Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

April 22, 2026 ยท View on GitHub

Q: What files does Claude Context decide to embed?

A: Claude Context uses a comprehensive rule system to determine which files to include in indexing:

Simple Rule:

Final Files = (All Supported Extensions) - (All Ignore Patterns)
  • Extensions are additive: Default extensions + MCP custom + Environment variables
  • Ignore patterns are additive: Default patterns + MCP custom + Environment variables + .gitignore + .xxxignore files + global .contextignore

For detailed explanation see: File Inclusion Rules

Q: Can I use a fully local deployment setup?

A: Yes, you can deploy Claude Context entirely on your local infrastructure. While we recommend using the fully managed Zilliz Cloud service for ease of use, you can also set up your own private local deployment.

For local deployment:

  1. Vector Database (Milvus): Deploy Milvus locally using Docker Compose by following the official Milvus installation guide. Configure the following environment variables:

    • MILVUS_ADDRESS=127.0.0.1:19530 (or your Milvus server address)
    • MILVUS_TOKEN=your-optional-token (if authentication is enabled)

  2. Embedding Service (Ollama): Install and run Ollama locally for embedding generation. Configure:

    • EMBEDDING_PROVIDER=Ollama
    • OLLAMA_HOST=http://127.0.0.1:11434 (or your Ollama server URL)
    • OLLAMA_MODEL=nomic-embed-text (or your preferred embedding model)

This setup gives you complete control over your data while maintaining full functionality. See our environment variables guide for detailed configuration options.

Q: Does it support multiple projects / codebases?

A: Yes, Claude Context fully supports multiple projects and codebases. In MCP mode, it automatically leverages the MCP client's AI Agent to detect and obtain the current codebase path where you're working.

You can seamlessly use queries like index this codebase or search the main function without specifying explicit paths. When you switch between different codebase working directories, Claude Context automatically discovers the change and adapts accordingly - no need to manually input specific codebase paths.

Key features for multi-project support:

  • Automatic Path Detection: Leverages MCP client's workspace awareness to identify current working directory
  • Seamless Project Switching: Automatically detects when you switch between different codebases
  • Background Code Synchronization: Continuously monitors for changes and automatically re-indexes modified parts
  • Context-Aware Operations: All indexing and search operations are scoped to the current project context

Important path detail: Claude Context keys each indexed codebase by its absolute path. If you index the same repository through different paths (for example, a symlinked path, a second clone, or a mounted path), those are treated as separate indexed codebases.

This makes it effortless to work across multiple projects while maintaining isolated, up-to-date indexes for each codebase.

Q: Why does get_indexing_status jump quickly to 10% or feel coarse?

A: The percentage is a phase-based progress indicator, not a live fraction of indexed files.

In practice, Claude Context moves through broad stages:

  • collection preparation
  • file scanning
  • file processing, chunking, embedding, and insertion

The status output can therefore jump quickly to around 10% once setup is complete, even for very large repositories. That is expected behavior.

For the full background workflow, see Asynchronous Indexing Workflow.

Q: Why does get_indexing_status show 0 files, 0 chunks for a completed codebase?

A: get_indexing_status reads the MCP snapshot metadata, not a live aggregate directly from the vector database.

If a completed entry shows 0 files, 0 chunks, the most common explanation is that the local snapshot metadata is stale or was created before final statistics were refreshed.

What to do:

  1. Make sure you are checking the same absolute path that you originally indexed.
  2. If the entry still shows zero counts, run clear_index for that path.
  3. Re-run index_codebase for that exact absolute path.

This refreshes the stored file/chunk totals used by get_indexing_status.

Q: How does Claude Context compare to other coding tools like Serena, Context7, or DeepWiki?

A: Claude Context is specifically focused on codebase indexing and semantic search. Here's how we compare:

  • Serena: A comprehensive coding agent toolkit with language server integration and symbolic code understanding. Provides broader AI coding capabilities.

  • Context7: Focuses on providing up-to-date documentation and code examples to prevent "code hallucination" in LLMs. Targets documentation accuracy.

  • DeepWiki: Generates interactive documentation from GitHub repositories. Creates documentation from code.

Our focus: Making your entire codebase searchable and contextually available to AI assistants through efficient vector-based indexing and hybrid search.