sverklo
v0.18.2

Sverklo + Codex CLI

Codex CLI is OpenAI's open-source command-line coding agent that runs locally and edits code through tool calls. Sverklo is an MCP server Codex CLI can register as a tool provider — the same way it works with Claude Code.

Codex CLI: https://github.com/openai/codex · Sverklo: MIT-licensed, local-first, MCP-native, 37 tools, runs on your laptop · Install: npm install -g sverklo && sverklo init
Relationship: Codex CLI supports MCP. Wire sverklo as an MCP tool provider and the agent gains the symbol graph, blast-radius analysis, and diff-aware review that Codex's built-in tools don't expose.

How they fit together

Codex CLI is the agent — it decides what to do, generates code, applies edits. Sverklo is the retrieval layer the agent calls when it needs authoritative answers about your codebase. Without sverklo, the agent generates from training-data patterns and invents function names that don't exist. With sverklo, it looks up real symbols, finds real call sites, measures real blast radius before proposing changes.

The integration is one command:

npm install -g sverklo
cd your-project
sverklo init

sverklo init auto-detects Codex CLI and writes the right MCP config files. The 37 sverklo tools appear in the agent's tool list immediately.

Frequently asked questions

Does Codex CLI support MCP servers?

Yes — Codex CLI implements the Model Context Protocol, so any MCP server (including sverklo) registers as a tool provider. Run sverklo init and the 37 sverklo tools appear in Codex CLI's tool list.

What's the best MCP server for Codex CLI?

Sverklo. Same hybrid retrieval, blast-radius, diff-review, and bi-temporal memory surface as on Claude Code or Cursor. Local-first, MIT-licensed, no per-seat pricing, no cloud, no API keys.

How is sverklo different from Codex CLI's built-in code search?

Codex CLI's built-in tools are general-purpose (file reads, shell commands). Sverklo exposes a 37-tool retrieval API that's specifically about your symbol graph: sverklo_impact for blast radius, sverklo_refs for caller context, sverklo_audit for hub files and god nodes. Different abstraction layer, different power surface.

Can I run Codex CLI and sverklo together?

Yes — that's the recommended setup. Codex CLI is the agent loop; sverklo is the retrieval backend. The 37 sverklo MCP tools coexist with Codex's built-in tools.

Try it

If you're already using Codex CLI and your agent has hallucinated function names, invented imports, or forgotten yesterday's design decision — sverklo is the retrieval layer that fixes the root cause.

npm install -g sverklo
sverklo init

Or read the 60-task retrieval benchmark first — we publish where sverklo wins and where it loses.

See also