github-code-search

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Search GitHub code across millions of repositories using grep.app. Use when you need to find code patterns, implementations, examples, or understand how features are built in public codebases. (project)

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Sourcejaredpalmer/claude-plugins

Added on2026-02-09

NPX Install

npx skill4agent add jaredpalmer/claude-plugins github-code-search

SKILL.md Content

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GitHub Code Search via grep.app

Overview

This skill enables searching across millions of public GitHub repositories using the grep.app service. It uses a code mode pattern where you write and execute TypeScript code to query the grep.app MCP server, filter results locally, and return only relevant findings.

When to Use

Find implementations of specific patterns (e.g., "how do other projects implement OAuth2?")
Search for usage examples of APIs or libraries
Analyze architectural patterns across codebases
Find code snippets matching regex patterns
Research best practices by examining popular repositories

Setup Requirements

The grep.app MCP server must be configured. Add it with:

bash

claude mcp add --transport http grep https://mcp.grep.app

Verify with

/mcp

- you should see

grep

listed.

Code Mode Pattern

Instead of calling MCP tools directly (which loads all tool definitions into context), this skill uses code execution for efficiency:

Write TypeScript code that calls the grep MCP server
Execute the code via Bash with
```
bun
```
or
```
npx tsx
```
Filter and process results in the execution environment
Return only relevant findings to minimize token usage

This approach reduces token usage by 90%+ compared to direct tool calls with large result sets.

Implementation

Option 1: Use the bundled search script (recommended)

A ready-to-use TypeScript search script is included:

bash

bun run skills/github-code-search/scripts/search.ts "query" [--lang=Language] [--repo=owner/repo] [--limit=N] [--regexp]

Examples:

bash

# Search for "use cache" in TypeScript files
bun run skills/github-code-search/scripts/search.ts "use cache" --lang=TypeScript --limit=5

# Search in a specific repository
bun run skills/github-code-search/scripts/search.ts "cacheLife" --repo=vercel/next.js --limit=10

# Use regex patterns
bun run skills/github-code-search/scripts/search.ts "async.*await" --regexp --lang=TypeScript

Output format (JSON):

json

{
  "query": "cacheLife",
  "options": { "language": "TypeScript", "limit": 3 },
  "total": 2931,
  "results": [
    {
      "repo": "vercel/next.js",
      "path": "packages/next/src/server/use-cache/cache-life.ts",
      "url": "https://github.com/vercel/next.js/blob/canary/packages/next/src/server/use-cache/cache-life.ts",
      "matches": [{ "lineNumber": 5, "content": "export type »CacheLife« = {" }]
    }
  ]
}

The

»

and

«

markers indicate where the search term was matched.

Option 2: Inline TypeScript (for custom processing)

For more complex searches with custom filtering, write inline TypeScript:

typescript

// Execute with: bun -e "..."
const response = await fetch(
  'https://grep.app/api/search?q=useOptimistic&l=TypeScript'
)
const data = await response.json()

// Process results locally - this is the efficiency gain!
const filtered = data.hits.hits
  .filter((hit: any) => hit.repo.includes('react'))
  .slice(0, 5)
  .map((hit: any) => ({ repo: hit.repo, path: hit.path }))

console.log(JSON.stringify(filtered, null, 2))

Quick Search (Direct API)

For simple searches, use curl directly:

bash

curl -s "https://grep.app/api/search?q=useOptimistic+hook&l=TypeScript" | jq '.hits.hits[:5] | .[] | {repo: .repo.raw, path: .path.raw}'

Parameters

Parameter	Description	Example
`q`	Search query (required). Supports regex with `regexp:true`	`"use cache"` , `async.*await`
`l`	Language filter	`TypeScript` , `Python` , `Go`
`r`	Repository filter	`vercel/next.js` , `facebook/react`
`regexp`	Enable regex mode	`true`

Example Queries

Find "use cache" implementations in Next.js projects

bash

curl -s "https://grep.app/api/search?q=%22use%20cache%22&l=TypeScript" | jq '.hits.hits[:10] | .[] | {repo: .repo.raw, path: .path.raw}'

Search for error handling patterns

bash

curl -s "https://grep.app/api/search?q=catch.*error.*log&regexp=true&l=TypeScript" | jq '.hits.total'

Find implementations in a specific repo

bash

curl -s "https://grep.app/api/search?q=cacheLife&r=vercel/next.js" | jq '.hits.hits[] | {path: .path.raw, lines: .content.lines}'

Best Practices

Start broad, then narrow: Begin with a general query, then add language/repo filters
Use regex for patterns: Enable
```
regexp=true
```
for complex pattern matching
Limit results locally: Process and filter in code before returning to save tokens
Cache common searches: Store results for frequently-used queries
Respect rate limits: The grep.app API has rate limits; batch queries when possible

Integration with MCP Tools

If the grep MCP server is configured, you can also use it via MCP tools:

typescript

// Via MCP (if mcp__grep__search is available)
mcp__grep__search({
  query: 'authentication middleware',
  language: 'TypeScript',
  useRegexp: false,
})

However, the code mode approach (curl + jq or TypeScript script) is preferred for:

Large result sets that need filtering
Complex post-processing logic
Chaining multiple searches
Minimizing context window usage

Troubleshooting

No results: Try broadening the query or removing filters
Rate limited: Wait a few seconds and retry, or use the MCP server which may have higher limits
Timeout: Large queries may timeout; add more specific filters

github-code-search

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

GitHub Code Search via grep.app

Overview

When to Use

Setup Requirements

Code Mode Pattern

Implementation

Option 1: Use the bundled search script (recommended)

Option 2: Inline TypeScript (for custom processing)

Quick Search (Direct API)

Parameters

Example Queries

Find "use cache" implementations in Next.js projects

Search for error handling patterns

Find implementations in a specific repo

Best Practices

Integration with MCP Tools

Troubleshooting