Surface mem0_notice for unclaimed Agent Mode keys + docs

CLI now consumes the unified mem0_notice surface that the platform side
emits for unclaimed Agent Mode keys. The notice is a directive to the
LLM agent reading the output, with a verbatim sentence to relay to the
human owner. Two presentation paths:

- Human/text output: yellow stderr banner after the primary output,
  once per command. Skipped in agent mode (the JSON envelope carries
  it instead, so no duplication).
- JSON/agent output (--json/--agent): folded into the envelope as
  "mem0_notice" so an agent parsing the output sees it without
  inspecting HTTP headers.

CLI changes (Python + Node, kept in lockstep):
- state.{ts,py}: captureNotice / takeNotice helpers — last-write-wins
  stash so multi-request commands fire the notice exactly once.
- backend/platform.{ts,py}: _request extracts notice from response
  bodies (top-level dict or list[0]) with header fallback, strips
  from downstream payload, captures for end-of-command surfacing.
- output.{ts,py}: JSON envelope formatters fold in any pending notice.
- index.ts / app.py: entrypoint surfaces notice on exit when not in
  agent mode.
- commands/agent-mode.{ts,py}: init success path prints the platform's
  notice verbatim (fallback to dim claim-command line if a stale
  backend doesn't return it).

Init-flag handling fix: the Python argv preprocessor was stripping
--agent from sys.argv unconditionally as the global JSON-output alias.
That swallowed `mem0 init --agent` (where --agent is a subcommand flag
for unattended bootstrap). Now preserved when "init" is in argv.

Parity tests: cli/python/tests/test_agent_mode.py and
cli/node/tests/agent-mode.test.ts — 7 tests each, kept in sync.

cli-spec.json updated: init now lists --agent and --source.

Docs:
- README.md: Agent Mode promo at top of Quickstart.
- docs/llms.txt: fast-path block for AI agents reading the docs.
- skills/mem0/SKILL.md, skills/mem0-cli/SKILL.md,
  skills/mem0-integrate/SKILL.md, mem0-plugin/skills/mem0/SKILL.md:
  autonomous-setup section + fallback hints.
- mem0-plugin/README.md, openclaw/README.md: "Quick path for agents"
  blocks above the human Quick Start.

README.md

@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ See the [migration guide](https://docs.mem0.ai/migration/oss-v2-to-v3) for upgra
 
 ## 🚀 Quickstart Guide <a name="quickstart"></a>
 
+> **Agent Mode — for AI agents setting up Mem0 autonomously.** Run `mem0 init --agent --json` (after `pip install mem0-cli` or `npm install -g @mem0/cli`) to mint an evaluation Mem0 API key in <5 seconds — no email, no dashboard, no OTP. Use it immediately against the Platform or the MCP server. The human owner can claim ownership later with `mem0 init --email <their-email>`: memories transfer, the same key keeps working, and the agent isn't disrupted.
+
 | | Library | Self-Hosted Server | Cloud Platform |
 |---|---------|-------------------|----------------|
 | **Best for** | Testing, prototyping | Teams running on their own infrastructure | Zero-ops production use |

cli/cli-spec.json

@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@
     },
     {
       "name": "init",
-      "description": "Setup wizard for mem0 CLI. Supports email login (--email) or manual API key (--api-key).",
+      "description": "Setup wizard for mem0 CLI. Supports Agent Mode bootstrap (--agent), email login (--email), or manual API key (--api-key).",
       "usage": "mem0 init [OPTIONS]",
       "needsBackend": false,
       "needsConfig": false,
@@ -516,7 +516,9 @@
         { "name": "user-id", "flags": ["-u", "--user-id"], "type": "string", "default": null, "help": "Default user ID (skip prompt)." },
         { "name": "email", "flags": ["--email"], "type": "string", "default": null, "help": "Login via email verification code." },
         { "name": "code", "flags": ["--code"], "type": "string", "default": null, "help": "Verification code (use with --email for non-interactive login)." },
-        { "name": "force", "flags": ["--force"], "type": "boolean", "default": false, "help": "Overwrite existing config without confirmation." }
+        { "name": "force", "flags": ["--force"], "type": "boolean", "default": false, "help": "Overwrite existing config without confirmation." },
+        { "name": "agent", "flags": ["--agent"], "type": "boolean", "default": false, "help": "Bootstrap an unattended Agent Mode account (no email required)." },
+        { "name": "source", "flags": ["--source"], "type": "string", "default": null, "help": "Channel attribution for signup (e.g. github, hn, ph)." }
       ]
     },
     {

