Content
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<img src="static/logo.svg" width="80" alt="Context Engine" />
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<h1 align="center">Context Engine</h1>
<p align="center">
<strong>Semantic code search, memory, and symbol intelligence for AI coding assistants.</strong>
</p>
<p align="center">
<a href="https://context-engine.ai">Website</a> · <a href="https://context-engine.ai">Get Started</a> · <a href="LICENSE">License</a>
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---
## Install Skills
Context Engine ships AI agent skills that teach your coding assistant how to use 30+ MCP tools for semantic search, symbol graph navigation, memory, and more.
### Claude Code / Claude Desktop
**Recommended:** Install natively from the public GitHub repo:
```bash
# Add the marketplace (one-time)
/plugin marketplace add Context-Engine-AI/Context-Engine
# Install the skill
/plugin install context-engine
```
This pulls the skill directly from GitHub and auto-loads MCP tool guidance into your session.
Alternatively, copy the rules file manually:
```bash
cp -r skills/context-engine/ your-project/.claude/
```
### Cursor
Context Engine rules are included in `.cursorrules` at the root of your workspace. Cursor picks this up automatically when the file is present.
```bash
# Copy to your project root
cp .cursorrules your-project/.cursorrules
```
### Codex (OpenAI)
**Recommended:** Install natively using the built-in skill installer — just ask Codex:
> "Install the context-engine skill from https://github.com/Context-Engine-AI/Context-Engine"
Codex will pull `.codex/skills/context-engine/` (including `SKILL.md` and reference docs) into `~/.codex/skills/` automatically.
Or install manually:
```bash
cp -r .codex/skills/context-engine/ ~/.codex/skills/context-engine/
```
### Windsurf
```bash
cp -r .codex/skills/ your-project/.codex/skills/
```
### Augment Code
```bash
cp -r .augment/ your-project/.augment/
```
### Gemini
```bash
cp GEMINI.md your-project/GEMINI.md
```
### Any Other Assistant
The core skill file works with any AI assistant that supports custom instructions:
```bash
cp skills/context-engine/SKILL.md your-project/
```
Then tell your assistant: *"Read SKILL.md for instructions on using Context Engine MCP tools."*
---
## CLI Setup (No VS Code)
If you use Claude Code, Codex, or another terminal-based MCP client, install the **MCP bridge** to connect your codebase to Context Engine without VS Code:
```bash
npm install -g @context-engine-bridge/context-engine-mcp-bridge
```
### Quick start
```bash
# Authenticate, index your codebase, and start watching for changes
ctxce connect <your-api-key> --workspace /path/to/repo
# Run as a background daemon (recommended)
ctxce connect <your-api-key> --workspace /path/to/repo --daemon
```
### Daemon management
```bash
ctxce status # Check if the daemon is running
ctxce stop # Stop the background daemon
```
### Connect flags
| Flag | Alias | Description |
|------|-------|-------------|
| `--workspace <path>` | `-w` | Workspace root (default: cwd) |
| `--daemon` | `-d`, `--bg` | Run as background daemon |
| `--interval <sec>` | | File watch interval in seconds (default: 30) |
| `--no-watch` | `--once` | Index once, don't watch for changes |
| `--skip-index` | `--auth-only` | Authenticate only, skip initial index |
### Wire up the MCP server
Once connected, point your MCP client at the bridge:
```bash
# stdio mode (for Claude Code, Codex, etc.)
ctxce mcp-serve --workspace /path/to/repo
# HTTP mode (for clients that speak HTTP)
ctxce mcp-http-serve --workspace /path/to/repo --port 30810
```
The daemon and MCP server share auth via `~/.ctxce/auth.json`. Logs are at `~/.context-engine/daemon.log`.
For full bridge documentation, see [Context-Engine-MCP-Bridge](https://github.com/Context-Engine-AI/Context-Engine-MCP-Bridge).
---
## What Do the Skills Do?
The skills teach your AI assistant to:
- **Use `search` as the default tool** — auto-routes queries to the best backend (semantic search, Q&A, symbol graph, tests, config)
- **Navigate code with `symbol_graph`** — find callers, callees, definitions, importers, subclasses
- **Run batch queries** — `batch_search`, `batch_symbol_graph`, `batch_graph_query` for 75%+ token savings
- **Store and recall knowledge** — `memory_store` and `memory_find` for persistent context across sessions
- **Trace cross-repo flows** — `cross_repo_search` with boundary tracing for multi-repo codebases
- **Find structural patterns** — `pattern_search` for retry loops, error handling, singletons across languages
- **Search git history** — `search_commits_for` and `change_history_for_path`
See [`skills/context-engine/SKILL.md`](skills/context-engine/SKILL.md) for the complete tool reference.
---
## Getting Started
1. **Sign up** at [context-engine.ai](https://context-engine.ai)
2. **Connect your codebase** — choose one:
- **VS Code** — install the [Context Engine Uploader](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=context-engine.context-engine-uploader) extension
- **CLI** — `npm i -g @context-engine-bridge/context-engine-mcp-bridge && ctxce connect <api-key> --daemon`
3. **Install the skill** for your AI assistant (see [Install Skills](#install-skills) above)
4. **Start searching** — your assistant now has access to all 30+ MCP tools
---
## License
[Context-Engine Source Available License 1.0](LICENSE)
© 2025 Context Engine Inc. and John Donalson.
