Codebase Search Skill
When to Use What
| Scenario | Tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Just need file locations | codebase_peek | Metadata only, saves ~90% tokens |
| Need to see actual code | codebase_search | Returns full code content |
| Find duplicates/patterns | find_similar | Given code snippet → similar code |
| Understand code flow | call_graph | Find callers/callees of any function |
| Don't know function/class names | codebase_peek or codebase_search | Natural language → code |
| Know exact identifier names | grep | Faster, more precise |
| Need ALL occurrences | grep | Semantic returns top N only |
Recommended Workflow
- Locate with peek:
codebase_peek("authentication flow")→ get file locations - Read what matters:
Readthe specific files you need - Drill down with grep:
grep "validateToken"for exact matches
Tools
codebase_peek
Find WHERE code is. Returns metadata only (file, line, name, type).
codebase_peek(query="validation logic", chunkType="function", directory="src/utils")codebase_search
Find code with full content. Use when you need to see implementation.
codebase_search(query="error handling middleware", fileType="ts", contextLines=2)find_similar
Find code similar to a given snippet. Use for duplicate detection, pattern discovery, refactoring.
find_similar(code="function validate(input) { return input.length > 0; }", excludeFile="src/current.ts")call_graph
Query callers or callees of a function/method. Built automatically during indexing for TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, Go, and Rust.
call_graph(name="validateToken", direction="callers")
call_graph(name="validateToken", direction="callees", symbolId="src/auth.ts::validateToken")direction="callers": Who calls this function?direction="callees": What does this function call? (requiressymbolIdfrom a prior callers query)
index_codebase
Manually trigger indexing. Required before first search. Incremental (~50ms when unchanged).
index_status
Check if indexed and ready.
Query Tips
Describe behavior, not syntax:
- Good:
"function that hashes passwords securely" - Bad:
"hashPassword"(use grep for exact names)
Filters
| Filter | Example |
|---|---|
chunkType | function, class, interface, type, method |
directory | "src/api", "tests" |
fileType | "ts", "py", "rs" |