cli/node/src/backend/platform.ts

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  */
 
 import type { PlatformConfig } from "../config.js";
-import { isAgentMode } from "../state.js";
+import { captureNotice, isAgentMode } from "../state.js";
 import { CLI_VERSION } from "../version.js";
 import {
 	APIError,
@@ -90,7 +90,39 @@ export class PlatformBackend implements Backend {
 		if (resp.status === 204) {
 			return {};
 		}
-		return resp.json();
+
+		const data = await resp.json();
+
+		// Pull the unclaimed-Agent-Mode notice out of the body (or the header
+		// fallback for endpoints returning non-dict / non-dict-leading payloads)
+		// and stash for end-of-command surfacing.
+		let notice: string | null = null;
+		if (
+			data &&
+			typeof data === "object" &&
+			!Array.isArray(data) &&
+			"mem0_notice" in data
+		) {
+			notice = (data as Record<string, unknown>).mem0_notice as string;
+			// biome-ignore lint/performance/noDelete: intentional strip so downstream consumers don't see duplicate notice
+			delete (data as Record<string, unknown>).mem0_notice;
+		} else if (
+			Array.isArray(data) &&
+			data.length > 0 &&
+			typeof data[0] === "object" &&
+			data[0] !== null &&
+			"mem0_notice" in data[0]
+		) {
+			notice = (data[0] as Record<string, unknown>).mem0_notice as string;
+			// biome-ignore lint/performance/noDelete: see above.
+			delete (data[0] as Record<string, unknown>).mem0_notice;
+		}
+		if (!notice) {
+			notice = resp.headers.get("X-Mem0-Notice-Message") ?? null;
+		}
+		captureNotice(notice);
+
+		return data;
 	}
 
 	async add(

cli/node/src/commands/agent-mode.ts

@@ -21,13 +21,17 @@ export interface BootstrapEnvelope {
 	mcp_url?: string;
 	smoke_test_url?: string;
 	claim_command?: string;
+	mem0_notice?: string;
 }
 
 export async function bootstrapViaBackend(
 	config: Mem0Config,
 	{ source }: { source?: string | null } = {},
 ): Promise<void> {
-	const baseUrl = (config.platform.baseUrl || "https://api.mem0.ai").replace(/\/+$/, "");
+	const baseUrl = (config.platform.baseUrl || "https://api.mem0.ai").replace(
+		/\/+$/,
+		"",
+	);
 	const body: Record<string, unknown> = {};
 	if (source) body.source = source;
 
@@ -43,7 +47,9 @@ export async function bootstrapViaBackend(
 			signal: AbortSignal.timeout(30_000),
 		});
 	} catch (err) {
-		printError(`Network error contacting Mem0: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}`);
+		printError(
+			`Network error contacting Mem0: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}`,
+		);
 		process.exit(1);
 	}
 
@@ -79,10 +85,16 @@ export async function bootstrapViaBackend(
 	config.defaults.userId = envelope.default_user_id;
 	saveConfig(config);
 
-	printSuccess(`Agent Mode active. Default user_id: ${envelope.default_user_id}`);
+	printSuccess(
-	console.log(
+		`Agent Mode active. Default user_id: ${envelope.default_user_id}`,
-		`  ${dim(`To claim this account later: ${envelope.claim_command ?? "mem0 init --email <your-email>"}`)}`,
 	);
+	if (envelope.mem0_notice) {
+		console.log(`\n\x1b[33m🔔 ${envelope.mem0_notice}\x1b[0m\n`);
+	} else {
+		// Fallback for older backends without the unified notice field.
+		const claimCmd = envelope.claim_command ?? "mem0 init --email <your-email>";
+		console.log(`  ${dim(`To claim this account later: ${claimCmd}`)}`);
+	}
 }
 
 /**
@@ -97,9 +109,14 @@ export async function claimViaOtp(
 	config: Mem0Config,
 	{ email, code }: { email: string; code?: string },
 ): Promise<void> {
-	const baseUrl = (config.platform.baseUrl || "https://api.mem0.ai").replace(/\/+$/, "");
+	const baseUrl = (config.platform.baseUrl || "https://api.mem0.ai").replace(
+		/\/+$/,
+		"",
+	);
 	if (!config.platform.apiKey || !config.platform.agentMode) {
-		printError("This command requires an active Agent Mode config. Run `mem0 init` first.");
+		printError(
+			"This command requires an active Agent Mode config. Run `mem0 init` first.",
+		);
 		process.exit(1);
 	}
 
@@ -163,7 +180,10 @@ export async function claimViaOtp(
 		let detail: string = verifyResp.statusText;
 		let errCode = "";
 		try {
-			const errBody = (await verifyResp.json()) as { error?: string; code?: string };
+			const errBody = (await verifyResp.json()) as {
+				error?: string;
+				code?: string;
+			};
 			if (errBody.error) detail = errBody.error;
 			if (errBody.code) errCode = errBody.code;
 		} catch {
@@ -178,7 +198,10 @@ export async function claimViaOtp(
 		process.exit(1);
 	}
 
