`.
</Info>

<Warning>
  **First time self-hosting, or upgrading from a pre-1.x build?** Start at [Self-Hosted Setup](/open-source/setup). It walks through the stack, the setup wizard, and the upgrade path for deployments that relied on open endpoints or `ADMIN_API_KEY`. This page covers the API surface and auth modes only.
</Warning>

<Warning>
  **OSS vs Platform API paths:** The self-hosted OSS server does **not** use the `/v1/` prefix. For example, the endpoint is `POST /memories`, not `POST /v1/memories/`. The [API Reference](/api-reference) documents the hosted platform at `api.mem0.ai` which uses `/v1/` paths — those do not apply to the OSS server.
</Warning>

<Warning>
  Enable API key authentication (see below) and HTTPS before exposing the server to anything beyond your internal network.
</Warning>

---

## Feature

- **CRUD endpoints:** Create, retrieve, search, update, delete, and reset memories by `user_id`, `agent_id`, or `run_id`.
- **Authentication:** On by default. Dashboard sessions use JWTs; programmatic clients use per-user `X-API-Key` headers. Legacy `ADMIN_API_KEY` is still supported.
- **Status health check:** Access base routes to confirm the server is online.
- **OpenAPI explorer:** Visit `/docs` for interactive testing and schema reference.

---

## Configure it

### Run with Docker Compose (development)

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Steps">
1. Create `server/.env` with your keys:

    ```bash
    OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-api-key
    JWT_SECRET=$(openssl rand -base64 48)
    ```

2. Bootstrap the stack in one command:

    ```bash
    cd server
    make bootstrap    # starts Compose, creates an admin, issues the first API key
    ```

    Or to start the stack only and finish setup via the browser wizard at http://localhost:3000:

    ```bash
    cd server
    docker compose up -d
    ```

3. API is at `http://localhost:8888`. Code edits auto-reload.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Other install paths">
    **Run with Docker**

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Pull image">
```bash
docker pull mem0/mem0-api-server
```
      </Tab>
      <Tab title="Build locally">
```bash
docker build -t mem0-api-server .
```
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>

    1. Create a `.env` file with `OPENAI_API_KEY` and `JWT_SECRET`.
    2. Run the container:

    ```bash
    docker run -p 8000:8000 --env-file .env mem0-api-server
    ```

    3. Visit `http://localhost:8000`.

    **Run directly (no Docker)**

    <Warning>
      This path skips Docker and assumes Postgres is already running and reachable at `POSTGRES_HOST:POSTGRES_PORT`. For a single-command local setup with Postgres included, use Docker Compose above.
    </Warning>

    ```bash
    pip install -r requirements.txt
    uvicorn main:app --reload
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Note>
  Compose publishes internal port 8000 as 8888 on the host. Raw Docker and raw uvicorn listen on 8000 unless remapped.
</Note>

<Note>
  `JWT_SECRET` is required once auth is enabled — the server returns `500` on auth endpoints if it's unset. Generate one with `openssl rand -base64 48`. See [Self-Hosted Setup](/open-source/setup#configure-the-environment) for the full env var table.
</Note>

<Tip>
  Use a process manager such as `systemd`, Supervisor, or PM2 when deploying the FastAPI server for production resilience.
</Tip>

<Note>
  The REST server reads the same configuration you use locally, so you can point it at your preferred LLM, vector store, and reranker without changing code.
</Note>

---

## Authentication

Auth is on by default. Protected endpoints require either a JWT (from the dashboard login flow) or an `X-API-Key` header. The `/` redirect, `/docs`, and `/openapi.json` routes stay open so you can reach the OpenAPI explorer.

| Mode | How to send it | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Bearer JWT | `Authorization: Bearer <access_token>` | Dashboard sessions; tokens come from `POST /auth/login` and refresh via `POST /auth/refresh` |
| Per-user API key | `X-API-Key: m0sk_...` | Programmatic access scoped to a single dashboard user |
| Legacy `ADMIN_API_KEY` | `X-API-Key: <env value>` | Back-compat for deployments that set the `ADMIN_API_KEY` env var |
| `AUTH_DISABLED=true` | — | Local development only; bypasses auth entirely |

The `/docs` OpenAPI explorer supports both auth modes. Click **Authorize** at the top of the page and paste either `Bearer <access_token>` (JWT) or your `X-API-Key` value. Protected endpoints return `401` until you authorize.

### Log in and use a JWT

Register the first admin (only works when no user exists yet), then log in:

```bash
# First admin only — returns 403 after the first admin is registered
curl -X POST http://localhost:8888/auth/register \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "Admin", "email": "admin@example.com", "password": "strong-password"}'
```

```bash
curl -X POST http://localhost:8888/auth/login \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email": "admin@example.com", "password": "your-password"}'
```

Use the returned `access_token` as a bearer token:

```bash
curl -X POST http://localhost:8888/memories \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <access_token>" \
  -d '{
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "I love pizza."}],
    "user_id": "alice"
  }'
```

When the access token expires, exchange the refresh token at `POST /auth/refresh`.

### Create and use a per-user API key

Create a key from the dashboard **API Keys** page, or call `POST /api-keys` with a JWT. The full `m0sk_...` value is returned **once** at creation time — store it securely.

```bash
curl -X POST http://localhost:8888/memories \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-API-Key: m0sk_your_key_here" \
  -d '{
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "I love pizza."}],
    "user_id": "alice"
  }'
```

Per-user keys inherit the creating user's scope. List or revoke them via `GET /api-keys` and `DELETE /api-keys/{id}`.

