This MCP server provides an enhanced content search tool to replace or augment the built-in search_files utility in Cline. It supports filtering via a .reposearchignore file (using a gitignore-like format) and can perform regex-based searches for flexible query patterns. The output can be configured to include the matched content or to provide only match metadata. A key advantage is avoiding token explosion by efficiently streaming results and allowing precise control over what is returned. Note: If you are incorporating this into your system prompts, you may need to tell Cline to stop using the default search_files tool and route searches through this reposearch server instead for better results.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js (v14+ recommended)
• npm or pnpm
• Access to the repository containing the reposearch MCP server

Steps:

1. Clone the repository git clone https://github.com/your-org/mcp-reposearch.git cd mcp-reposearch

2. Install dependencies npm install

   or if you use pnpm

   pnpm install

3. Prepare configuration (optional) Create a .reposearchignore in the project root to define files/patterns to exclude. Example:

   Ignore node_modules and build outputs

   node_modules/ dist/

4. Run the server npm run start

   or if package uses a different script, run the specified start command

5. Integrate with MCP framework Ensure the MCP framework points to the reposearch server via the mcp_config (see the mcp_config section below). You may also set environment variables as needed (see additional_notes).

Hints and tips:

• The server honors a .reposearchignore file using a gitignore-compatible format to filter results.
• Regex search is supported to allow complex query patterns; enable it via configuration if needed.
• Output options include whether to include the content of matches; adjust settings to balance detail with payload size.
• If you switch from the default search_files tool, ensure the system prompt or orchestration logic routes search queries to this reposearch server.
• Common issues: ensure the working directory contains .reposearchignore or specify its path via environment variable (REPOSEARCH_IGNORE_FILE). Check logs for invalid regex patterns or syntax errors in the ignore file.
• If deploying in containers, you may want to mount your project root so that .reposearchignore and any search data files are accessible inside the container.