find_symbol_references
Search codebases for all usages of a symbol—function calls, variable accesses, or class instantiations—returning file paths and line numbers for each reference.
Instructions
Find all places where a symbol is USED/REFERENCED in the codebase. Returns file paths and line numbers for each usage.
This searches for actual code references, not the definition. Use this to see where a function is called, a class is instantiated, a method is invoked, or a variable is accessed.
Returns: File paths and line numbers showing code context for each reference.
Examples:
Find all calls to the ProcessOrder function
See where CustomerService class is instantiated
Find all references to API_KEY variable
Show me everywhere HandleRequest is called
Tips:
Use repo_filter to search specific repositories
Use file_filter to narrow down to specific files or directories
Add lang:csharp (or other language) to filter by programming language
Note: To find where a symbol is DEFINED, use find_symbol_definition instead.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| symbol_name | Yes | Name of the symbol to find references for | |
| repo_filter | No | Optional: Filter by repository (e.g., 'repo:owner/name') | |
| file_filter | No | Optional: Filter by file path (e.g., 'file:\.cs$' for C# files) | |
| lang_filter | No | Optional: Filter by language (e.g., 'csharp', 'python', 'javascript') | |
| max_results | No | Maximum number of results (default: 20) |