What it does
Semble lets a coding agent ask questions about a codebase in plain language, like "How is login handled?", and get back only the relevant code. Its makers say this uses far fewer tokens (the units AI services charge by) than reading whole files.
It indexes most projects in under a second and runs on an ordinary processor, with no graphics card or online service needed.
It works with Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, OpenCode and other agents, as an MCP connector, a command-line tool or a dedicated helper agent.
Who it's for
Developers who use AI coding agents and want quicker, cheaper code lookups.
Can I use it without coding?
With some setup. You install it with a helper tool and run its interactive installer. New to this? Start here.
Can I run it?
- Cost
- FreeNothing to pay or sign up for.
- Computer
- An ordinary computer is fine
- Privacy
- Runs on your own device: your data stays with you
- API key
- Not needed
Try it
- Install the uv tool, then install Semble and run its interactive installer.
- Pick which of your coding agents should use it.
Using Claude Code, Cursor or another AI coding assistant? Paste the prompt and it will walk you through the setup.New to this?
Before you install
- Only download from the official GitHub page. Copies with similar names exist for many popular projects.
- License (MIT): Very permissive: free to use, change and share, including for business.
- More on staying safe
Where people are talking about it
- Show HN: Semble – Code search for agents that uses 98% fewer tokens than grepHacker News · May 2026