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Code Search

Introduction

Code Search is a self-hosted code search and replace platform with CLI support for batch operations across repositories. It helps development teams search, analyze, and modify code across their entire codebase.

Code Search web application Code Search web application
Section titled “What is Code Search?”

Code Search is designed for organizations that need to:

  • Search code quickly across hundreds or thousands of repositories
  • Make bulk changes across multiple repos with automated MR/PR creation
  • Maintain consistency in large codebases with many microservices
  • Keep data private by self-hosting on their own infrastructure

Key Features

Section titled “Key Features”

Indexed Search

Sub-second search across all repositories using Zoekt, the same engine Google uses for internal code search.

Bulk Replace

Find and replace across multiple repositories. Automatically create branches and merge requests.

Code Intelligence

SCIP-powered go-to-definition, find-references, and symbol search. Navigate code like an IDE across all your repositories.

AI Integration

Built-in MCP server connects AI assistants like Claude and Cursor directly to your codebase for search, browsing, and navigation.

CLI First

Powerful command-line tool for automation, scripting, and CI/CD integration.

Web Interface

Modern web UI for searching, browsing, and managing your code search instance.

How It Works

Section titled “How It Works”
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                             Code Search                               │
├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                       │
│  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌───────────┐  │
│  │   CLI   │  │ Web UI  │  │   MCP    │  │   API   │  │  Indexer  │  │
│  └────┬────┘  └────┬────┘  └────┬─────┘  └────┬────┘  └─────┬─────┘  │
│       │            │            │              │             │        │
│       └────────────┴────────────┴──────┬───────┘             │        │
│                                        │                     │        │
│                              ┌─────────▼────────┐  ┌────────▼──────┐ │
│                              │   API Server     │  │     Zoekt     │ │
│                              │  (Go, REST API)  │  │ (Search Index)│ │
│                              └─────────┬────────┘  └───────────────┘ │
│                                        │                     │       │
│           ┌────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────┤       │
│           │                            │                     │       │
│      ┌────▼────┐               ┌───────▼──────┐     ┌───────▼─────┐ │
│      │  Redis  │               │ PostgreSQL/  │     │  Git Repos  │ │
│      │ (Queue) │               │    MySQL     │     │  (Storage)  │ │
│      └─────────┘               └──────────────┘     └─────────────┘ │
│                                                                       │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
  1. Connect code hosts - Configure connections to GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, or Bitbucket
  2. Sync repositories - The indexer clones and indexes your repositories
  3. Search instantly - Use the CLI, Web UI, MCP server, or API to search across all code
  4. Make bulk changes - Replace patterns and create merge requests automatically
Section titled “When to Use Code Search”

Code Search is ideal for:

Large Codebases

Section titled “Large Codebases”

Organizations with many repositories benefit from centralized search. Find code patterns, track dependencies, and understand how APIs are used across services.

Refactoring Projects

Section titled “Refactoring Projects”

When renaming functions, updating API signatures, or migrating to new patterns, Code Search can apply changes across all repos and create MRs automatically.

Security Audits

Section titled “Security Audits”

Quickly find vulnerable code patterns, outdated dependencies, or sensitive data exposure across your entire codebase.

Developer Onboarding

Section titled “Developer Onboarding”

Help new team members discover existing code, find examples, and understand how things work across the organization.

AI-Assisted Development

Section titled “AI-Assisted Development”

Connect AI coding assistants to your full codebase via the built-in MCP server. AI tools can search code, browse files, and use go-to-definition across all repositories.

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”

Ready to get started?