-	const body = (await verifyResp.json()) as { claimed?: boolean; claimed_at?: string };
+	const body = (await verifyResp.json()) as {
+		claimed?: boolean;
+		claimed_at?: string;
+	};
 	if (!body.claimed) {
 		printError(`Unexpected verify response: ${JSON.stringify(body)}`);
 		process.exit(1);

cli/node/src/commands/init.ts

@@ -258,7 +258,10 @@ export async function runInit(
 	const { isAgentMode } = await import("../state.js");
 	const { captureEvent } = await import("../telemetry.js");
 
-	const fireInit = (mode: "agent" | "email" | "api_key" | "existing_key", claimed = false) => {
+	const fireInit = (
+		mode: "agent" | "email" | "api_key" | "existing_key",
+		claimed = false,
+	) => {
 		const props: Record<string, unknown> = { command: "init", mode };
 		const caller = detectAgentCaller();
 		if (caller) props.agent_caller = caller;
@@ -286,7 +289,12 @@ export async function runInit(
 	}
 
 	// ── Claim flow: --email against an existing agent-mode config ───────────
-	if (opts.email && fs.existsSync(CONFIG_FILE) && savedConfig.platform.agentMode && savedConfig.platform.apiKey) {
+	if (
+		opts.email &&
+		fs.existsSync(CONFIG_FILE) &&
+		savedConfig.platform.agentMode &&
+		savedConfig.platform.apiKey
+	) {
 		const email = opts.email.trim().toLowerCase();
 		validateEmail(email);
 		printInfo(`Claiming Agent Mode account to ${email}...`);
@@ -370,9 +378,7 @@ export async function runInit(
 	// recognized agent env var. Pure "no TTY" alone is NOT enough — pipe
 	// users would get surprised by a silent shadow signup.
 	const agentCtx =
-		opts.agent === true ||
+		opts.agent === true || isAgentMode() || detectAgentCaller() !== null;
-		isAgentMode() ||
-		detectAgentCaller() !== null;
 	if (!opts.apiKey && !opts.email && agentCtx) {
 		await bootstrapViaBackend(config, { source: opts.source ?? null });
 		fireInit("agent");

cli/node/src/index.ts

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import { colors, printError, printWarning } from "./branding.js";
 import type { Mem0Config } from "./config.js";
 import { loadConfig, saveConfig } from "./config.js";
 import { richFormatHelp } from "./help.js";
-import { setAgentMode } from "./state.js";
+import { isAgentMode, setAgentMode, takeNotice } from "./state.js";
 import { captureEvent } from "./telemetry.js";
 import { CLI_VERSION } from "./version.js";
 
@@ -197,8 +197,15 @@ program
 		"Verification code (use with --email for non-interactive login).",
 	)
 	.option("--force", "Overwrite existing config without confirmation.", false)
-	.option("--agent", "Bootstrap an unattended Agent Mode account (no email required).", false)
+	.option(
-	.option("--source <channel>", "Channel attribution for signup (e.g. github, hn, ph).")
+		"--agent",
+		"Bootstrap an unattended Agent Mode account (no email required).",
+		false,
+	)
+	.option(
+		"--source <channel>",
+		"Channel attribution for signup (e.g. github, hn, ph).",
+	)
 	.addHelpText(
 		"after",
 		"\nExamples:\n  $ mem0 init\n  $ mem0 init --api-key m0-xxx --user-id alice\n  $ mem0 init --email you@example.com\n  $ mem0 init --email you@example.com --code 123456\n  $ mem0 init --agent             # Bootstrap an Agent Mode account (unattended)\n  $ mem0 init --email you@example.com  # Claims an existing Agent Mode key when one is present",
@@ -777,4 +784,16 @@ program
 
 // ── Entrypoint ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-program.parse();
+// Surface any unclaimed Agent Mode notice once per command, after the primary
+// output. In JSON/agent mode the notice is folded into the envelope by
+// formatJsonEnvelope, so skip the stderr banner there to avoid duplication.
+function surfaceNotice(): void {
+	const notice = takeNotice();
+	if (notice && !isAgentMode()) {
+		process.stderr.write(`\n\x1b[33m🔔 ${notice}\x1b[0m\n\n`);
+	}
+}
+
+program.parseAsync().finally(() => {
+	surfaceNotice();
+});

cli/node/src/output.ts

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import boxen from "boxen";
 import Table from "cli-table3";
 import { colors, sym } from "./branding.js";
+import { takeNotice } from "./state.js";
 
 const { brand, accent, success, error: errorColor, dim } = colors;
 
@@ -244,6 +245,15 @@ export function formatJsonEnvelope(opts: {
 	if (opts.count !== undefined) envelope.count = opts.count;
 	if (opts.error) envelope.error = opts.error;
 	envelope.data = opts.data;
+
+	// If the platform flagged this as an unclaimed Agent Mode account, surface
+	// the notice inside the JSON envelope so an agent consuming the output
+	// sees it without needing to inspect HTTP headers.
+	// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-require-imports
+	const { takeNotice } = require("./state.js");
+	const notice = takeNotice();
+	if (notice) envelope.mem0_notice = notice;
+
 	console.log(JSON.stringify(envelope, null, 2));
 }
 
