KiroGraph: Local semantic index and lookup service for code symbols

TL;DR in plain English

• What it is: KiroGraph builds a local semantic index of a codebase so tools can answer many questions without re-reading full files. See the project: https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph.
• Why it helps: the repository describes goals as "fewer tool calls, instant symbol lookups, 100% local" (source: https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph). Running a local index and a small lookup service lets editors and agents query symbols or usages first, reducing repeated tool calls and keeping code local.

Quick practical note: this guide shows a conservative POC path. Verify exact commands and flags in the upstream README before running anything: https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph.

What you will build and why it helps

You will create a proof-of-concept: a local on-disk index for a single repository plus a small HTTP lookup service that answers symbol and usage queries. The repo's stated intent is to reduce downstream tool calls and provide instant lookups while keeping data local (https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph).

Why this is useful:

• Faster interactive lookups: editors or agents can ask the local service for symbol definitions/usages before assembling large full-file prompts.
• Privacy and locality: the index and queries remain on your machines per the project goal (https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph).
• Lower downstream costs: fewer repeated remote tool calls when agents repeatedly query the same symbols.

Deliverables from the POC:

• An index directory written to disk.
• A small HTTP lookup server reachable on localhost or an internal network endpoint.

Check the project README for exact integration points and supported APIs: https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph.

Before you start (time, cost, prerequisites)

Prerequisites:

• Clone & read-only access to the target repository and the kirograph repo at https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph.
• Command-line basics and a Python runtime if the project uses Python (see README).
• Disk space to hold an index artifact and a machine that can run a small local service.

Decision frame (illustrative):

| Mode (illustrative) | Typical trade-off | When to pick | | --- | --- | --- | | Fast | favors short wall time and lower RAM | quick POC, iterative exploration | | Precise | favors code precision and richer analysis | production or security-sensitive lookups |

Note: verify exact mode names and flags in the upstream docs: https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph.

Checklist before you start:

• [ ] Confirm you can clone both the target repo and https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph
• [ ] Reserve a directory for the index artifact and confirm write permissions
• [ ] Review the upstream README for runtime and dependency notes

Step-by-step setup and implementation

This path is intended as a runnable POC; confirm exact commands in the repo README at https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph.

1. Clone the project and inspect

git clone https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph.git
cd kirograph
ls -la  # inspect README and scripts

Read the README in the cloned repo to confirm current scripts and flags: https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph.

2. Create an isolated environment and install dependencies

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Create a minimal config for a single-repo POC (example YAML). Verify keys in upstream docs.

# config.yaml (POC example — confirm keys in the repo README)
repo_path: ../my-repo
index_path: ./local-index
mode: fast
exclude_patterns:
  - node_modules/
  - vendor/

4. Run the indexer and start the lookup service

• Check the README for the exact indexer command and HTTP server startup.
• Typical flow: run the indexer to write an index directory, then start the lookup server bound to localhost for single-developer POCs (see https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph).

5. Verify with a symbol lookup

• Use the lookup API described in the repo to query a known symbol or usage. Confirm responses and inspect server logs for errors.
• If you plan to expose the service beyond localhost, add an auth token and TLS as described in your internal security policy.

6. Measure and iterate

• Compare behavior of a typical editor/agent prompt that used to include whole files vs. a flow that queries the local lookup first. See the repo for integration notes: https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph.

Common problems and quick fixes

Indexer fails or crashes

• Likely causes: missing dependencies, incompatible runtime, or parse errors on certain files. Action: enable verbose logs, check the runtime version and native deps per the project README (https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph).

Index size grows unexpectedly

• Action: add exclude_patterns (node_modules/, vendor/, build/) and re-run a targeted index. Verify the index directory contents before wider rollout.

Slow lookups from the client

• Action: confirm the lookup service is local (127.0.0.1 or internal IP), check CPU, I/O, and swap. If the service runs on a constrained VM, move it to a machine with better CPU or faster disk.

Stale results after code changes

• Action: use incremental reindexing or trigger a reindex on commit/webhook; fall back to a full reindex when a large refactor occurs.

