Cortex quickstart

Create one small Module that records a concrete engineering rule, then retrieve that knowledge through Cortex.

This quickstart uses the Socra CLI and a connected coding agent. Before you start, follow Installation and verify both the agent connection and CLI access. Then return here to create and flash your first Module.

Choose the first decision

Start with knowledge that is specific to your organization, affects future work, and would be difficult for an agent to recover from the repository alone.

For this workflow, record one rule for monetary values: services store money as integer minor units, such as cents, instead of decimal values. Do not begin by copying a complete handbook or repository into Cortex.

Create the Module

Check whether monetary-values already exists:

socra cortex module search --query monetary-values

If the name is in use, read that Module before you change anything. Use a different unused name for this example and substitute it in the later steps. Module creation refuses a name that already exists.

Create the Module with the rule as inline content:

socra cortex module create --name monetary-values --content "Store monetary values as integer minor units, such as cents. Do not store or transmit money as a decimal value. This avoids rounding errors across services."

Module names are immutable Account-unique handles. Choose a durable name that identifies the subject rather than a temporary project or document title.

Inspect the knowledge map

Run:

socra cortex map

Confirm that monetary-values appears in the map. A Module with no dependencies appears as an independent node.

Flash the Module

Run:

socra cortex flash MODULE_NAME

Replace MODULE_NAME with monetary-values. Cortex returns the current Module content as a context bundle. If the Module later depends on other Modules, the same operation returns the complete dependency closure in foundation-first order.

Verify agent use

Ask a configured coding agent to flash monetary-values, then ask it how a new $10.25 charge should be represented. Confirm that the agent answers 1025 minor units and applies the rule to its reasoning.

The Module remains upstream knowledge. Cortex does not automatically change a repository or force an agent host to follow the Module. Review the agent's work through the host's normal approval process and the Cortex security model.

Remove the example when finished

Keep the Module if this rule should guide your work. If you created it only to try the quickstart, archive it:

socra cortex module archive MODULE_NAME

Archiving removes the Module from the active graph and preserves its history. Cortex refuses to archive it while active Modules, Issues, or enabled Issue schedules still depend on it. Resolve those dependencies first.

To use the example again, restore it:

socra cortex module restore MODULE_NAME

Next step

Learn how Modules and dependencies shape the knowledge map, or review the other agent integration methods.