sourcegraph-nav

name	sourcegraph-nav
description	Navigate code using Sourcegraph to find where symbols are defined and where they're used. Use this when you need to jump to a definition or find all references to a function, class, or variable.
allowed-tools	mcp__sourcegraph__go_to_definition,mcp__sourcegraph__find_references

Sourcegraph Code Navigation

Use this skill to precisely navigate the codebase and understand how code is connected.

When to Use

• "Where is X defined?" → Use go_to_definition
• "Where is X used?" or "Find all references to X" → Use find_references
• Understanding code flow → Chain these tools to trace how functions call each other
• Impact analysis → Before refactoring, use find_references to see all affected code

Tools Available

go_to_definition: Jump to where a symbol (function, class, variable) is defined

• Required: repo, path, symbol
• Optional: revision (defaults to HEAD)
• Returns: File location and code snippet showing the definition

find_references: Find all places where a symbol is used

• Required: repo, path, symbol
• Optional: revision, limit (defaults to 10, always set to 150 for comprehensive results)
• Returns: List of all usages with context
• Anchor at the definition site, not a usage site. Run go_to_definition first, then call find_references against the file/repo where the symbol is defined — this is what yields complete cross-repo results. Calling it against a usage site can return partial results.

Why Use Sourcegraph Over Grep

• Accurate: Understands code syntax, no false matches in strings/comments
• Fast: Indexed searching, instant results even on large codebases
• Cross-file: Automatically traces imports and dependencies
• Safe: Perfect for refactoring analysis—see exact impact before making changes

Start From What You Already Have

If the user's IDE selection, an open file, or earlier context already references the symbol, you already have a path to navigate from — go straight to go_to_definition. Do not run a search (e.g. keyword_search) first just to locate the symbol; that's a wasted round-trip.

Example Workflow

1. User asks: "Where is get_logger defined?" → Call go_to_definition with symbol="get_logger" (use the path you already have)

2. User asks: "Where is it used?" → Take the definition's file/repo from step 1, then call find_references with symbol="get_logger", limit=150 (anchored at the definition site)

3. User asks: "Show me all the files that call this function" → Use find_references and summarize the results by file