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Overview

The CodeAlive plugin is the recommended way to integrate CodeAlive with Claude Code. It bundles everything into a single install:
  • Context Engine skill — teaches Claude Code effective query patterns, cost-aware tool selection, and multi-step exploration workflows
  • Code Explorer subagent — a lightweight Haiku-powered agent that iteratively searches your codebase and returns structured summaries, saving your main conversation context
  • Authentication hook — automatically checks your API key on session start
The plugin works standalone or alongside the MCP server. When used together, the MCP server provides direct tool access and the plugin teaches Claude Code how to use those tools effectively.

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Prerequisites

  • Claude Code installed
  • CodeAlive account with API key (Get one here)
  • Indexed repositories in your CodeAlive dashboard

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Installation

1

Add the Plugin Marketplace

In Claude Code, run:
/plugin marketplace add CodeAlive-AI/codealive-skills
2

Install the Plugin

/plugin install codealive@codealive-marketplace
3

Set Up Authentication

Run the interactive setup to store your API key securely:
python setup.py
This will ask for your API key, verify it, and store it in your OS credential store.Alternatively, set the environment variable:
export CODEALIVE_API_KEY="your_key"
4

Verify Installation

Start a new Claude Code session and ask:
  • “What CodeAlive repositories are available?”
  • “Search for authentication code in my codebase”

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What’s Included

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Context Engine Skill

The skill provides five tools, each optimized for different use cases:
ToolSpeedCostBest For
List Data SourcesInstantFreeDiscovering indexed repos and workspaces
SearchFastLowFinding code locations, descriptions, identifiers
Fetch ArtifactsFastLowRetrieving full content for search results
Chat with CodebaseSlowHighSynthesized answers, architectural explanations
ExploreSlowHighMulti-step discovery workflows
Cost guidance: Search is lightweight and should be the default starting point. Chat invokes an LLM on the server side, making it more expensive — use it when you need a synthesized answer rather than raw search results.

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Code Explorer Subagent

The plugin includes a dedicated subagent (codealive-code-explorer) that handles iterative code exploration autonomously. When Claude Code needs to investigate a codebase question, it delegates to this subagent, which:
  • Runs multiple search queries iteratively
  • Refines queries based on results
  • Returns a structured summary with file paths and line references
  • Uses Haiku for cost efficiency
This keeps your main conversation context clean while performing deep exploration.

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Authentication Hook

On every session start, the plugin automatically checks that your CodeAlive API key is configured and valid. If the key is missing, you’ll be prompted to set it up.

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API Key Storage

The API key is resolved in this order:
  1. CODEALIVE_API_KEY environment variable
  2. OS credential store:
PlatformStoreManual command
macOSKeychainsecurity add-generic-password -a "$USER" -s "codealive-api-key" -w "KEY"
LinuxSecret Servicesecret-tool store --label="CodeAlive API Key" service codealive-api-key
WindowsCredential Managercmdkey /generic:codealive-api-key /user:codealive /pass:"KEY"
The key is stored once and shared across all agents on the same machine. Self-hosted instance: set CODEALIVE_BASE_URL env var to your instance URL.

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Plugin vs MCP vs Skill

PluginMCP ServerSkill (standalone)
Install method/plugin installclaude mcp addnpx skills add
Claude Code onlyYesNo (works with 15+ agents)No (works with 30+ agents)
Provides toolsVia skill scriptsVia MCP protocolVia skill scripts
Teaches workflowsYesNoYes
SubagentYesNoNo
Auth hooksYesNoNo
Best forClaude Code users wanting the full experienceAny agent needing direct tool accessAny agent needing guided workflows
For Claude Code, we recommend the plugin as the primary integration. Add the MCP server alongside it if you want direct tool access via MCP as well.

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Usage Examples

Once installed, just ask naturally — no special commands needed: 
"How is authentication implemented across services?"
"Find all API endpoints in the user service"
"What error handling patterns does this codebase use?"
"Explain the payment flow architecture"
"Search for OAuth implementation in the backend"

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Troubleshooting

  1. Ensure you added the marketplace first: /plugin marketplace add CodeAlive-AI/codealive-skills
  2. Then install: /plugin install codealive@codealive-marketplace
  3. Restart Claude Code
Run the setup script:
python setup.py
Or set the environment variable:
export CODEALIVE_API_KEY="your_key"
If the session start hook fails:
  • Check that Python 3.8+ is available in your PATH
  • Verify the API key is valid at app.codealive.ai
  • Try setting CODEALIVE_API_KEY directly as an environment variable
The code explorer subagent activates when Claude Code needs iterative codebase exploration. Try asking questions that require multi-step investigation, such as “Trace the request flow from API endpoint to database.”
For more solutions, see the Troubleshooting Guide.

MCP Integration

Add MCP server alongside the plugin

Skills & Plugins

Universal skill for all agents

GitHub

Plugin source code

Dashboard

Manage your repositories