Context Master for VS Code

Deterministic AST-based context for coding agents.

Context Master runs an MCP server inside VS Code and exposes AST graph-aware tools that let agents navigate symbols, references, and file structure using language-intelligence data obtained from the VSCode API instead of plain text guessing.

Why Context Master?

Modern AI assistants are powerful, but they often lack the deep understanding of your project's architecture needed to generate high-quality, context-aware code. Context Master solves this by providing the AI with the same deep-level insights a human developer would have. This gives you:

• Agents that reason over symbol relationships instead of scanning random files.
• Lower hallucination risk in large codebases.
• Better edit accuracy for refactors, call-site updates, and impact analysis.
• Deterministic context retrieval based on VS Code language services.
• More efficient token management through symbol-based source code retrieval instead of file-based retrieval.
• Better planning results through impact analysis and deterministic discovery process.

How It Works

Context Master starts a local MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that your AI assistant can connect to. This server exposes a set of powerful tools that allow the AI to query your codebase using the full power of VS Code's language intelligence. The AI can discover files, understand symbol relationships, and read file contents in a structured way.

Biggest Capabilities

• AST/graph-backed context engine: structural repository understanding, not vector retrieval.
• Agent-facing MCP tools: targeted retrieval with relationship-aware outputs.
• Token efficiency: agents can request exactly what they need.
• Free mode available: evaluate before buying.

For a more in-depth explanation of how Context Master works, please refer to our website's how it works page.

MCP Tools Exposed

• get-repository-overview
• get-file-tree
• get-symbol-context
• read-file
• read-many-files

Quick Start

1. Install from the VS Code Marketplace.
2. Connect your MCP-capable assistant to http://localhost:13692 (or your configured port) by adding the config manually or just aksing your coding agent to configure it for you.

Example Cursor MCP config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "context-master": {
      "url": "http://localhost:13692"
    }
  }
}

AGENTS.md Helper

The extension includes a built-in AGENTS.md installer:

• Open Dashboard (click "CM"-badge in lower left corner) -> Install AGENTS.md Rules
• or run command: Context Master: Install AGENTS.md Rules into Current Workspace

Behavior:

• If AGENTS.md does not exist in the active workspace folder, it is created.
• If it exists, Context Master rules are appended to the end.
• Existing user content is preserved (no overwrite).

Free vs Licensed

• Free mode: up to 20 MCP tool calls per day
• Licensed mode: unlimited tool calls

Key Settings

Command Palette Commands

• Context Master: Open Dashboard
• Context Master: Install AGENTS.md Rules
• Context Master: Restart MCP Server
• Context Master: Show extension logs
• Context Master: Generate repository overview for a specific workspace folder
• Context Master: Trigger indexing of a workspace folder
• Context Master: Check your license status
• Context Master: Reset your license status to free mode

Feedback

Report issues or requests at context-master-issues.

Troubleshooting

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions:

Q: How do I configure my AI Assistant (e.g., Cursor) to use Context Master?

A: Add the Context Master server to your assistant configuration and ensure the port matches contextMaster.serverPort:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "context-master": {
      "url": "http://localhost:13692"
    }
  }
}

Each VS Code window runs its own MCP server instance. Ports are stable per workspace and stored in workspace settings.

Q: The extension seems stuck on indexing. What should I do?

A: Initial indexing can take some time for large projects. You can see the progress in the notification area. If it seems stuck, try the following:

1. Open the logs using the Context Master: Show extension logs command to check for any errors.
2. Ensure you have the necessary language extensions installed for your project (e.g., the official Python or TypeScript extensions).
3. Try restarting VS Code.

Q: Does Context Master support multi-root workspaces?

A: Yes, there is preliminary support for multi-root workspaces. However, tool calls are currently scoped to a single workspace folder at a time. This means the AI cannot yet see a structurally linked overview of all your open folders at once. If you'd like to see more advanced multi-root support, please let us know by opening an issue or starting a discussion on our GitHub repository!

Q: Why isn't my AI assistant using the tools from Context Master? A: First, verify your MCP server configuration in your AI assistant's settings. Second, check the VS Code status bar to ensure the Context Master server is running. If you see an error, check the extension logs. Finally, consult your AI assistant's documentation to see how it discovers and uses MCP tools.

Q: How can I inspect what the extension is doing?

A: Use Context Master: Show extension logs and, if needed, increase verbosity via contextMaster.logLevel.

Q: I found a bug or have a feature request. Where should I report it?

A: We'd love to hear from you! Please head over to our GitHub repository to open an issue or start a discussion.