How do I use Greply MCP Server?

1. Click on "Install Server". 2. Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state. 3. In the chat, type @ followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@Greply MCP Server search for 'TODO' in src/ with 2 lines of context before and after" That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed. Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.

Greply MCP Server

by AnthonyRuffino

Overview Schema Source Related Servers Score Discussions Admin

JavaScript

Local

greply MCP Server

An MCP server that wraps the greply CLI (Node wrapper for the greppy search tool).
This allows you to use greply directly from an MCP-compatible client such as the Gemini CLI.

Features

greply.search — run greply with query, before/after context, and flags.
greply.help — print greply usage text.

Related MCP server: MCP-Grep

Requirements

Node.js 20 or newer (22 LTS recommended)
npm or pnpm for dependency installation
greply CLI available on PATH, or specify greply_CMD env var

Installation

Clone and install dependencies:

git clone https://github.com/your-org/greply-mcp-server.git
cd greply-mcp-server

# Make sure Node version is >= 20
node -v
# If needed:
#   curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash
#   source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh
#   nvm install 22 && nvm use 22

npm install

Usage

Run the server directly:

node server.mjs

Or with npm:

npm start

Gemini CLI Configuration

Add this to your ~/.gemini/settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "greply": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/greply-mcp-server/server.mjs"],
      "env": {
        "greply_CMD": "/usr/local/bin/greppy"
      }
    }
  }
}

greply_CMD is optional — only set it if the server cannot find greply automatically.
Use an absolute path for server.mjs.

Tools

`greply.search`

Search files or directories with the given query and optional flags.

Input schema:

Field	Type	Description
`query`	string	Search term (required)
`target`	string	File or directory (default `"."`)
`before`	integer	Lines of context before match (`-B`)
`after`	integer	Lines of context after match (`-A`)
`recursive`	boolean	Recurse directories (`-R`)
`wholeWord`	boolean	Match whole words (`-w`)
`matchCase`	boolean	Case-sensitive match (`-c`)
`fixedStrings`	boolean	Fixed-string match (`-F`)
`suppressErrors`	boolean	Return stdout/stderr on non-zero exit

`greply.help`

Display greply usage information.

Available Tools

2 tools

greply.helpShow greply usageA

Runs greply with no args to print usage.

ParametersJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
No parameters

TDQS

A4.4/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full burden. It clearly states the behavior: runs greply with no args to print usage, which is transparent and sufficient.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is a single sentence that is concise and front-loaded. Every word is necessary and adds value.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the tool's simplicity (no parameters, no output schema), the description is complete enough. It could optionally elaborate on what the usage output includes, but it is not required.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

There are no parameters, and the schema coverage is 100%. The description adds no parameter information because none is needed. Baseline 4 is appropriate.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the tool prints usage by running with no arguments. It distinguishes from the sibling 'greply.search' which likely does search, leaving no ambiguity.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description implies the tool is for obtaining usage information. While it does not explicitly state when not to use it or mention alternatives, the sibling context provides differentiation.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

greply.searchSearch with greplyC

Run the greply CLI to search files with optional context and flags.

ParametersJSON Schema

Name	Required	Default
`query`	Yes
`target`	No	.
`before`	No
`after`	No
`recursive`	No
`wholeWord`	No
`matchCase`	No
`fixedStrings`	No
`noColor`	No
`greplyCmd`	No
`suppressErrors`	No

TDQS

C2.5/5.0

Behavior2/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

The description implies executing an external CLI command but does not disclose side effects, required permissions, output format, or error behavior. Without annotations, the burden on the description is high, and it fails to provide critical behavioral context.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness3/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is a single concise sentence with no fluff, but it is too brief to be informative. Conciseness is achieved at the expense of clarity and completeness, earning a middle score.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness1/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

The tool has 11 parameters, no annotations, and no output schema. The description provides almost no context, leaving the agent without enough information to correctly invoke the tool. It is severely incomplete.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters2/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

With 0% schema description coverage, the description must compensate for 11 parameters. It only vaguely mentions 'optional context and flags', adding no meaningful detail about individual parameters like query, target, or boolean flags.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the tool runs 'greply CLI to search files', specifying verb and resource. It differentiates from sibling 'greply.help' by being a search tool. However, it lacks specificity on what 'greply' is or the scope of search.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

No guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives. The only sibling is 'greply.help', but description does not explicitly say when to search vs get help. No conditions or exclusions are mentioned.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

Tool Schema Changelog

Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections. Dates show when Glama detected each change.

1 tool updatev1.0.0Jan 3, 2026
- Changedgreply.help1 field changed
  - removedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
2 tool updatesAug 15, 2025
- First observedgreply.help
- First observedgreply.search

Install Server

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TDQS

B3.3/5.0

Disambiguation5/5

The two tools have clearly distinct purposes: one for displaying usage/help and one for performing searches. There is no overlap in functionality.

Naming Consistency5/5

Both tools follow a consistent 'greply.<action>' naming pattern, which is predictable and clearly indicates the tool's purpose.

Tool Count3/5

With only two tools, the server is minimal. While a help tool and a search tool cover the basic operations for a CLI wrapper, the low count may leave agents wanting for more functionality.

Completeness2/5

The tool surface lacks essential operations beyond help and search, such as configuration management, result filtering, or output formatting. Agents may find the server inadequate for complex search tasks.

Maintenance

ActivityInactive

ResponsivenessNo issues

Resources

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greply MCP Server

Features

Requirements

Installation

Usage

Gemini CLI Configuration

Tools

greply.search

greply.help

Available Tools

TDQS

TDQS

Tool Schema Changelog

TDQS

Maintenance

Resources

Looking for Admin?

Related MCP Connectors

Related MCP Servers

MCP Ripgrep Server

MCP-Grep

Grep MCP Server

MCP Desktop Tools

Latest Blog Posts

MCP directory API

`greply.search`

`greply.help`