@@ -356,6 +366,12 @@ export function formatAgentEnvelope(opts: {
 	}
 	if (opts.count !== undefined) envelope.count = opts.count;
 	envelope.data = sanitizeAgentData(opts.command, opts.data);
+
+	// Surface the unclaimed-Agent-Mode notice (if any) in the envelope so an
+	// agent reading the JSON output sees it without inspecting HTTP headers.
+	const notice = takeNotice();
+	if (notice) envelope.mem0_notice = notice;
+
 	console.log(JSON.stringify(envelope, null, 2));
 }
 

cli/node/src/state.ts

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 let _agentMode = false;
 let _currentCommand = "";
+let _pendingNotice = "";
 
 export function isAgentMode(): boolean {
 	return _agentMode;
@@ -21,3 +22,19 @@ export function getCurrentCommand(): string {
 export function setCurrentCommand(name: string): void {
 	_currentCommand = name;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Stash a Mem0 backend notice (Agent Mode unclaimed reminder) for end-of-
+ * command surfacing. Called from the platform backend after each response so
+ * the notice prints once per command regardless of how many sub-requests
+ * fired. Last-write-wins is fine — the message text is identical.
+ */
+export function captureNotice(notice: string | null | undefined): void {
+	if (notice) _pendingNotice = notice;
+}
+
+export function takeNotice(): string {
+	const msg = _pendingNotice;
+	_pendingNotice = "";
+	return msg;
+}

cli/node/tests/agent-mode.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+/**
+ * Parity tests for `mem0 init --agent` (Agent Mode bootstrap).
+ *
+ * Mirror of `cli/python/tests/test_agent_mode.py` — both files MUST stay
+ * in sync so that the Python and Node CLIs expose an identical surface
+ * for the Agent Mode entrypoint. If you add a flag here, add the same
+ * assertion on the Python side (and vice versa).
+ *
+ * Network-bound bootstrap is covered by the platform-side E2E suite
+ * (`backend/tests/e2e/test_05_agent_mode.py`); these tests only verify
+ * the CLI surface that ships in the binary.
+ */
+
+import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
+import { execSync } from "node:child_process";
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import os from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+
+function run(
+  args: string[],
+  opts: { home?: string; env?: Record<string, string> } = {},
+): { stdout: string; stderr: string; exitCode: number } {
+  const env = { ...process.env };
+  for (const key of Object.keys(env)) {
+    if (key.startsWith("MEM0_")) delete env[key];
+  }
+  if (opts.home) env.HOME = opts.home;
+  if (opts.env) Object.assign(env, opts.env);
+
+  try {
+    const stdout = execSync(`npx tsx src/index.ts ${args.join(" ")}`, {
+      cwd: path.join(__dirname, ".."),
+      env,
+      encoding: "utf-8",
+      timeout: 15000,
+    });
+    return { stdout, stderr: "", exitCode: 0 };
+  } catch (e: any) {
+    return {
+      stdout: e.stdout ?? "",
+      stderr: e.stderr ?? "",
+      exitCode: e.status ?? 1,
+    };
+  }
+}
+
+function cleanHome(): string {
+  return fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "mem0-test-"));
+}
+
+describe("init flag surface", () => {
+  it("init --help lists --agent", () => {
+    const result = run(["init", "--help"]);
+    expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+    expect(result.stdout).toContain("--agent");
+  });
+
+  it("init --help describes Agent Mode", () => {
+    const result = run(["init", "--help"]);
+    expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+    // Description must mention what --agent actually does so an agent
+    // reading the help can self-discover the bootstrap entrypoint.
+    expect(
+      result.stdout.includes("Agent Mode") ||
+        result.stdout.toLowerCase().includes("unattended"),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("init --help lists --source", () => {
+    const result = run(["init", "--help"]);
+    expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+    expect(result.stdout).toContain("--source");
+  });
+
+  it("init --help lists --email and --code", () => {
+    const result = run(["init", "--help"]);
+    expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+    expect(result.stdout).toContain("--email");
+    expect(result.stdout).toContain("--code");
+  });
+});
+
+describe("argv preprocessing — --agent reaches init subcommand", () => {
+  // Regression for the bug where the global --agent JSON-alias swallowed
+  // the init-level --agent flag, making `mem0 init --agent` behave like
+  // the plain interactive wizard.
+
+  it("init --agent triggers bootstrap branch (not the wizard)", () => {
+    const home = cleanHome();
+    const result = run(["init", "--agent"], {
+      home,
+      env: {
+        MEM0_BASE_URL: "http://127.0.0.1:1", // blackhole
+        FORCE_COLOR: "0",
+      },
+    });
+    const combined = (result.stdout + result.stderr).toLowerCase();
+    // Either bootstrap-attempt error, or a connection/network error —
+    // both prove the --agent path executed (the wizard would prompt for
+    // input and succeed/hang, not surface a network error).
+    expect(
+      combined.includes("agent") ||
+        combined.includes("connect") ||
+        combined.includes("network") ||
+        combined.includes("fetch") ||
+        combined.includes("bootstrap"),
+    ).toBe(true);
+    fs.rmSync(home, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+});
+
+describe("JSON envelope on network failure", () => {
+  it("init --agent --json does not leak a stack trace when backend is unreachable", () => {
+    const home = cleanHome();
+    const result = run(["init", "--agent", "--json"], {
+      home,
+      env: {
+        MEM0_BASE_URL: "http://127.0.0.1:1",
+        FORCE_COLOR: "0",
+      },
+    });
+    const combined = result.stdout + result.stderr;
+    // No raw Node stack should escape the agent-mode handler.
+    expect(combined).not.toMatch(/at \w+\s*\(.+\.ts:\d+/);
+    expect(combined).not.toContain("UnhandledPromiseRejection");
+    expect(result.exitCode).not.toBe(0);
+    fs.rmSync(home, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+});
+
+describe("top-level help lists init", () => {
+  // `mem0 --help` must list `init` so agents walking the top-level help
+  // can discover the Agent Mode entrypoint without prior knowledge.
+
+  it("--help lists init", () => {
+    const result = run(["--help"]);
+    expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+    expect(result.stdout).toContain("init");
+  });
+});

