How to use Graphify with coding agents: pros and cons

Graphify gives coding agents such as Claude Code, Cursor and Codex a code knowledge graph they can query over MCP, so they can ask what calls a function instead of searching files. You connect it once, then tell the agent to use it. It helps most on cross-file questions in large repos, and little on small ones.

How do I use Graphify with a coding agent?Link to How do I use Graphify with a coding agent?#

Connect the server, then give the agent a rule. That is the whole job. The fastest route is Graphify: connect a GitHub or GitLab repository, wait for its status to show Indexed, then add the hosted MCP server at https://api.graphify.com/mcp to your agent. Sign-in is OAuth in the browser, so there is no API key to paste.

Each agent takes one step:

Other MCP clients work the same way, as long as they support remote HTTP servers. See connect any MCP client to a code graph.

Should I use hosted Graphify or the Graphify CLI?Link to Should I use hosted Graphify or the Graphify CLI?#

Use hosted Graphify when your code is on GitHub or GitLab and you want the graph rebuilt on every push and shared with your team. Use the Graphify CLI when the code must stay on your machine, you work offline, or you want no account. The CLI is open source under Apache 2.0.

The local route is three commands, then /graphify . typed in the agent chat:

uv tool install graphifyy
graphify install
graphify claude install   # Claude Code only: adds the CLAUDE.md section and hooks

The graph lands in graphify-out/. For the longer comparison, read Graphify open source vs hosted.

Which model runs where?Link to Which model runs where?#

Three different models can be involved, and they are easy to mix up.

• Your agent's model. Claude, GPT, whatever Cursor routes to. It answers you and decides when to call Graphify. Graphify does not change it.
• The code parse. Tree-sitter reads your source on your machine, with no model and no key. This is where the call and import edges come from.
• The semantic pass. Docs, PDFs and images need a model. In the CLI you pick it: Claude, Gemini, OpenAI, Ollama and others are built in, and Ollama keeps everything local. graphify extract . --code-only skips the pass.

So "which provider does Graphify use?" has a short answer for code: none.

What are the pros?Link to What are the pros?#

• Structural questions get direct answers. What calls this, what depends on that package, how does A reach B. The agent follows edges instead of rebuilding the answer from search results. See what a code knowledge graph is.
• Answers cite real files. Every edge is tagged EXTRACTED, INFERRED or AMBIGUOUS, so you can see how sure Graphify is and open the file yourself.
• It works across agents. One graph, and Claude Code, Cursor and Codex all read it. Your team does not have to agree on one tool.
• The code build is free and local. No model tokens, no key, about 40 languages.
• Hosted adds upkeep you would otherwise do. Rebuilds on every push, shared workspaces and combined repositories.

What are the cons?Link to What are the cons?#

• Agents skip it unless told. Grep is the tool they know. Without a rule in CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md or .cursor/rules/, the graph sits unused. Tell your agent to use the graph has a rule you can copy.
• It does little on small repos. A single-file edit or a file you already know gains nothing. The agent still reads the file it is about to change.
• A local graph does not update itself. Re-run graphify update . or install the git hooks. The hosted graph follows the default branch, so your uncommitted edits are read from disk.
• Inferred edges need a second look. They are useful and sometimes wrong. How to audit inferred edges shows how.
• Token results vary. Some public tests saw fewer tokens, others more. Measure your own repo.
• Docs and images cost model tokens. A README and a folder of screenshots are enough to trigger the semantic pass.
• Hosted needs an account and a connected repo. The Free plan needs no card. Pro and Teams raise the limits.

When should I skip Graphify?Link to When should I skip Graphify?#

Skip it for a small project, a throwaway script, or work where your questions are about one file at a time. Skip hosted if policy says the repository cannot leave your machine; use the CLI with --code-only, or do not use a graph at all. If grep and your agent already answer your questions fast, you do not have the problem a graph solves.

How do I check that my agent is using it?Link to How do I check that my agent is using it?#

Ask a code question without naming Graphify, then read the tool calls. If the first call is a Graphify tool, the rule works. If it is a file search, tighten the rule. You can also end a task with:

List every Graphify tool call you made in this session. If you made none, say so.

Good first questions: "What calls the function that parses config?", "What would change if I renamed this class?", "Which modules depend on the payments package?" Open the cited lines before you trust an answer. For a first look at the Claude Code and Cursor details, see how to give Claude Code a code knowledge graph and how to give Cursor a code knowledge graph. The what is Graphify page has the short version.

Try itLink to Try it#

Connect a repository at Graphify, then add the MCP server to your agent. Or stay local:

uv tool install graphifyy
graphify install

Open-source Graphify is licensed under Apache 2.0. Sources: Graphify docs, Anthropic's Claude Code MCP documentation, OpenAI's Codex MCP documentation, Cursor's MCP documentation.

FAQLink to FAQ#

Does Graphify use my agent's model?Link to Does Graphify use my agent's model?#

Only for docs, PDFs and images. Code is parsed on your machine with tree-sitter and no model. With /graphify in a chat, the semantic pass runs on your assistant's model. With the CLI it runs on a provider you configure, or none if you pass --code-only.

Is Graphify worth it for a small repository?Link to Is Graphify worth it for a small repository?#

Usually not. A graph helps when a question spans many files in a large or unfamiliar codebase. On a small repo, or a single-file edit, the agent can read what it needs directly.

Does a code graph reduce my agent's token use?Link to Does a code graph reduce my agent's token use?#

Sometimes, but it is not why to use one. Public tests of Graphify show a wide spread, from fewer tokens to more. Treat any saving as a side benefit and measure it on your own repo with /usage before and after.

What does Graphify send off my machine?Link to What does Graphify send off my machine?#

With the open-source CLI, nothing from a code-only build. Your agent still sends what it reads to its own provider. Hosted Graphify builds the graph from the repositories you connect, and your agent reaches it over MCP with OAuth.