Code Index MCP

Description written after our first hands-on test.

🧠 Code understanding★ 1,002Updated 2026-07-27Auth: noneGitHub ↗

SourcesGitHubjohnhuang316/code-index-mcp

Best for code understanding · provisional · tested 2026-10-14

All four servers found where compute_total is defined and where it's called, in both clients. Code Index did it in the fewest calls (2 in each client); Serena needed 7 in total, Git 9 and codebase-memory 10. On a 2-file repo this shows they work, not how they scale. On Oct 14 all four also passed in Claude Desktop and ChatGPT (Codex), so call counts from Claude Code and Cursor remain the only tiebreak.

Test results

Last passed 2026-10-14

Claude CodePassed2026-10-13 · install, connect, tools, agent task

CursorPassed2026-10-13 · install, connect, tools, agent task

Claude DesktopPassed2026-10-14 · install, connect, tools, agent task

ChatGPT (Codex)Passed2026-10-14 · install, connect, tools, agent task

Protocol: starts, 14 tools listed · 2026-10-13

Install

claude mcp add code-index -- uvx code-index-mcp

Run in your terminal. This exact command is what our harness runs in Claude Code; see the results above.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "code-index": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "code-index-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Save as .cursor/mcp.json. This exact config is what our harness runs in Cursor; see the results above.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "code-index": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "code-index-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop. Tested on the Linux beta; see the results above.

[mcp_servers.code-index]
command = "uvx"
args = ["code-index-mcp"]

Add to ~/.codex/config.toml (shared by the ChatGPT (Codex) CLI and the ChatGPT desktop app; Codex runs inside the ChatGPT desktop app). Tested with the ChatGPT (Codex) CLI bundled in the ChatGPT desktop app; see the results above.

Not connecting? Troubleshooting: Claude Code · Cursor · Claude Desktop · ChatGPT (Codex)

Test history

Date	Check	Result	Version
2026-10-13	Protocol (direct stdio)	Protocol: starts, 14 tools listed	1.30.0
2026-10-13	Claude Code	Passed install, connect, tools, agent task	2.1.296 (Claude Code)
2026-10-13	Cursor	Passed install, connect, tools, agent task	2026.10.12-d47ca18
2026-10-14	Claude Desktop	Passed install, connect, tools, agent task	Claude Desktop 2.37337.1 (Linu
2026-10-14	ChatGPT (Codex)	Passed install, connect, tools, agent task	codex-cli 0.162.0-alpha.17.2

Tools seen by our harness (14)

set_project_pathsearch_code_advancedfind_filesget_file_summaryget_symbol_bodyrefresh_indexbuild_deep_indexget_settings_infocreate_temp_directorycheck_temp_directoryclear_settingsrefresh_search_toolsget_file_watcher_statusconfigure_file_watcher