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Navigating Codebases with CodeGraph by pleaseai

Name: Navigating Codebases with CodeGraph
Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Author: pleaseai

Navigating Codebases with CodeGraph

Query a pre-indexed knowledge graph of a codebase (symbols, call graphs, dependencies, impact) instead of scanning files with grep/glob/Read. Use when exploring an unfamiliar codebase, tracing who calls or is called by a function, assessing the blast radius of a change, finding where a symbol is defined or used, or answering architecture questions. Triggers on mentions of code navigation, call graph, callers, callees, impact analysis, symbol search, or understanding code structure.

pleaseai ba40344 3.2 KB Updated Sep 10, 2026

File contents

CodeGraph - Local Code Intelligence

CodeGraph gives you a pre-indexed knowledge graph of the current project — symbol relationships, call graphs, and code structure — so you can answer questions instantly instead of consuming tokens scanning files with grep, glob, and Read.

When to Use

First check: CodeGraph applies only in repositories it has indexed — a .codegraph/ directory exists at the repo root. If there is no .codegraph/ directory, skip CodeGraph entirely; indexing is the user's decision (suggest codegraph init only if they want it).

In an indexed repo, reach for CodeGraph before grep/find or reading files when you need to understand or locate code:

Explore / answer most code questions in one call → codegraph_explore (returns the relevant symbols' verbatim source plus the call paths between them)
Inspect one symbol (source + callers) or read a whole file with line numbers → codegraph_node
Search for a symbol, type, or concept by name/intent → codegraph_search
Trace callers — who invokes this function/method? → codegraph_callers
Trace callees — what does this function call? → codegraph_callees
Assess impact / blast radius of changing a symbol → codegraph_impact
List indexed files in the project → codegraph_files
Check index health / freshness → codegraph_status

How to Use

For broad questions ("how does X work?", "where is auth handled?"), start with codegraph_explore — it answers most code questions in a single call.
To navigate relationships from a known symbol, use codegraph_node, then codegraph_callers / codegraph_callees.
Before refactoring or renaming, run codegraph_impact to find everything affected.
If the MCP tools are listed but deferred, load them by name via tool search.
Shell fallback (no MCP client needed): npx -y @colbymchenry/codegraph explore "<symbols or question>" and npx -y @colbymchenry/codegraph node <symbol-or-file> print the same output as the MCP tools — portable even without a global codegraph install (drop the npx -y @colbymchenry/ prefix if the CLI is on your PATH).
If a tool response shows a ⚠️ staleness banner naming a file, Read that file directly for live content — it was edited within the sync debounce window.

Important Notes

Indexing is per-project, signalled by the .codegraph/ directory. No .codegraph/ → don't call CodeGraph tools.
100% local. No code leaves the machine; the server bundles its own runtime.
The index auto-syncs on file changes via a native file watcher, so results stay current as the codebase evolves.

---name: navigating-codebases-with-codegraphdescription: Query a pre-indexed knowledge graph of a codebase (symbols, call graphs, dependencies, impact) instead of scanning files with grep/glob/Read. Use when exploring an unfamiliar codebase, tracing who calls or is called by a function, assessing the blast radius of a change, finding where a symbol is defined or used, or answering architecture questions. Triggers on mentions of code navigation, call graph, callers, callees, impact analysis, symbol search, or understanding code structure.---# CodeGraph - Local Code IntelligenceCodeGraph gives you a pre-indexed knowledge graph of the current project — symbolrelationships, call graphs, and code structure — so you can answer questionsinstantly instead of consuming tokens scanning files with grep, glob, and Read.## When to Use**First check:** CodeGraph applies only in repositories it has indexed — a`.codegraph/` directory exists at the repo root. If there is no `.codegraph/`directory, skip CodeGraph entirely; indexing is the user's decision (suggest`codegraph init` only if they want it).In an indexed repo, reach for CodeGraph **before** grep/find or reading files whenyou need to understand or locate code:- **Explore / answer most code questions** in one call → `codegraph_explore` (returns the relevant symbols' verbatim source plus the call paths between them)- **Inspect one symbol** (source + callers) or read a whole file with line numbers → `codegraph_node`- **Search** for a symbol, type, or concept by name/intent → `codegraph_search`- **Trace callers** — who invokes this function/method? → `codegraph_callers`- **Trace callees** — what does this function call? → `codegraph_callees`- **Assess impact / blast radius** of changing a symbol → `codegraph_impact`- **List indexed files** in the project → `codegraph_files`- **Check index health / freshness** → `codegraph_status`## How to Use1. For broad questions ("how does X work?", "where is auth handled?"), start with `codegraph_explore` — it answers most code questions in a single call.2. To navigate relationships from a known symbol, use `codegraph_node`, then `codegraph_callers` / `codegraph_callees`.3. Before refactoring or renaming, run `codegraph_impact` to find everything affected.4. If the MCP tools are listed but deferred, load them by name via tool search.5. **Shell fallback (no MCP client needed):** `npx -y @colbymchenry/codegraph explore "<symbols or question>"` and `npx -y @colbymchenry/codegraph node <symbol-or-file>` print the same output as the MCP tools — portable even without a global `codegraph` install (drop the `npx -y @colbymchenry/` prefix if the CLI is on your PATH).6. If a tool response shows a `⚠️` staleness banner naming a file, `Read` that file directly for live content — it was edited within the sync debounce window.## Important Notes- **Indexing is per-project**, signalled by the `.codegraph/` directory. No `.codegraph/` → don't call CodeGraph tools.- **100% local.** No code leaves the machine; the server bundles its own runtime.- The index auto-syncs on file changes via a native file watcher, so results stay current as the codebase evolves.

Frequently asked questions