# ast-index — Fast Code Search for Agents

> ast-index builds an AST index for fast code search and integrates with Claude/Codex/Cursor; verified 347★ and installs via Homebrew.

## Install

Copy the content below into your project:

## Quick Use

```bash
brew tap defendend/ast-index
brew install ast-index
cd /path/to/repo && ast-index rebuild
```

## Intro

ast-index builds an AST index for fast code search and integrates with Claude/Codex/Cursor; verified 347★ and installs via Homebrew.

**Best for:** Large repos where grep is too slow/noisy and you want agents to query symbols/usages precisely

**Works with:** macOS Homebrew (fast install) and any agent that can call CLI or MCP wrappers

**Setup time:** 8-18 minutes

### Key facts (verified)

- GitHub: 347 stars · 29 forks · pushed 2026-05-13.
- License: MIT · owner avatar + repo URL verified via GitHub API.
- README-backed entrypoint: `ast-index rebuild`.

## Main

- Index once, query forever: run `rebuild` initially, then prefer incremental `update` for day-to-day changes.

- Teach agents a rule: call `outline` or `symbol/usages` before reading a 500+ line file to reduce token burn.

- For monorepos, enable walk-up indexing so subprojects reuse the root index instead of reindexing per folder.

### Source-backed notes

- README provides Homebrew install (`brew tap defendend/ast-index` then `brew install ast-index`) and lists 46+ commands.
- README documents integrations: Claude plugin, Codex MCP install (`ast-index install-codex-mcp`), and Cursor plugin wiring.
- README mentions a binary size hint (~44MB) for the release CLI output.

### FAQ

- **Do I need to reindex after every change?**: No — use incremental `update` and rebuild only when the index gets out of sync.
- **Is this language-specific?**: It supports multiple symbol queries; check README for supported languages in your repo.
- **Can agents access it via MCP?**: Yes — README describes an MCP server wrapper that exposes ast-index tools to MCP clients.

## Source & Thanks

> Source: https://github.com/defendend/Claude-ast-index-search
> License: MIT
> GitHub stars: 347 · forks: 29

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## Quick Use

```bash
brew tap defendend/ast-index
brew install ast-index
cd /path/to/repo && ast-index rebuild
```

## Intro

ast-index 通过 AST 索引实现高速代码搜索，可接入 Claude/Codex/Cursor 与 MCP；已验证 347★，README 标注 46+ 命令，支持 Homebrew 快速安装（产物约 44MB）。

**Best for:** 大型仓库：grep 太慢/太吵，需要 agent 精准查符号、调用方与引用位置

**Works with:** macOS Homebrew（快速安装）+ 可调用 CLI/MCP 的各类 agent

**Setup time:** 8-18 minutes

### Key facts (verified)

- GitHub：347 stars · 29 forks；最近更新 2026-05-13。
- 许可证：MIT；作者头像与仓库链接均已通过 GitHub API 复核。
- README 中可对照的入口命令：`ast-index rebuild`。

## Main

- 先建索引再持续使用：第一次用 `rebuild`，日常改动优先用增量 `update`。

- 给 agent 写硬规则：读 500+ 行文件前先跑 `outline` 或 `symbol/usages`，减少 token 消耗。

- 单仓多项目建议开启 walk-up，让子目录复用根索引，避免每个子项目重复建库。

### Source-backed notes

- README 提供 Homebrew 安装（`brew tap defendend/ast-index` → `brew install ast-index`），并列出 46+ 命令。
- README 描述与 Claude/Codex/Cursor 的集成方式（含 `ast-index install-codex-mcp`）。
- README 提到构建产物体积提示（CLI 二进制约 ~44MB）。

### FAQ

- **每次改代码都要重建索引吗？**：不需要。日常用增量 `update`，只有索引不同步时再 `rebuild`。
- **这是某一种语言专用吗？**：它支持多种符号查询；具体语言支持以 README 为准。
- **agent 能通过 MCP 用它吗？**：可以。README 描述了 MCP server wrapper，可向 MCP 客户端暴露工具。

## Source & Thanks

> Source: https://github.com/defendend/Claude-ast-index-search
> License: MIT
> GitHub stars: 347 · forks: 29


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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/ast-index-fast-code-search-for-agents
Author: Script Depot