githits-cli

<p align="center">
  <img src="./github-githits.png" alt="GitHits" width="100%" />
</p>

<h1 align="center">GitHits CLI</h1>

<p align="center">
  The code context layer for AI coding agents.
</p>

<p align="center">
  <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/githits"><img alt="npm version" src="https://img.shields.io/npm/v/githits.svg"></a>
  <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/githits"><img alt="npm downloads" src="https://img.shields.io/npm/dm/githits.svg"></a>
  <a href="https://github.com/githits-com/githits-cli/actions/workflows/main.yml"><img alt="Main" src="https://github.com/githits-com/githits-cli/actions/workflows/main.yml/badge.svg"></a>
  <a href="https://github.com/githits-com/githits-cli/blob/main/LICENSE"><img alt="License: Apache-2.0" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/license-Apache--2.0-blue.svg"></a>
  <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/githits"><img alt="Node" src="https://img.shields.io/node/v/githits.svg"></a>
  <a href="https://modelcontextprotocol.io/"><img alt="MCP" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/MCP-enabled-5C4EE5"></a>
  <a href="https://skills.sh/githits-com/githits-cli"><img alt="skills.sh" src="https://skills.sh/b/githits-com/githits-cli"></a>
</p>

<p align="center">
  <a href="https://githits.com">Website</a> ·
  <a href="https://docs.githits.com">Documentation</a> ·
  <a href="https://github.com/githits-com/githits-cli/issues">Issues</a>
</p>

GitHits connects AI coding agents to public open-source evidence across the
full software development lifecycle: discovery, planning, research,
implementation, debugging, and maintenance.

The CLI runs a local [MCP](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) server that your
coding tool starts on demand. Agents can then search indexed package and
repository source, read exact files and documentation pages, inspect package
health, compare dependency upgrades, and find source-cited examples from real
open-source projects when model knowledge and local repository context are not
enough.

## Quick Start

```sh
npx githits@latest init
```

`init` signs you in, detects supported coding tools, and configures the local
GitHits MCP server for the tools you select.

Automatic setup currently supports Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf,
VS Code / Copilot, Cline, Claude Desktop, Codex CLI, Pi, Gemini CLI,
Google Antigravity, OpenCode, Hermes Agent, Zed, Junie, Qwen Code,
Kiro, Kilo Code, Factory Droid, and Amazon Q CLI.

After setup, open your coding agent and work normally. Many agents call GitHits
when they need source-backed context. If your agent starts guessing, prompt it
directly:

```text
Use GitHits Code Navigation to inspect npm:express. Find how middleware
errors are handled, read the relevant source, and explain the fix before
editing code.
```

## What GitHits Adds

GitHits is designed for the point where an agent needs evidence from the
broader open-source ecosystem, not just model memory or local repo context:

| Capability | MCP tools | CLI commands |
|---|---|---|
| Code examples | `get_example`, `search_language` | `githits example`, `githits languages` |
| Code navigation | `search`, `search_status`, `code_files`, `code_read`, `code_grep` | `githits search`, `githits search-status`, `githits code ...` |
| Documentation access | `docs_list`, `docs_read` | `githits docs ...` |
| Package inspection | `pkg_info`, `pkg_vulns`, `pkg_deps`, `pkg_changelog`, `pkg_upgrade_review` | `githits pkg ...` |
| Feedback | `feedback` | `githits feedback` |

Use GitHits when your agent needs to:

- discover, plan, or research how OSS projects solve a vague issue or unfamiliar error
- find broad prior art or rare needle-in-the-haystack examples across repositories
- inspect source, tests, symbols, or docs for a known package or repository
- verify how a dependency actually behaves before changing code
- debug stack traces that point into third-party code
- review package health, licenses, vulnerabilities, dependencies, and changelogs
- compare dependency upgrades using factual evidence

## Examples

Find prior art across open source:

```sh
npx githits@latest example "HTTP retries with exponential backoff in Python"
```

Search indexed code, docs, and symbols for a dependency:

```sh
npx githits@latest search "router middleware" --in npm:express
npx githits@latest search '"body parser" OR multer' --in npm:express --source docs
npx githits@latest search "debounce" --in npm:lodash --source symbol
```

Read and grep dependency source without cloning:

```sh
npx githits@latest code files npm:express lib
npx githits@latest code read npm:express lib/router/index.js --lines 120-200
npx githits@latest code grep npm:express "router.use" lib --regex
```

