# Grep by Vercel MCP server

> Search real code across a million public GitHub repositories with literal and regex patterns.

- Listing: https://mcp.tc/i/grep
- Connect: use the server's own URL `https://mcp.grep.app` (no sign-in); clients connect to it directly. The listing link is a page, not an MCP endpoint.
- Type: remote (Streamable HTTP)
- Auth: none
- Category: [Developer Tools](https://mcp.tc/c/developer-tools)
- Vendor: Vercel
- Verified: yes, mcp.tc checked that this is the official server (https://mcp.tc/verify). It says who runs the server, not that it is safe.
- Homepage: <https://vercel.com/blog/grep-a-million-github-repositories-via-mcp>

## About

Grep connects your assistant to the grep.app code index of over a million public GitHub repositories. It searches for literal code patterns or regular expressions, not keywords, and can filter by language, repository and file path. Results return matching snippets with repository, path and URL.

It runs as a hosted streamable HTTP endpoint at https://mcp.grep.app. No sign-in or API key is needed. Add the URL to an MCP client such as Cursor or Claude Code.

## What it can do

- Search public GitHub code for literal patterns
- Use regular expressions, including multiline patterns
- Filter results by language, repository or file path
- Match case or whole words on demand
- See real usage examples of unfamiliar APIs and libraries

## Tools (1)

- `searchGitHub`: Search public GitHub repos for literal code patterns or regex, filtered by language, repo or path.

## Example prompts

- "Show me real examples of how projects use useEffect cleanup in React."
- "Find how open source MCP servers return errors from a tool handler."
- "Search TypeScript repos for the config pattern used with drizzle-kit."
- "Find usages of asyncio.gather( in Python files under src/."

## Install

### Claude Code

1. Run this in a terminal, in your project folder:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http grep https://mcp.grep.app
```

2. Start Claude Code and type `/mcp`. **grep** should show as connected.

Add `--scope user` to make it available in every project, not just this one.

### Claude Desktop

1. Open **Settings → Connectors** and click **Add custom connector**.

2. Name it **Grep by Vercel** and paste this URL:

```url
https://mcp.grep.app
```

3. Click **Add**. Its tools appear in the chat’s tools menu.

Claude Desktop’s JSON config file only starts local servers. Remote servers go through Connectors, and connectors you add on claude.ai show up here too.

### claude.ai

1. Open the connector form on claude.ai. This button fills in the name and URL for you:

[Add to claude.ai](<https://claude.ai/customize/connectors?modal=add-custom-connector&connectorName=Grep%20by%20Vercel&connectorUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fmcp.grep.app>) (opens connector settings)

2. Check that the URL reads `https://mcp.grep.app` and click **Add**.

3. Turn it on in a chat from the tools menu.

Free plans allow one custom connector. On Team and Enterprise plans an owner adds it under **Organization settings → Connectors**.

### ChatGPT

1. On chatgpt.com, open **Settings → Security and login** and turn on **Developer mode**.

2. Go to `chatgpt.com/plugins` and click **+** to create an app for a remote MCP server.

3. Paste `https://mcp.grep.app` as the server URL and choose **No authentication**.

Developer mode is available on the web for Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education accounts.

### Cursor

[Add to Cursor](<https://cursor.com/install-mcp?name=grep&config=eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL21jcC5ncmVwLmFwcCJ9>) (opens Cursor)

Or add it by hand to `~/.cursor/mcp.json` (all projects) or `.cursor/mcp.json` (this project):

`mcp.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "grep": {
      "url": "https://mcp.grep.app"
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code

[Install in VS Code](<https://vscode.dev/redirect/mcp/install?name=grep&config=%7B%22type%22%3A%22http%22%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fmcp.grep.app%22%7D>) (opens VS Code)

Or from a terminal:

```bash
code --add-mcp '{"name":"grep","type":"http","url":"https://mcp.grep.app"}'
```

Or commit it to the repo in `.vscode/mcp.json`:

`.vscode/mcp.json`:

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "grep": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.grep.app"
    }
  }
}
```

### Devin Desktop

1. Add it to `~/.config/devin/mcp_config.json` (macOS and Linux) or `%APPDATA%\devin\mcp_config.json` (Windows):

`mcp_config.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "grep": {
      "serverUrl": "https://mcp.grep.app"
    }
  }
}
```

2. Refresh the MCP server list in Cascade.

Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf. It reads `serverUrl` (or `url`) for remote servers.

### Codex

```bash
codex mcp add grep --url https://mcp.grep.app
```

Or edit `~/.codex/config.toml` directly:

`config.toml`:

```toml
[mcp_servers.grep]
url = "https://mcp.grep.app"
```

### Gemini CLI

```bash
gemini mcp add --transport http grep https://mcp.grep.app
```

This adds it to the current project. Add `-s user` to use it everywhere.

### Any client

Most clients accept this shape. Some name the URL field differently: `serverUrl` in Devin Desktop, `httpUrl` in Gemini CLI’s settings file.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "grep": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.grep.app"
    }
  }
}
```

Zed puts servers under `context_servers` in its settings. Cline needs `"type": "streamableHttp"`, or it assumes SSE.

Client only starts local servers? Bridge it with `npx -y mcp-remote https://mcp.grep.app`.

## Details

- Server version: 0.1.0
- MCP protocol version: 2025-06-18
- Last checked: 2026-10-03 (reachable)
- Listed: 2026-10-03
- Updated: 2026-10-04

---
Source: https://mcp.tc/i/grep (mcp.tc is an independent directory, not affiliated with this server's publisher). Corrections: https://mcp.tc/report