Local File and Code Search Tool: Search Reference
Semantic search solution for AI assistants, working entirely offline.
1Local and Secure Search
Search Reference provides a cloud-independent semantic search solution for your files and code. All processing happens locally on your machine, ensuring your data never leaves. It's particularly ideal for developers working with sensitive codebases. The system can recognize specific functions within your code.
2AI Assistant Integration
The tool is designed to work directly with AI assistants like Claude Code. Instead of standard grep loops, it offers API endpoints like /search and /explain. This allows AI assistants to access your source code directly without token overhead. Developers can ask 'How did I implement rate limiting here?' and get the exact code block.
3Real-time Indexing
Search Reference updates its index the moment you save your files. Using tree-sitter based code analysis, it intelligently chunks your code. This feature enables fast searching even across large codebases. The system can also automatically detect documentation drift.
4Token Efficiency
Developer Rahul Thennarasu created this tool after experiencing token and context loss with each new Claude session. Using a local embedding model, the tool consumes significantly less memory than a full LLM. This allows AI assistants to find information instantly without resource waste.
5Code-aware Chunking
The tool uses a specialized chunking algorithm that understands code structure. Thanks to the tree-sitter parser, it recognizes functions, classes and other code constructs. This feature significantly improves semantic search accuracy. Results only include relevant code blocks.
6Multiple Search Modes
Search Reference offers /find_similar endpoint to locate similar code snippets. The /check_doc_drift feature identifies documentation-code mismatches. Running on an MCP server, it provides low-latency search capabilities. All features are optimized for Mac platform.
7Developer Experience
The tool aims to boost productivity for developers working with large codebases. Instead of generic advice, searches return actual code implementations from your project. Developers can access applied solutions directly, bypassing complex documentation searches.
8AI-powered Code Discovery
Search Reference delivers an experience beyond traditional search tools. It enables AI assistants to explore your codebase more efficiently. Being local makes it safe for proprietary projects. Particularly valuable for projects with weak technical documentation.
Original article: Product Hunt — Yerel Dosya ve Kod Arama Aracı: Search Reference