Quick troubleshooting checklist:

• [ ] Confirm environment matches README requirements
• [ ] Ensure the index directory exists and is readable by the service
• [ ] Check server logs for binding/auth errors
• [ ] Test a single symbol lookup and confirm the response format

For command and config specifics, always consult the repo: https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph.

First use case for a small team

Goal: deliver immediate developer ergonomics for a 2–4 person team with a short POC and a tight canary.

Solo/Small-team POC plan (high level):

1. Local POC: one engineer runs the index and starts the lookup service on a laptop or shared dev box. Confirm lookups for a few high-value symbols.
2. Integrate editors/agents to query the lookup endpoint first; fallback to prior full-context prompts only when the lookup returns nothing.
3. Run a short canary with a single developer or a subset of the team to validate behavior and catch edge cases.

Checklist for initial rollout:

• [ ] Single-developer POC complete
• [ ] One engineer runs a canary and records failures
• [ ] Integration tests added so editors/agents hit lookup first

Repository reference and further integration details: https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph.

Technical notes (optional)

Short definitions and knobs (summary):

• Index mode: a knob that trades throughput and RAM for completeness of symbol extraction; confirm exact mode names in the README: https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph.
• Lookup API: the project provides a local service for symbol/usage queries; check the repo for request/response schemas and example clients.

Example lightweight agent config (illustrative — confirm keys in upstream docs):

{
  "lookup_url": "http://localhost:8000",
  "auth_token": "REPLACE_WITH_TOKEN",
  "fallback_to_full_context": false
}

Implementation knobs to explore later:

• Chunk size and cache TTL to trade memory/disk for latency.
• Incremental vs full reindex strategies and index artifact versioning.

Primary reference: https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph.

What to do next (production checklist)

Assumptions / Hypotheses

• The repository provides an indexer and a lookup server and states the goals as "fewer tool calls, instant symbol lookups, 100% local" (source: https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph). Specific command names, config keys and exact flags used below are illustrative and must be verified in the upstream README.
• Planning and performance numbers used in planning and gates (examples below) are hypotheses for sizing and gates, not extracted verbatim from the repo:
  • Typical repository sizes referenced: 10,000; 30,000; 100,000 lines of code (LOC)
  • Wall-time examples: 10–30 minutes (fast), ~90 minutes (30k LOC POC), 1–6+ hours (precise/full)
  • Memory sizing: 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB RAM as planning points
  • Disk sizing: 1 GB+ for small index artifacts
  • Token-reduction targets: ≥20% and up to 30% (hypothesis)
  • Latency targets: mean <100 ms, p95 <200 ms (desired), p95 ≤300 ms (acceptance gate)
  • Canary plan sizes: 5–10% of traffic or one engineer for 48 hours

Risks / Mitigations

• Risk: stale or incomplete symbol results. Mitigation: enable incremental reindexing or scheduled full reindex jobs; keep index artifact versioned for rollbacks.
• Risk: performance regressions under load. Mitigation: run a canary (5–10% traffic) and measure mean & p95 latencies; if p95 >300 ms, scale vertically or move service to a dedicated VM.
• Risk: accidental exposure of indexed code. Mitigation: bind the service to localhost/internal IPs initially, require auth tokens, and enable TLS before wide internal use.

Next steps

• Verify exact install, index, and server commands in the upstream README at https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph and run a single-repo POC.
• Collect baseline metrics for 7–14 days: tokens per query, mean & p95 lookup latency, index freshness, and disk usage.
• Acceptance gates to expand: token reduction ≥20% and p95 latency ≤300 ms (target p95 <200 ms); if gates pass, prepare production rollout with a dedicated VM, scheduled reindex jobs, index artifact versioning, and dashboards.

Methodology note: summary and goals are drawn from the project page at the linked repo; verify exact commands, flags, and schema against the README before production.

Reference: https://github.com/davide-desio-eleva/kirograph.

KiroGraph: Local semantic index and lookup service for code symbols

Run KiroGraph locally to build an on-disk semantic index and a small HTTP lookup service. Speed symbol and usage queries, reduce repeated tool calls, and keep…

https://aisignals.dev/posts/2026-06-09-kirograph-local-semantic-index-and-lookup-service-for-code-symbols

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