MCP server · Developer tools
Srclight code index MCP server
by srclight
Lets your AI search your codebase by meaning, symbols, and callers instead of endless file scans.
Srclight is a helper that builds a searchable index of your code, so your AI can find functions, callers, and related code in one step. It is handy for developers who use an AI coding assistant and are tired of watching it grep through files for half the conversation. Everything stays on your own machine.
What is an MCP server? The 30-second version
On its own, your AI can only chat with you and read whatever files you paste in. An MCP server is a small helper program that gives your AI a new skill or a connection to something else. This one connects your AI to a local index of your codebase, so when you ask a question about your code, the AI can look things up in that index instead of guessing. It runs on your computer and your code never leaves it.
What this MCP server does
You install Srclight and run one command to index your project. It reads your code files and stores what it finds, like function names, where they are, and who calls them, in a single local database. When you ask your AI something about your code, the AI asks Srclight, and Srclight looks it up in that database. You get back a short, precise answer, such as a list of callers or the file where a function lives, instead of a pile of raw file contents. It can also read some document formats like PDF or Word files if you install the extra pieces.
Click to zoomWhat you can do with it
- Find every place a function is called
- Get a quick map of what a codebase contains
- Search for code by meaning, not just exact words
- See which files changed recently and what they might break
- Look up a symbol's definition and where it lives
- Search across several projects at once
- Check whether the index is up to date before trusting an answer
Try asking your AI
- “Who calls the lookup function in this project?”
- “Give me an overview of this codebase.”
- “Find code that handles user authentication.”
- “What changed in the last few commits and what might break?”
What it gives back to you
You get short, structured answers in the chat: lists of functions, file paths with line numbers, caller and callee relationships, or a summary map of a project. Some answers come with a freshness note telling you whether the index still matches your files. If you ask about changes, you get a picture of what was touched and what depends on it. It does not rewrite your code; it reports what it found.
Before you start
What you need
- Python 3.11 or newer installed on your computer
- Git installed (for change tracking and auto-reindex)
- Ollama installed if you want meaning-based search (optional)
- A terminal where you can run the srclight commands
Good to know
It only reads and indexes your code, but the index database can get large, so keep the .srclight folder out of git and do not commit it.
Install it with your AI
Add Srclight code index MCP server to your AI, no technical skills needed
You don't install anything by hand. You copy one prompt, paste it into an AI that can work on your computer, and it checks, installs and connects the server for you, asking you when it needs something.
Sign in to get the install prompt
Members get a ready-made prompt that lets the Claude desktop app check Srclight code index MCP server, install it and connect it for them, step by step. You don't need any technical skills: you copy, paste and answer a few questions. Your connected AI can also find and install any of the 4,066 MCP servers here for you.
Who it's for
Developers and technical teams who use an AI coding assistant and want it to understand a real codebase quickly.
