archex CLI
A CLI with a local code index: it annotates grep results and gives an agent context with an index freshness receipt.
- 67 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- Apache-2.0
Extended access
Why this level
- `install-client` writes client configuration and, on request, hooks, and a `.archex/` folder with the index appears in the repository.
Install
- Works in
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add cli/archexDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewExtended accessThe tool runs code or makes network calls and only reads external data.
- `install-client` writes client configuration and, on request, hooks, and a `.archex/` folder with the index appears in the repository.
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
archex builds a local repository index and hands a coding agent verified context. A post-search hook (`grep`, `glob`, shell `rg`) appends one line per code unit the hits fall in: name, kind, line span and importer count. The hook leaves the search result itself untouched. The main call for an agent is `archex context "question"`: it returns a candidate map, exact fetch handles, selected code, relation paths, a route decision and a receipt with index freshness. Surfaces are CLI, MCP, a Python API and Docker, a `/archex` skill for Claude Code and hooks for omp, Pi, OpenCode, Claude Code and Codex. The MCP server first advertises two retrieval schemas and exposes all 20 tools after the first retrieval. Support for 26 languages, portable team indexes and diff-scoped change-impact analysis are declared.
Who it is for. Developers whose agents spend many tokens searching a large repository and misread links between modules.
Good fit when
- After `grep` an agent gets a hundred hits and needs a note on which functions they sit in.
- Before an edit you need to know who imports a module and what a change will touch.
- A team wants one shared ready-made repository index so nobody builds it again.
- You need to know whether the index is fresh and files were skipped before trusting an answer.
Not a fit when
- You need native Windows without WSL: archex is not supported on native Windows.
- You want a chatbot that explains code: the tool returns context for another agent.
- You need a proven gain in solved task rate: the author has not run such a measurement yet.
Example request
Use archex to find where authorisation is handled in the project and show which modules import that code.Limitations
Runs on Linux and macOS, and on Windows only inside WSL. The author states plainly that no A/B measurement on real tasks has been run: token-saving figures refer to fixed recall on chosen corpora and are not money. The hook has a 0.5 second budget, and on a loaded machine latency approaches it. Local metrics are off by default and turn on with `archex metrics enable`; there is no telemetry. State lives in the `.archex/` folder, which should not be committed.
How to disable. Remove hooks with `archex install-client <client> --remove-hooks`, then the client configuration and the package with `uv tool uninstall archex`. Delete the `.archex/` folder in the repository by hand.
FAQ
How do I install archex?
Run `uv tool install archex`, then `archex setup` in the repository: it builds the index, checks MCP and offers to configure detected clients.
How do I connect it to Claude Code?
`archex install-client claude-code` writes global configuration, and `--dry-run` shows it without writing. The MCP server needs `uv tool install "archex[mcp]"`.
How do I turn on search annotations?
Run `archex install-client claude-code --hooks`. The hook is non-blocking, and `--remove-hooks` removes it.
Which clients are supported?
Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode, Pi and oh-my-pi (`omp`) through `install-client`.
Does archex collect telemetry?
No. Local metrics in `~/.archex/usage.sqlite` are enabled separately and stay on your machine.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
Related
CLI toolsA local semantic code index: the agent searches by meaning, then follows hits into definitions, callers and dependency paths
Git-native project context for agents: specs, decisions and rules live in Markdown beside the code and are read before edits
Source search ranks matches using code structure and gives agents relevant snippets without a separate search index.
An MCP server that indexes a local repository with tree-sitter and gives the agent code search, file lookup and a structure summary of a file
A local codebase index for agents: hybrid search, dependency graphs and change impact analysis
Local code index for agents: the MCP tool map searches by meaning and structure, and code never leaves your machine
Comparison with similar tools
Cards that share the main search query, and how they differ.
| Tool | Official | Authentication | Repository stars | Main difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| archex (this card) | no | 67 | ||
| open-codebase-index | no | not required | 229 | a local semantic index for meaning-based search; archex annotates ordinary grep results and issues freshness receipts |
| Serena | no | not required | 31,335 | an MCP server with IDE capabilities; archex gives context and search annotations without editing code |
README in short
The project installs through `uv`, indexes code deterministically and makes no model calls while indexing. The README has a section on what the authors refuse to claim and instructions for verifying the figures. Apache 2.0 licence.