### Legacy `ADMIN_API_KEY`

Set the `ADMIN_API_KEY` environment variable and send it as `X-API-Key`. The request is treated as admin-level and is not tied to a dashboard user. This mode is kept for back-compat with older self-hosted deployments — prefer JWT or per-user keys for new setups.

```bash
ADMIN_API_KEY=your-long-admin-key
```

<Warning>
  Setting `AUTH_DISABLED=true` makes every protected endpoint open — the server logs a warning at startup when it's enabled. The server also warns when `ADMIN_API_KEY` is shorter than 16 characters. Never enable `AUTH_DISABLED` in production, and always use a long `ADMIN_API_KEY` if you rely on the legacy fallback.
</Warning>

---

## See it in action

### Create and search memories via HTTP

```bash
curl -X POST http://localhost:8888/memories \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "messages": [
      {"role": "user", "content": "I love fresh vegetable pizza."}
    ],
    "user_id": "alice"
  }'
```

<Info icon="check">
  Expect a JSON response containing the new memory IDs and events (`ADD`, etc.).
</Info>

```bash
curl -X POST http://localhost:8888/search \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "query": "vegetable",
    "user_id": "alice"
  }'
```

Set `explain` to inspect the scoring signals used by OSS hybrid search:

```bash
curl -X POST http://localhost:8888/search \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "query": "vegetable pizza",
    "user_id": "alice",
    "explain": true
  }'
```

Each returned memory includes `score_details` only when explanation mode is enabled.

### Explore with OpenAPI docs

1. Navigate to `http://localhost:8888/docs` (Compose) or `http://localhost:8000/docs` (raw Docker / uvicorn).
2. Pick an endpoint (e.g., `POST /search`).  
3. Fill in parameters and click **Execute** to try requests in-browser.

<Tip>
  Export the generated `curl` snippets from the OpenAPI UI to bootstrap integration tests.
</Tip>

---

## Endpoint reference

The OSS REST server exposes the following endpoints. None use the `/v1/` prefix.

### Memory operations

| Method | Path | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| `POST` | `/configure` | Set memory configuration. Rejects unbundled providers with a 400 |
| `GET` | `/configure` | Get the current memory configuration |
| `GET` | `/configure/providers` | List the LLM and embedder providers bundled in the container |
| `POST` | `/memories` | Create memories |
| `GET` | `/memories` | Get all memories (filter by `user_id`, `agent_id`, or `run_id`) |
| `GET` | `/memories/{memory_id}` | Get a specific memory |
| `PUT` | `/memories/{memory_id}` | Update a memory |
| `DELETE` | `/memories/{memory_id}` | Delete a specific memory |
| `DELETE` | `/memories` | Delete all memories for an identifier |
| `GET` | `/memories/{memory_id}/history` | Get memory history |
| `POST` | `/search` | Search memories |
| `POST` | `/reset` | Reset all memories |

### Authentication

| Method | Path | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| `GET` | `/auth/setup-status` | Returns `{needsSetup: bool}`. Open, no auth required |
| `POST` | `/auth/register` | Register the first admin. Registration closes after the first admin is created; additional accounts are provisioned by the existing admin. |
| `POST` | `/auth/login` | Exchange email and password for access and refresh JWTs |
| `POST` | `/auth/refresh` | Exchange a refresh token for a new access token |
| `GET` | `/auth/me` | Get the current authenticated user (JWT required) |
| `PATCH` | `/auth/me` | Update the caller's name or email. 409 if the new email is already in use |
| `POST` | `/auth/change-password` | Change the caller's password. 401 if the current password is wrong; new password must be at least 8 characters |

### API keys

All `/api-keys` endpoints require a JWT.

| Method | Path | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| `GET` | `/api-keys` | List the caller's API keys |
| `POST` | `/api-keys` | Create a new key; the full `m0sk_...` value is returned once |
| `DELETE` | `/api-keys/{id}` | Revoke an API key |

### Request logs

| Method | Path | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| `GET` | `/requests?limit=N` | Recent API call log (JWT or admin key) |

### Entities

| Method | Path | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| `GET` | `/entities` | Distinct `user_id` / `agent_id` / `run_id` values with memory counts |
| `DELETE` | `/entities/{entity_type}/{entity_id}` | Cascade-delete all memories for an entity; `entity_type` is `user`, `agent`, or `run` |

The `/auth/*`, `/api-keys`, `/requests`, and `/entities` routes are new to the self-hosted server and primarily back the dashboard, but you can call them directly from your own tooling.

---

## Verify the feature is working

- Hit the root route and `/docs` to confirm the server is reachable.
- Run a full cycle: `POST /memories` → `GET /memories/{id}` → `DELETE /memories/{id}`.
- Watch server logs for import errors or provider misconfigurations during startup.
- Confirm environment variables (API keys, vector store credentials) load correctly when containers restart.

---

## Best practices

1. **Keep auth on:** Auth is enabled by default. Never set `AUTH_DISABLED=true` in production. If you rely on `ADMIN_API_KEY`, use a long value (16+ chars) or prefer per-user API keys.
2. **Use HTTPS:** Terminate TLS at your load balancer or reverse proxy.
3. **Monitor uptime:** Track request rates, latency, and error codes per endpoint.
4. **Version configs:** Keep environment files and Docker Compose definitions in source control.
5. **Limit exposure:** Bind to private networks unless you explicitly need public access.

---

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Configure OSS Components" icon="sliders" href="/open-source/configuration">
    Fine-tune LLMs, vector stores, and rerankers that power the REST server.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Automate Agent Integrations" icon="plug" href="/cookbooks/integrations/agents-sdk-tool">
    See how services call the REST endpoints as part of an automation pipeline.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>