cli/python/src/mem0_cli/app.py

@@ -856,7 +856,9 @@ def init(
         False, "--agent", help="Bootstrap an unattended Agent Mode account (no email required)."
     ),
     source: str | None = typer.Option(
-        None, "--source", help="Channel attribution for signup (e.g. github, hn, ph).",
+        None,
+        "--source",
+        help="Channel attribution for signup (e.g. github, hn, ph).",
     ),
 ) -> None:
     """Interactive setup wizard for mem0 CLI.
@@ -1215,11 +1217,28 @@ def main() -> None:
     import sys
 
     # Allow --json/--agent anywhere in the command line (not just before subcommand).
-    _json_flags = {"--json", "--agent"}
+    # Special case: `mem0 init --agent` is a subcommand flag (Agent Mode bootstrap)
-    if any(a in _json_flags for a in sys.argv[1:]):
+    # consumed by init_cmd, not a global JSON-output toggle — leave it in argv.
+    argv_rest = sys.argv[1:]
+    is_init = "init" in argv_rest
+    _global_flags = {"--json"} if is_init else {"--json", "--agent"}
+    if any(a in _global_flags for a in argv_rest):
         from mem0_cli.state import set_agent_mode
 
         set_agent_mode(True)
-        sys.argv = [sys.argv[0]] + [a for a in sys.argv[1:] if a not in _json_flags]
+        sys.argv = [sys.argv[0]] + [a for a in argv_rest if a not in _global_flags]
 
-    app()
+    try:
+        app()
+    finally:
+        # Surface any unclaimed Agent Mode notice once per command, after the
+        # primary output. In JSON/agent mode the notice is folded into the
+        # envelope by format_json_envelope, so skip the stderr banner there
+        # to avoid duplicate output.
+        from mem0_cli.state import is_agent_mode, take_notice
+
+        notice = take_notice()
+        if notice and not is_agent_mode():
+            from rich.console import Console
+
+            Console(stderr=True).print(f"\n[yellow]🔔 {notice}[/yellow]\n")

cli/python/src/mem0_cli/backend/platform.py

@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class PlatformBackend(Backend):
         )
 
     def _request(self, method: str, path: str, **kwargs: Any) -> Any:
-        from mem0_cli.state import is_agent_mode
+        from mem0_cli.state import capture_notice, is_agent_mode
 
         self._client.headers["X-Mem0-Caller-Type"] = "agent" if is_agent_mode() else "user"
         resp = self._client.request(method, path, **kwargs)
@@ -48,7 +48,26 @@ class PlatformBackend(Backend):
         resp.raise_for_status()
         if resp.status_code == 204:
             return {}
-        return resp.json()
+        data = resp.json()
+
+        # Pull the unclaimed-Agent-Mode notice out of the body (or the header
+        # fallback for endpoints that return non-dict / non-dict-leading
+        # payloads) and stash it for end-of-command surfacing.
+        notice = None
+        if isinstance(data, dict) and "mem0_notice" in data:
+            notice = data.pop("mem0_notice")
+        elif (
+            isinstance(data, list)
+            and data
+            and isinstance(data[0], dict)
+            and "mem0_notice" in data[0]
+        ):
+            notice = data[0].pop("mem0_notice")
+        if notice is None:
+            notice = resp.headers.get("X-Mem0-Notice-Message") or None
+        capture_notice(notice)
+
+        return data
 
