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Serena

An MCP server that gives agents IDE powers: symbol and reference lookup, symbol-level edits and renames via LSP or JetBrains

MCP serverEditors’ pickHigh risk

oraios/serenaAuthor: Oraios AI

Install

uv tool install -p 3.13 serena-agent
serena init

Requires uv. For the JetBrains backend add -b JetBrains to serena init.

This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.

What it does

Serena connects language servers to the agent and works with code at the symbol level rather than by lines. The agent can find a definition, every reference to a function, a file outline, replace a method body or insert code next to a symbol. The language server backend is free and covers dozens of languages. A paid JetBrains plugin adds moving files and symbols, inlining, type hierarchy and breakpoint debugging. It also has a memory system for long projects and flexible YAML configuration.

Who it is for. For developers who point agents at large codebases and want precise navigation and refactoring instead of text search.

Good fit when

  • A large project where the agent gets lost with text search
  • You need to rename a symbol across files without manual replace
  • You need to find every usage of a function or class quickly

Not a fit when

  • A small script or edits to prose and configs
  • The project language has neither a language server nor JetBrains support

Example request

Find every call to calculate_total and rename it to compute_total

Limitations

Requires uv, and some languages need extra language server dependencies. Move, inline and debugging exist only in the paid JetBrains plugin, which does not support Rider or CLion. The authors ask not to install Serena from MCP or plugin marketplaces because their commands are outdated. The application is GPL-3.0 licensed.

How to disable. Run claude mcp remove serena or delete the serena entry from the client's MCP config, then run uv tool uninstall serena-agent.

MCP

Transport
stdio, http
Authentication
not required

Security check

  • Edits project files
  • Includes a shell command execution tool

README in short

The README calls Serena an IDE for the agent and describes two backends, language servers and a JetBrains plugin, with capability tables for each. Installation uses uv and serena init, and per-client setup lives in the docs. It warns that marketplace installs are outdated. Licensing is mixed: SolidLSP under MIT, the application under GPL-3.0.

FAQ

Do I need JetBrains?

No. Free language servers are used by default. The JetBrains plugin is only needed for advanced refactoring and debugging.

Will Serena duplicate Claude Code's built-in tools?

Its basic file and shell tools are disabled by default in Claude Code and Codex, leaving the semantic ones.

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