Instruction file imported from despro7/nk-backoffice (
.github/instructions/CodeGraph MCP usage guide.instructions.md). Copyright stays with the author.
CodeGraph
This project has a CodeGraph MCP server (codegraph_* tools) configured. CodeGraph is a tree-sitter-parsed knowledge graph of every symbol, edge, and file. Reads are sub-millisecond and return structural information grep cannot.
When to prefer codegraph over native search
Use codegraph for structural questions — what calls what, what would break, where is X defined, what is X's signature. Use native grep/read only for literal text queries (string contents, comments, log messages) or after you already have a specific file open.
| Question | Tool |
|---|---|
| "Where is X defined?" / "Find symbol named X" | codegraph_search |
| "What calls function Y?" | codegraph_callers |
| "What does Y call?" | codegraph_callees |
| "How does X reach/become Y? / trace the flow from X to Y" | codegraph_trace (one call = the whole path, incl. callback/React/JSX dynamic hops) |
| "What would break if I changed Z?" | codegraph_impact |
| "Show me Y's signature / source / docstring" | codegraph_node |
| "Give me focused context for a task/area" | codegraph_context |
| "See several related symbols' source at once" | codegraph_explore |
| "What files exist under path/" | codegraph_files |
| "Is the index healthy?" | codegraph_status |
Rules of thumb
- Answer directly — don't delegate exploration. For "how does X work" / architecture questions, answer with 2-3 codegraph calls:
codegraph_contextfirst, then ONEcodegraph_explorefor the source of the symbols it surfaces. For a specific flow ("how does X reach Y") start withcodegraph_tracefrom→to — one call returns the whole path with dynamic hops bridged — then ONEcodegraph_explorefor the bodies; don't rebuild the path withcodegraph_search+codegraph_callers. Codegraph IS the pre-built index, so spawning a separate file-reading sub-task/agent — or running a grep + read loop — repeats work codegraph already did and costs more for the same answer. - Trust codegraph results. They come from a full AST parse. Do NOT re-verify them with grep — that's slower, less accurate, and wastes context.
- Don't grep first when looking up a symbol by name.
codegraph_searchis faster and returns kind + location + signature in one call. - Don't chain
codegraph_search+codegraph_nodewhen you just want context —codegraph_contextis one call. - Don't loop
codegraph_nodeover many symbols — onecodegraph_explorecall returns several symbols' source grouped in a single capped call, while each separate node/Read call re-reads the whole context and costs far more. - Index lag — check the staleness banner, don't guess a wait. When a codegraph response starts with "⚠️ Some files referenced below were edited since the last index sync…", the listed files are pending re-index — Read those specific files for accurate content. Files NOT in that banner are fresh and codegraph is authoritative for them.
codegraph_statusalso lists pending files under "Pending sync".
If .codegraph/ doesn't exist
The MCP server returns "not initialized." Ask the user: "I notice this project doesn't have CodeGraph initialized. Want me to run codegraph init -i to build the index?"