Overview Integrate CodeAlive with Claude Desktop to enhance your AI assistant with deep understanding of your entire codebase. This integration uses the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to provide Claude Desktop with semantic search and code intelligence capabilities.
Quick install: Run npx @codealive/installer to automatically configure CodeAlive for this agent.
See the Installation Guide for details.Prerequisites
Claude Desktop installed (requires Claude Pro or Team subscription)CodeAlive account with API key (Sign up here )
Indexed repositories in your CodeAlive dashboard
Installation Methods Important: CodeAlive MCP server doesn’t support OAuth authentication required by Claude Desktop’s remote MCP feature. You must use local configuration with API key or Docker.
HTTP Service Configuration Connect Claude Desktop to CodeAlive using your API key.
Locate Configuration File
Find your Claude Desktop configuration file: macOS :~ /Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows :%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Linux :~ /.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Create the file if it doesn’t exist
Add CodeAlive Server
Edit the configuration file: { "mcpServers" : { "codealive" : { "type" : "http" , "url" : "https://mcp.codealive.ai/api/" , "headers" : { "Authorization" : "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY_HERE" } } } }
Replace YOUR_API_KEY_HERE with your actual CodeAlive API key
Restart Claude Desktop
Completely quit and restart Claude Desktop:
macOS : Cmd+Q then reopenWindows : Alt+F4 then reopenLinux : Close all windows then reopen Docker Configuration Run CodeAlive MCP locally using Docker for enhanced security and control.
Run Docker Container
Start the CodeAlive MCP server: docker run -d \ -p 8000:8000 \ -e CODEALIVE_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY \ --name codealive-mcp \ ghcr.io/codealive-ai/codealive-mcp:main
Configure Claude Desktop
Update your configuration to use the local server: { "mcpServers" : { "codealive" : { "type" : "http" , "url" : "http://localhost:8000/api" , "headers" : { "Authorization" : "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY_HERE" } } } }
Verify Container
Check that the container is running: docker ps | grep codealive-mcp docker logs codealive-mcp
Verification Test the integration by asking Claude:
"What CodeAlive repositories are available?" "Search for authentication code in my codebase" "Explain the main architecture of my project"
Usage Examples Code Review
Debugging
Documentation
You: "Review the recent changes in the user service for security issues" Claude: [Searches for user service code] [Analyzes security patterns] [Provides specific recommendations]
You: "Help me debug why the API is returning 500 errors" Claude: [Searches for error handling code] [Traces through stack traces] [Identifies potential causes]
You: "Generate API documentation for the payment endpoints" Claude: [Analyzes payment API code] [Extracts request/response schemas] [Creates comprehensive documentation]
Advanced Configuration Multiple Workspaces { "mcpServers" : { "codealive-production" : { "type" : "http" , "url" : "https://mcp.codealive.ai/api/" , "headers" : { "Authorization" : "Bearer PROD_API_KEY" } }, "codealive-development" : { "type" : "http" , "url" : "https://mcp.codealive.ai/api/" , "headers" : { "Authorization" : "Bearer DEV_API_KEY" } } } }
Proxy Configuration For corporate networks:
{ "mcpServers" : { "codealive" : { "type" : "http" , "url" : "https://mcp.codealive.ai/api/" , "headers" : { "Authorization" : "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" , "Proxy-Authorization" : "Basic PROXY_AUTH" }, "proxy" : "http://proxy.company.com:8080" } } }
Troubleshooting
Claude doesn't recognize CodeAlive commands
Solutions:
Verify JSON syntax in configuration file
Ensure Claude Desktop was fully restarted (Cmd+Q/Alt+F4)
Check API key is valid and active
Look for errors in Claude Desktop logs
Solutions:
Verify repositories are indexed in dashboard
Wait for indexing to complete (5-15 minutes)
Check API key has repository access
Test API key with curl command
Solutions:
Check network connectivity
Verify firewall allows outbound HTTPS
Try Docker deployment for local access
Check CodeAlive service status
Solutions:
Ensure Docker is running
Check port 8000 is not in use
Verify environment variables are set
Review container logs for errors
Best Practices
Security Store API keys securely, use environment variables
Performance Use Docker for faster local responses
Organization Use separate configs for different projects
Updates Keep repositories indexed regularly
