Data Storage and Artifacts

Metateam is local-first. It stores configuration, state, and project artifacts on your filesystem. Understanding where these files live is essential for backup, cleanup, and debugging.

User Home Directory (~/.metateam/)

This directory contains global state and configuration for your user account.

File/Path	Purpose
config.json	Global settings and your Metateam API key.
crew.db	SQLite database storing crew operational state and local message history.
log/unified.log	Central log file for all Metateam CLI and hook activity.
repos/	Directory containing local FTS5 code search index databases (one .db per repo).

Project Root Artifacts

When you use Crew, Metateam creates a directory in your project root to store durable artifacts.

Crew Artifacts (.crew/)

File/Path	Purpose
history.md	A human-readable audit trail of all crew activity in this project.
mail-board/	A directory of markdown reports and long-form communications between agents.
<persona>/	(Internal) Temporary working directories for individual agents.

Hidden Markers

Metateam uses small marker files to control behavior without global configuration.

File	Purpose
.metateam.json	Pins a directory tree to a specific Metateam project.
.nometateam	Disables Metateam hooks, session uploads, and summon-time START generation for this directory and its children.
.yesmetateam	Overrides a .nometateam marker in a parent directory to re-enable Metateam in a specific subtree.

Backup and Migration

• API Key: If you move to a new machine, your API key in config.json is the only thing you must migrate to access your hosted session history and knowledge base.
• Local Databases: The SQLite databases (crew.db and repo search .db files) can be safely deleted; they will be recreated as needed, though local message history and search indexes will be lost.
• Project Artifacts: Treat .crew/ like your .git/ directory. It contains the "memory" and audit trail of your project’s AI collaboration.