     def add(
         self,

cli/python/src/mem0_cli/commands/agent_mode_cmd.py

@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ from mem0_cli.branding import (
     BRAND_COLOR,
     DIM_COLOR,
     print_error,
-    print_info,
     print_success,
 )
 from mem0_cli.config import Mem0Config, save_config
@@ -81,7 +80,13 @@ def bootstrap_via_backend(
     save_config(config)
 
     print_success(console, f"Agent Mode active. Default user_id: {envelope['default_user_id']}")
-    console.print(f"  [{DIM_COLOR}]To claim this account later: {envelope.get('claim_command', 'mem0 init --email <your-email>')}[/]")
+    notice = envelope.get("mem0_notice")
+    if notice:
+        console.print(f"\n[yellow]🔔 {notice}[/yellow]\n")
+    else:
+        # Fallback if the backend hasn't deployed the unified notice yet.
+        claim_cmd = envelope.get("claim_command", "mem0 init --email <your-email>")
+        console.print(f"  [{DIM_COLOR}]To claim this account later: {claim_cmd}[/]")
 
 
 def claim_via_otp(config: Mem0Config, *, email: str, code: str | None = None) -> None:
@@ -161,7 +166,9 @@ def claim_via_otp(config: Mem0Config, *, email: str, code: str | None = None) ->
             code_str = ""
         print_error(err_console, f"Claim failed: {detail}")
         if code_str == "email_already_claimed":
-            console.print(f"  [{DIM_COLOR}]Tip: this email already has a Mem0 account. Sign in there and run `mem0 link <key>` to attach this agent.[/]")
+            console.print(
+                f"  [{DIM_COLOR}]Tip: this email already has a Mem0 account. Sign in there and run `mem0 link <key>` to attach this agent.[/]"
+            )
         raise typer.Exit(1)
 
     body = verify.json()

cli/python/src/mem0_cli/output.py

@@ -229,6 +229,16 @@ def format_json_envelope(
     if error:
         envelope["error"] = error
     envelope["data"] = data
+
+    # If the platform flagged this as an unclaimed Agent Mode account, surface
+    # the notice inside the JSON envelope so an agent consuming the output
+    # sees it without needing to inspect HTTP headers.
+    from mem0_cli.state import take_notice
+
+    notice = take_notice()
+    if notice:
+        envelope["mem0_notice"] = notice
+
     console.print_json(json.dumps(envelope, default=str))
 
 
@@ -323,6 +333,15 @@ def format_agent_envelope(
     if count is not None:
         envelope["count"] = count
     envelope["data"] = sanitize_agent_data(command, data)
+
+    # Surface the unclaimed-Agent-Mode notice (if any) in the envelope so an
+    # agent reading the JSON output sees it without inspecting HTTP headers.
+    from mem0_cli.state import take_notice
+
+    notice = take_notice()
+    if notice:
+        envelope["mem0_notice"] = notice
+
     console.print_json(json.dumps(envelope, default=str))
 
 

cli/python/src/mem0_cli/state.py

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 _agent_mode: bool = False
 _current_command: str = ""
+_pending_notice: str = ""
 
 
 def is_agent_mode() -> bool:
@@ -22,3 +23,23 @@ def get_current_command() -> str:
 def set_current_command(name: str) -> None:
     global _current_command
     _current_command = name
+
+
+def capture_notice(notice: str | None) -> None:
+    """Stash a Mem0 backend notice for end-of-command surfacing.
+
+    Called from the platform backend after each response so the notice can
+    be printed once per command (regardless of how many sub-requests fired).
+    Last-write-wins is fine — the message text is identical across requests.
+    """
+    global _pending_notice
+    if notice:
+        _pending_notice = notice
+
+
+def take_notice() -> str:
+    """Return and clear the pending notice."""
+    global _pending_notice
+    msg = _pending_notice
+    _pending_notice = ""
+    return msg

