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Graphify Windows install: setup and your first graph

· 4 minute read

A Graphify Windows install is a three-step setup of the open-source Graphify CLI: install Python 3.10 or newer, install the graphifyy package with uv, and run graphify install. On Windows, graphify install picks the Windows version of the Claude Code skill by default. Then you build your first graph from PowerShell.

What do you need before a Graphify Windows install?Link to What do you need before a Graphify Windows install?

You need Python 3.10 or newer, a terminal, and a coding assistant such as Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor. Install Python from python.org or with winget, and tick "Add python.exe to PATH" in the python.org installer. Git is optional, but graphify hook install needs it.

Check your version in PowerShell:

powershell
python --version

How do you install Graphify on Windows?Link to How do you install Graphify on Windows?

Install uv first, then use it to install Graphify as a tool. The uv installation guide gives a PowerShell installer and a winget package. A tool install puts the graphify command on your PATH in its own environment. Open a new terminal afterwards so the updated PATH takes effect:

powershell
winget install --id=astral-sh.uv -e
uv tool install graphifyy
graphify install

The package is graphifyy, with two y's. The command is graphify. If you prefer pipx, run pipx install graphifyy. With plain pip, scripts land in a folder such as %APPDATA%\Python\PythonXY\Scripts, which may not be on PATH. python -m graphify works in that case.

| Method | Command | PATH handled? | |---|---|---| | uv | uv tool install graphifyy | Yes | | pipx | pipx install graphifyy | Yes | | pip | pip install graphifyy | Not always |

Which platform flag does Windows need?Link to Which platform flag does Windows need?

For Claude Code on Windows, the README lists graphify install --platform windows. On a Windows machine, graphify install chooses that platform by default, so the plain command works. You only need the flag when you set up a different assistant or want to be explicit in a script. Other assistants take their own flag:

powershell
graphify install --platform codex
graphify cursor install

How do you build your first graph on Windows?Link to How do you build your first graph on Windows?

Open your project folder in your assistant and run the skill. In Claude Code, type /graphify . in the chat. Codex calls skills with a dollar sign, so in Codex you run $graphify . instead. The assistant parses code locally with tree-sitter and sends docs and images to its model for extraction.

For a code-only graph without the assistant, run this in PowerShell inside the project:

powershell
graphify update .

It parses the code locally and needs no API key. Both routes write a graphify-out folder. Open graphify-out\graph.html in a browser to explore the graph. Read GRAPH_REPORT.md for the most connected nodes and clusters.

How do you query the graph from PowerShell?Link to How do you query the graph from PowerShell?

The CLI works the same on Windows as on macOS and Linux, so every query command carries over unchanged. The one difference is quoting. PowerShell treats single and double quotes differently, as its quoting rules explain. Wrap symbol names in double quotes so names with parentheses pass through intact:

powershell
graphify query "what connects auth to the database?"
graphify path "UserService" "DatabasePool"
graphify explain "RateLimiter"

Then run graphify claude install once, so Claude Code reads the report before it searches. The Claude Code integration page covers the hook it installs.

What if something goes wrong on Windows?Link to What if something goes wrong on Windows?

Most problems are PATH or encoding. If graphify is not found, close and reopen the terminal after a uv install, or use python -m graphify. If non-English text looks garbled, set PYTHONUTF8=1 for the session. The troubleshooting docs list more cases. For git hooks, graphify hook install writes hooks that Git for Windows runs through its bundled shell.

How do you fix graphify not found on Windows?Link to How do you fix graphify not found on Windows?

Run uv tool update-shell in PowerShell, then close and reopen the terminal. That adds the uv tools folder to your user PATH. If you used pipx, run pipx ensurepath instead. Then run graphify --help to confirm. A new terminal is required because the old one keeps the old PATH.

If it still fails, run where.exe graphify to see whether any copy is on PATH.

FAQLink to FAQ

Does Graphify work on Windows without WSL?Link to Does Graphify work on Windows without WSL?

Yes. The CLI runs in native PowerShell. WSL works too, as a Linux environment.

Do I need an API key on Windows?Link to Do I need an API key on Windows?

Not for code. Code parsing is local. Docs and images go through your assistant's model.

Why is graphify not recognized after pip install?Link to Why is graphify not recognized after pip install?

Your Python Scripts folder is not on PATH. Use uv or pipx, or run python -m graphify.

Can I use Graphify with Cursor on Windows?Link to Can I use Graphify with Cursor on Windows?

Yes. Run graphify cursor install in the project to add an always-on rule for Cursor.

Where does Graphify write its output?Link to Where does Graphify write its output?

To a graphify-out folder in the project: graph.html, GRAPH_REPORT.md, and graph.json.

Next stepsLink to Next steps

Graphify is open source on GitHub. Install it with uv tool install graphifyy. If you are unsure which package to pick, read graphifyy vs graphify on PyPI. Graphify's edge tags explain the labels you will see. Code is parsed with tree-sitter.

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