novgraph

A live knowledge graph of your codebase, queried by coding agents.

Command-line client for Novgraph, Novaya's proprietary hosted code knowledge graph. Coding agents query it over MCP or the shell for repository context that source search alone does not preserve: recorded intent, code that tends to evolve together, ranked change impact, and architecture context.

Live 0.1.7 sample: 96.04% to 99.81% smaller than complete cited-file reads on six measurable retrieval calls. These are directional product telemetry, not provider billing or a universal result against grep. Read the benchmark report.

This repository is the client only — auth, agent detection, MCP registration and request transport. Python 3.11+, standard library, no dependencies, no engine. Indexing, storage and retrieval run on Novaya's servers.

uv tool install novaya      # the PyPI package is `novaya`
novgraph install <KEY>      # generate a key at https://app.trynovaya.com

install detects every supported agent on the machine, registers the MCP server, writes a pointer into each agent's instruction file, adds a /novgraph command, resolves which indexed codebase this checkout is, and verifies each step. novgraph doctor re-runs those checks with an exit code.

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What problem it solves

A coding agent starts each session with no memory of the repository. To answer "what does this touch", it greps, opens files, and reconstructs context that it loses at the end of the session. Source search is useful for current text, but it does not preserve the intent behind decisions or provide a repository-wide view of relationships and change impact.

Novgraph gives the agent that context directly. A query returns a focused answer and reports its estimated size against the complete files it cites:

◆ Novgraph · saved you an estimated ~191k tokens · ~622k this session
  traced what changes with src/auth/session.py · vs reading the 12 files it cites

The API reports the estimated response size beside the estimated size of the complete files that answer cites. In the published 0.1.7 sample, measurable answers ranged from 96.04% to 99.81% smaller than those complete files. Minimal local grep was cheaper for a simple symbol location; Novgraph became smaller when the task required contextual relationship inspection. The full results, paired commands, latency, raw summaries and failed ask case are in the benchmark report.

What Novgraph provides

Each repository gets a maintained knowledge graph designed for coding-agent questions. It can locate code, recall recorded decisions, identify related areas, rank likely change impact, and summarize architecture. Results include evidence and freshness information so the agent knows when to verify the current working tree.

Language coverage includes Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go, Rust, Java and C. The hosted service maintains the graph as the repository evolves.

Features

• Recorded intent
• Co-change context
• Ranked blast radius
• Architecture context
• Precise code discovery
• Continuous history
• Visible context accounting
• Freshness awareness

Knowledge graph vs. the alternatives

	grep + file reads	static code graph	novgraph
Symbols, calls, imports	manual	yes	yes
Commit intent	no	no	yes
Code that tends to evolve together	manual	no	yes
Ranked change impact with evidence	manual	partial	yes
Precise identifier discovery	yes	partial	yes
Context preserved as code evolves	n/a	no	yes
Freshness reported	current text	depends on tool	yes
Token cost reported	no	no	approximate response vs complete cited-file size
Runs on your machine	yes	yes	no

Commands

Setup

novgraph install <KEY>     set up this machine and repository, then verify
novgraph install -         read the key from stdin
novgraph doctor            re-run every check; non-zero exit on failure
novgraph doctor --json     same, machine-readable
novgraph doctor --quick    skip the MCP handshake and graph read
novgraph wire <agent>      set up one agent (claude-code, codex, cursor, ...)
novgraph adapters          list supported agents and what each one needs
novgraph key <KEY>         replace this machine's key
novgraph upgrade           update the client, then re-sync every bound repo
novgraph uninstall         remove every entry and file it wrote

Querying the graph

Each verb works in any terminal inside a bound repository, and is also exposed as an MCP tool to agents.

novgraph summary                    what this project is
novgraph overview                   computed architecture
novgraph search <query>             locate code by concept or exact name
novgraph why <path>                 recorded reasoning behind a file
novgraph connections <path>         imports, callers, co-change
novgraph impact <path>              what breaks, most certain first
novgraph recent [limit]             recent commits and their intent
novgraph ask "<question>"           a briefing composed from several reads
novgraph record-why "<why>" --intent "..." --reasoning "..." --commit <sha>
novgraph codebases                  which repositories this key can read
novgraph call <tool> --json '{...}' any tool, including newer than this client

Agent workflows

install writes a /novgraph command into each agent that supports one:

/novgraph review          checks the current diff against co-change history
/novgraph brief <task>    files, constraints, blast radius, a plan
/novgraph impact <file>   what breaks, most certain first
/novgraph debug <error>   ranked causes, each with evidence and a check
/novgraph record          write a commit's reasoning back to the graph
/novgraph onboard [area]  guided tour of an unfamiliar codebase
/novgraph summary         the codebase at its latest indexed commit
/novgraph savings         measured token savings for this session

Codex has skills rather than slash commands, so there it is $novgraph.

What it writes

Agent	MCP registration	Instruction file	Command file
Claude Code	~/.claude.json	CLAUDE.md	.claude/skills/novgraph/SKILL.md
Codex	~/.codex/config.toml	AGENTS.md	.agents/skills/novgraph/SKILL.md
Cursor	~/.cursor/mcp.json	AGENTS.md	.agents/skills/novgraph/SKILL.md
GitHub Copilot	VS Code mcp.json	.github/copilot-instructions.md	.github/prompts/novgraph.prompt.md
Gemini CLI	~/.gemini/settings.json	GEMINI.md	.gemini/commands/novgraph.toml
Windsurf	~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json	AGENTS.md	.windsurf/workflows/novgraph.md
Cline	cline_mcp_settings.json	AGENTS.md	.clinerules/workflows/novgraph.md
OpenCode	~/.config/opencode/opencode.json	AGENTS.md	.opencode/commands/novgraph.md

Plus .novgraph/rules.md, .novgraph/skills.md and .novgraph/blueprint.md in the repository — generated, safe to commit.

Every edit is one named MCP entry and one marked block, added by read-modify-write. A config file that cannot be parsed is left byte-for-byte unchanged and reported. novgraph uninstall removes exactly what was written.

Key handling and data

• The key is stored in the OS credential store: Windows DPAPI, macOS Keychain, libsecret via secret-tool, or a 0600 file. It is never written to the repository, an agent config, or a log.
• NOVGRAPH_API_KEY overrides the store when set — for CI. NOVGRAPH_API_BASE overrides the endpoint.
• Requests carry the key, the query, and a per-session id. File contents are not sent. The hosted graph holds paths, symbol names, relationships, counts and recorded reasoning.
• Indexing reads the repository through your GitHub or GitLab grant on the server side; the client never uploads source.

Requirements

• Python 3.11 or newer. No third-party packages.
• A repository indexed by Novgraph — connect it at app.trynovaya.com.
• For the MCP path, an agent that speaks MCP over stdio. The shell verbs work anywhere.

Development

python -m pytest -q          # 80 tests, no network, no dependencies

Adding an agent is one module in novaya/adapters/ plus an entry in ADAPTERS; there are eight to copy from. See CONTRIBUTING.md. Report vulnerabilities privately per SECURITY.md.

License

Apache-2.0 for this client. The hosted service it queries is proprietary.