cli/python/tests/test_agent_mode.py

@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+"""Parity tests for `mem0 init --agent` (Agent Mode bootstrap).
+
+Mirror of ``cli/node/tests/agent-mode.test.ts`` — both files MUST stay in
+sync so that the Python and Node CLIs expose an identical surface for the
+Agent Mode entrypoint. If you add a flag here, add the same assertion on
+the Node side (and vice versa).
+
+Network-bound bootstrap is covered by the platform-side E2E suite
+(``backend/tests/e2e/test_05_agent_mode.py``); these tests only verify
+the CLI surface that ships in the binary.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+import re
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+import pytest
+
+_ANSI_RE = re.compile(r"\x1b\[[0-9;]*[mKJHABCDfsu]")
+
+
+def _strip_ansi(text: str) -> str:
+    return _ANSI_RE.sub("", text)
+
+
+def _run(args: list[str], home_dir: str | None = None) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
+    env = os.environ.copy()
+    for key in list(env.keys()):
+        if key.startswith("MEM0_"):
+            del env[key]
+    env.pop("FORCE_COLOR", None)
+    if home_dir:
+        env["HOME"] = home_dir
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        [sys.executable, "-m", "mem0_cli", *args],
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        env=env,
+        timeout=15,
+    )
+    return subprocess.CompletedProcess(
+        args=result.args,
+        returncode=result.returncode,
+        stdout=_strip_ansi(result.stdout),
+        stderr=_strip_ansi(result.stderr),
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def clean_home(tmp_path):
+    return str(tmp_path)
+
+
+class TestInitFlagSurface:
+    """`mem0 init --help` must expose the Agent Mode flags."""
+
+    def test_init_help_lists_agent_flag(self):
+        result = _run(["init", "--help"])
+        assert result.returncode == 0
+        assert "--agent" in result.stdout
+
+    def test_init_help_describes_agent_mode(self):
+        result = _run(["init", "--help"])
+        assert result.returncode == 0
+        # Description must mention what --agent actually does so an agent
+        # reading the help can self-discover the bootstrap entrypoint.
+        assert "Agent Mode" in result.stdout or "unattended" in result.stdout.lower()
+
+    def test_init_help_lists_source_flag(self):
+        result = _run(["init", "--help"])
+        assert result.returncode == 0
+        assert "--source" in result.stdout
+
+    def test_init_help_lists_email_and_code(self):
+        # Claim flow flags must remain present alongside Agent Mode flags.
+        result = _run(["init", "--help"])
+        assert result.returncode == 0
+        assert "--email" in result.stdout
+        assert "--code" in result.stdout
+
+
+class TestArgvPreprocessing:
+    """`--agent` on `init` must reach init_cmd, not be eaten by the global preprocessor.
+
+    Regression for the bug where the top-level `--agent` JSON-alias was
+    stripped from ``sys.argv`` before Typer could bind it to the init
+    subcommand, making ``mem0 init --agent`` indistinguishable from a
+    plain ``mem0 init`` (interactive wizard).
+    """
+
+    def test_init_with_agent_reaches_subcommand(self, clean_home):
+        # We can't hit a real backend in unit tests, so we point the CLI at
+        # a guaranteed-dead URL and assert the failure is the bootstrap
+        # request failing — proving the --agent flag was honored and the
+        # bootstrap branch ran, not the interactive wizard.
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            [sys.executable, "-m", "mem0_cli", "init", "--agent"],
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            env={
+                **{k: v for k, v in os.environ.items() if not k.startswith("MEM0_")},
+                "HOME": clean_home,
+                "MEM0_BASE_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:1",  # blackhole
+                "FORCE_COLOR": "0",
+            },
+            timeout=15,
+        )
+        combined = _strip_ansi(result.stdout + result.stderr).lower()
+        # Either we got a connection/network error from the bootstrap POST,
+        # or the CLI surfaced an Agent Mode-specific failure message.
+        assert (
+            "agent" in combined
+            or "connect" in combined
+            or "network" in combined
+            or "fetch" in combined
+            or "bootstrap" in combined
+        ), f"Expected bootstrap attempt, got: {combined!r}"
+
+
+class TestJsonEnvelopeParity:
+    """`mem0 init --agent --json` should produce a JSON envelope on success.
+
+    Without a live backend we can only assert the failure shape: when the
+    backend is unreachable, the CLI must still exit non-zero AND not crash
+    on a Python traceback (which would mean we leaked an exception past
+    the agent-mode handler).
+    """
+
+    def test_init_agent_json_no_traceback_on_network_failure(self, clean_home):
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            [sys.executable, "-m", "mem0_cli", "init", "--agent", "--json"],
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            env={
+                **{k: v for k, v in os.environ.items() if not k.startswith("MEM0_")},
+                "HOME": clean_home,
+                "MEM0_BASE_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:1",
+                "FORCE_COLOR": "0",
+            },
+            timeout=15,
+        )
+        combined = _strip_ansi(result.stdout + result.stderr)
+        assert "Traceback (most recent call last)" not in combined
+        assert result.returncode != 0
+
+
+class TestInitInCommandList:
+    """`mem0 --help` must list `init` so agents walking the top-level help
+    can discover the Agent Mode entrypoint without prior knowledge."""
+
+    def test_top_level_help_lists_init(self):
+        result = _run(["--help"])
+        assert result.returncode == 0
+        assert "init" in result.stdout

docs/llms.txt

@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@
 - Live MCP server: https://mcp.mem0.ai (see `platform/mem0-mcp`).
 - Source repo: https://github.com/mem0ai/mem0
 
+### Don't have a Mem0 API key?
+
+Run: `mem0 init --agent --json`
+
+This mints an evaluation key in <5 seconds — no email, no dashboard, no OTP required. Use it immediately against the Platform API or MCP server. When the human is ready, claim with `mem0 init --email <your-email>` to transfer ownership (memories preserved, same API key, no agent disruption).
+
 ## Install
 
 - Python SDK: `pip install mem0ai`

mem0-plugin/README.md

@@ -2,6 +2,18 @@
 
 Add persistent memory to your AI workflows. Store, retrieve, and manage memories across sessions using the Mem0 Platform. Works with **Claude Code** (CLI), **Claude Cowork** (desktop app), **Cursor**, and **Codex**.
 