Inspect package health and upgrade evidence:

```sh
npx githits@latest pkg info npm:express
npx githits@latest pkg vulns npm:lodash@4.17.20 --severity high
npx githits@latest pkg deps npm:express@4.18.2 --depth 2
npx githits@latest pkg changelog npm:express --from 4.18.2 --to 5.2.1
npx githits@latest pkg upgrade-review npm:zod@4.3.6 --to 4.4.3
```

Browse and read package documentation:

```sh
npx githits@latest docs list npm:express
npx githits@latest docs read <page-id> --lines 20-80
```

## Supported Sources

GitHits works with package and repository targets such as:

- package specs: `npm:react`, `npm:react@18.2.0`, `pypi:requests`, `crates:serde`
- GitHub repos: `https://github.com/expressjs/express`, `github:expressjs/express#main`

Package inspection supports npm, PyPI, Hex, Crates, NuGet, Maven, Packagist,
RubyGems, Go, Swift, vcpkg, and Zig. Advisory data is unavailable for vcpkg and
Zig; dependency graph support varies by registry.

## License Filtering

Code example search supports license filtering:

- `strict` is the default and filters repositories with copyleft or undeclared licenses
- `custom` uses your account blocklist configured at [githits.com](https://githits.com)
- `yolo` disables license filtering

```sh
npx githits@latest example "async file reading" --lang python --license strict
```

## Authentication

Normal local setup is handled by:

```sh
npx githits@latest init
```

For manual login:

```sh
npx githits@latest login
```

Browser OAuth is recommended for local development. Credentials are stored in
the system keychain by default and refreshed automatically. Useful flags:

- `init --no-browser` or `login --no-browser` prints the login URL instead of launching a browser
- `init --port <port>` or `login --port <port>` fixes the loopback callback port
- `login --force` re-authenticates even if you are already logged in

The OAuth callback always listens on the machine where GitHits is running.
When GitHits runs over SSH and the browser runs locally, forward the selected
port from the browser machine:

```sh
ssh -N -L 8765:127.0.0.1:8765 user@remote-host
```

With that tunnel open, run GitHits on the remote machine using the same port:

```sh
npx githits@latest init --no-browser --port 8765
```

Open the URL printed by GitHits in the local browser. Replace
`user@remote-host` with the SSH destination you normally use. The same flags
work with `githits login` after setup.

Browser OAuth is interactive. For CI and other unattended environments, supply
`GITHITS_API_TOKEN` through the environment's secret manager.

Inspect auth and runtime state with:

```sh
npx githits@latest auth status
npx githits@latest doctor
```

See the [authentication docs](https://docs.githits.com/authentication) for
keychain behavior, file storage mode, CI setup, and troubleshooting.

## Manual MCP Setup

If your coding tool is not auto-configured by `init`, add GitHits to its MCP
configuration manually:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "githits": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "githits@latest", "mcp", "start"]
    }
  }
}
```

Your tool runs this command over stdio. No background daemon or global install
is required.

To remove configuration written by `init`:

```sh
npx githits@latest init uninstall
```

This removes GitHits MCP configuration and preserves stored credentials. Run
`npx githits@latest logout` separately to remove credentials.

## Project Setup

For project-local MCP config, run:

```sh
npx githits@latest init --project
```

Project setup is available only for tools with verified project-local MCP
support. Project config contains no secrets, but it may be committed like other
tooling configuration, so review generated files before adding them to source
control.

Agent-safe non-interactive setup uses staged discovery and explicit install:

```sh
npx githits@latest init --detect-agents --json
npx githits@latest init --install-agents cursor,codex
```

## Plugin and Extension Packaging

The npm package also includes the existing plugin and extension assets used by
compatible hosts:

- `.plugin/plugin.json`
- `.claude-plugin/plugin.json`
- `.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`
- `.mcp.json`
- `gemini-extension.json`
- `GEMINI.md`
- `plugins/claude/`
- `skills/`
- `commands/`

For Claude Code marketplace installs:

```sh
claude plugin marketplace add githits-com/githits-cli
claude plugin install githits@githits-plugins
```

For Gemini CLI extension installs:

```sh
gemini extensions install https://github.com/githits-com/githits-cli
```

## Command Reference

```text
githits init             Connect GitHits to your coding agents
githits init uninstall   Remove GitHits MCP configuration
githits login            Sign in to your GitHits account
githits logout           Remove stored credentials
githits mcp              Show setup instructions or start the local MCP server
githits mcp start        Always start the local MCP server over stdio
githits example          Find real-world implementations from open source
githits languages        List or filter supported programming languages
githits feedback         Submit feedback about GitHits results
githits doctor           Diagnose configuration and auth state
githits search           Explore repository code, dependencies, docs, and symbols
githits search-