---
title: "Fetch a single memory by caller-owned metadata.externalId."
method: GET
path: "/v1/memories/by-external-id/{externalId}"
tags: ["Memories"]
---

# Fetch a single memory by caller-owned metadata.externalId.

`GET /v1/memories/by-external-id/{externalId}`

Reverse lookup of a memory by its `metadata.externalId`, scoped to `user_id`. the caller stamps its own id into `metadata.externalId` on quick-ingest; this resolves that id back to the core memory. Returns the same body as GET /v1/memories/{id}.

## Path parameters

- `externalId` string, required

## Query parameters

- `user_id` string, required

## Response `200`

Memory object.

- object — Full memory row as emitted by core.
  - `access_count` number, required
  - `agent_id` string, nullable
  - `content` string, required
  - `created_at` string, required
  - `deleted_at` string, nullable
  - `embedding` number[], required
  - `episode_id` string, nullable
  - `expired_at` string, nullable
  - `id` string, required
  - `importance` number, required
  - `keywords` string, required
  - `last_accessed_at` string, required
  - `memory_type` string, required
  - `metadata` object, required
  - `namespace` string, nullable
  - `network` unknown
  - `observation_subject` string, nullable
  - `observed_at` string, required
  - `opinion_confidence` number, nullable
  - `overview` string, required
  - `source_site` string, required
  - `source_url` string, required
  - `status` 'active' | 'needs_clarification', required
  - `summary` string, required
  - `trust_score` number, required
  - `user_id` string, required
  - `visibility` 'agent_only' | 'restricted' | 'workspace' | 'null', nullable
  - `workspace_id` string, nullable

## Other responses

- `400` — Input validation error
- `404` — Memory not found
- `500` — Internal server error
- `502` — Upstream AI provider returned an unrecoverable failure (auth, non-retryable 4xx).
- `503` — Upstream AI provider is rate-limited, quota-exhausted, or returned 5xx; consult `retryable`.

## Changes

- **2026-07-17** `d501daa39bb2` — 1 info
  - endpoint added
- **2026-05-18** `457c8928e1ab` — 1 breaking
  - api path removed without deprecation

[Change history](https://skmtc.dev/atomicstrata/apis/atomicmemory-http-api/changes/v1/memories/by-external-id/:externalId/get.md)

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/atomicstrata/apis/atomicmemory-http-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/atomicstrata/apis/atomicmemory-http-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-production.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/atomicstrata/atomicmemory-http-api/revisions/d501daa39bb2/schema)