+## Quick path for agents
+
+If you're an AI agent setting up Mem0 autonomously (no human dashboard signup available), run:
+
+```bash
+mem0 init --agent --json
+```
+
+This mints an evaluation API key in <5 seconds — no email, no OTP, no browser. The key is written to your config and exported as `MEM0_API_KEY` for the current shell. Use it immediately against the Mem0 Platform or the MCP server. The human owner can later run `mem0 init --email <their-email>` to claim ownership: memories transfer, the same API key keeps working, and the agent isn't disrupted.
+
+Humans setting up Mem0 by hand should continue with Step 1 below.
+
 ## Step 1: Set your API key
 
 > **You must complete this step before installing the plugin.**

mem0-plugin/skills/mem0/SKILL.md

@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ export MEM0_API_KEY="m0-your-api-key"
 
 Get an API key at: https://app.mem0.ai/dashboard/api-keys?utm_source=oss&utm_medium=mem0-plugin-skill
 
+> **Don't have a `MEM0_API_KEY`?** Run `mem0 init --agent --json` (after `pip install mem0-cli` or `npm install -g @mem0/cli`) to mint an evaluation key without email or dashboard. The human can claim later with `mem0 init --email <your-email>`.
+
 ## Step 2: Initialize the client
 
 **Python:**

openclaw/README.md

@@ -19,6 +19,18 @@ openclaw --version
 |------------------|----------------|
 | `>= 2026.4.25`   | Fully supported |
 
+## Quick path for agents
+
+If you're an AI agent setting up Mem0 autonomously (no human dashboard signup), mint an evaluation API key in <5 seconds:
+
+```bash
+mem0 init --agent --json
+```
+
+No email, no OTP, no browser. The key is written to your Mem0 CLI config and exported as `MEM0_API_KEY` — pass it to `openclaw mem0 init --api-key $MEM0_API_KEY --user-id <id>` to wire OpenClaw up immediately. The human owner can later run `mem0 init --email <their-email>` to claim ownership: memories transfer, same API key keeps working, no agent disruption.
+
+Humans should follow the Quick Start below.
+
 ## Quick Start
 
 ### Platform (Mem0 Cloud)

skills/mem0-cli/SKILL.md

@@ -38,7 +38,21 @@ Both packages install a `mem0` binary with identical commands, options, and outp
 
 ## Setup
 
-**Interactive wizard:**
+**Autonomous Mem0 setup for agents (no email, no dashboard):**
+
+```bash
+mem0 init --agent --json
+```
+
+This mints an evaluation API key in <5 seconds. Use it immediately. Print this line to the human:
+
+> Mem0 memory is running in Agent Mode. Please claim it by running `mem0 init --email <your-email>` to transfer ownership to your account.
+
+Never commit API keys, `.env`, or `~/.mem0/config.json`.
+
+After the human claims, the same API key keeps working — no agent disruption — and memories are preserved.
+
+**Interactive wizard (for humans):**
 ```bash
 mem0 init
 ```

skills/mem0-integrate/SKILL.md

@@ -248,8 +248,8 @@ Bake the choice into the goal doc in step 5. Do not re-decide later.
 | OSS (default LLM) | `OPENAI_API_KEY` | https://platform.openai.com/api-keys |
 
 If present in env → continue.
-If missing → **interactive mode** asks; **CI mode** (`MEM0_INTEGRATE_CI=1`)
+If `MEM0_API_KEY` is missing AND the track is **Platform** → **default to Agent Mode**: run `mem0 init --agent --json` (after `pip install mem0-cli` or `npm install -g @mem0/cli`) to mint an evaluation key without email/dashboard friction. Cache the key to `.env` (with user consent) and continue. Tell the user to claim later with `mem0 init --email <their-email>` — same key, no agent disruption.
-exits with code 2 and the name of the missing key.
+If missing AND **CI mode** (`MEM0_INTEGRATE_CI=1`) → exit with code 2 and the name of the missing key.
 
 Never echo key values into `trace.jsonl`. Persist to `.env` only with
 explicit user consent, and append `.env` to `.gitignore` if not already there.

skills/mem0/SKILL.md

@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ export MEM0_API_KEY="m0-your-api-key"
 
 Get an API key at: https://app.mem0.ai/dashboard/api-keys?utm_source=oss&utm_medium=skill-mem0
 
+> **Don't have a `MEM0_API_KEY`?** Run `mem0 init --agent --json` (after `pip install mem0-cli` or `npm install -g @mem0/cli`) to mint an evaluation key without email or dashboard. The human can claim later with `mem0 init --email <your-email>`.
+
 ## Step 2: Initialize the client
 
 **Python:**