gh-thedotmack-rad-mem-plugin/skills/mem-search/operations/timeline-by-query.md

Timeline by Query

Search for observations and get timeline context in a single request. Combines search + timeline into one operation.

When to Use

• User asks: "What was happening when we worked on authentication?"
• User asks: "Show me context around bug fixes"
• User asks: "Timeline of database work"
• Need to find something then see temporal context

Command

# Auto mode: Uses top search result as timeline anchor
curl -s "http://localhost:37777/api/timeline/by-query?query=authentication&mode=auto&depth_before=10&depth_after=10"

# Interactive mode: Shows top N search results for manual selection
curl -s "http://localhost:37777/api/timeline/by-query?query=authentication&mode=interactive&limit=5"

Parameters

• query (required): Search terms (e.g., "authentication", "bug fix", "database")
• mode: Search mode
  • auto (default): Automatically uses top search result as timeline anchor
  • interactive: Returns top N search results for manual anchor selection
• depth_before: Records before anchor (default: 10, max: 50) - for auto mode
• depth_after: Records after anchor (default: 10, max: 50) - for auto mode
• limit: Number of search results (default: 5, max: 20) - for interactive mode
• project: Filter by project name (optional)

Auto Mode (Recommended)

Automatically gets timeline around best match:

curl -s "http://localhost:37777/api/timeline/by-query?query=JWT+authentication&mode=auto&depth_before=10&depth_after=10"

Response:

{
  "query": "JWT authentication",
  "mode": "auto",
  "best_match": {
    "id": 1234,
    "type": "feature",
    "title": "Implemented JWT authentication",
    "score": 0.95
  },
  "timeline": [
    // ... timeline records around observation #1234
  ]
}

When to use auto mode:

• You're confident the top result is what you want
• Want fastest path to timeline context
• Query is specific enough for accurate top result

Interactive Mode

Shows top search results for manual review:

curl -s "http://localhost:37777/api/timeline/by-query?query=authentication&mode=interactive&limit=5"

Response:

{
  "query": "authentication",
  "mode": "interactive",
  "top_matches": [
    {
      "id": 1234,
      "type": "feature",
      "title": "Implemented JWT authentication",
      "subtitle": "Added token-based auth with refresh tokens",
      "score": 0.95
    },
    {
      "id": 1240,
      "type": "bugfix",
      "title": "Fixed authentication token expiration",
      "subtitle": "Resolved race condition in refresh flow",
      "score": 0.87
    }
  ],
  "next_step": "Use /api/timeline/context?anchor=<id>&depth_before=10&depth_after=10"
}

When to use interactive mode:

• Query is broad and may have multiple relevant results
• Want to review options before getting timeline
• Not sure which result is most relevant

How to Present Results

For auto mode:

## Timeline: JWT authentication

**Best Match:** 🟣 Observation #1234 - Implemented JWT authentication (score: 0.95)

### Before (10 records)
**2:45 PM** - 🟣 Added authentication middleware

### ⭐ Anchor Point (2:55 PM)
🟣 **Observation #1234**: Implemented JWT authentication

### After (10 records)
**3:00 PM** - 🎯 Session completed: JWT authentication system

For interactive mode:

Found 5 matches for "authentication":

1. 🟣 **#1234** Implemented JWT authentication (score: 0.95)
   > Added token-based auth with refresh tokens

2. 🔴 **#1240** Fixed authentication token expiration (score: 0.87)
   > Resolved race condition in refresh flow

To see timeline context, use observation ID with timeline operation.

For complete formatting guidelines, see formatting.md.

Error Handling

Missing query parameter:

{"error": "Missing required parameter: query"}

Fix: Add the query parameter

No results found:

{"query": "foobar", "top_matches": []}

Response: "No results found for 'foobar'. Try different search terms."

Tips

1. Use auto mode for specific queries: "JWT authentication implementation"
2. Use interactive mode for broad queries: "authentication"
3. Start with depth 10/10 for balanced context
4. Be specific in queries for better auto mode accuracy
5. This is fastest way to find + explore context in one request

Token Efficiency:

• Auto mode: ~3,000-4,000 tokens (search + timeline)
• Interactive mode: ~500-1,000 tokens (search results only)
• See ../principles/progressive-disclosure.md

Workflow Comparison

timeline-by-query (auto):

1. One request → get timeline around best match
2. ~3,000 tokens

timeline-by-query (interactive) → timeline:

1. First request → see top matches (~500 tokens)
2. Second request → get timeline for chosen match (~3,000 tokens)
3. Total: ~3,500 tokens

observations search → timeline:

1. Search observations (~500 tokens)
2. Get timeline for chosen result (~3,000 tokens)
3. Total: ~3,500 tokens

Use auto mode when you're confident about the query. Use interactive mode or separate search when you want more control.

When to Use Timeline-by-Query

Use timeline-by-query when:

• Need to find something AND see temporal context
• Want one-request convenience (auto mode)
• Investigating "what was happening when we worked on X?"
• Don't have observation ID already

Don't use timeline-by-query when:

• Already have observation ID (use timeline instead)
• Just need search results (use observations search)
• Need recent work overview (use recent-context)