# filesift

filesift indexes a codebase and lets an agent find relevant files by meaning as well as keywords. Use it when a task description is easier to give than a filename.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed, Gemini CLI · ★ 6
- Author: roshunsunder
- License: Apache-2.0 · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/roshunsunder/filesift
- Updated: 2026-02-26
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/filesift

## What it does

The MCP server gives an agent tools to index a project, search it with a natural-language query, find files related to a given file, and check indexing status. Search combines keyword matching with semantic results, so queries can describe code behavior rather than repeat identifiers.

Indexing starts with a structural pass, then builds semantic data in the background. A background daemon serves the indexes, which live in a `.filesift` directory inside each project. Search runs locally, and the MCP tools communicate over STDIO.

For Claude Code, the listed setup command is `claude mcp add filesift -- uvx filesift`. The README also describes a `filesift-mcp` launch command for manual MCP configuration; keep that setup separate from the `uvx` command.

## Requirements
- Needs: Python and uv (commands run via uvx)

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

**Platform CLI**
```bash
claude mcp add filesift -- uvx filesift
```
uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from filesift <command>

### Codex

**Platform CLI**
```bash
codex mcp add filesift -- uvx filesift
```
uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from filesift <command>

### Cursor

**Config file**
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "filesift": {
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": [
                "filesift"
            ]
        }
    }
}
```
uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from filesift <command>

### GitHub Copilot

**Config file**
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "filesift": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": [
                "filesift"
            ]
        }
    }
}
```
uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from filesift <command>

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini mcp add filesift uvx filesift
```
uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from filesift <command>

## When to use it
- locate authentication handling by its behavior
- find retry logic for API calls
- index a project directory for searches
- trace files related to a given module

## Example prompts
- Find the code that handles authentication and user sessions.
- Index this project directory so I can search its code.
- Find files related to the database connection module.

## Similar
- [REA](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/rea.md) — MCP server · ★ 392262
- [GitHub](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/github.md) — MCP server · ★ 33989
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- [Netdata](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/netdata.md) — MCP server · ★ 81163
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- [Scrapling MCP Server](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/scrapling-mcp-server.md) — MCP server · ★ 89899

---
NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md