Neovim MCP Server

MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that integrates Neovim buffers with Claude Code, enabling seamless buffer awareness and real-time updates.

Features

Resources (Auto-available Context)

• nvim://current-buffer - Currently active buffer with path and content
• nvim://open-buffers - List of all open buffers with metadata

Tools (Claude Can Invoke)

• list_nvim_buffers() - List all open buffers in nvim instances running in current directory
• get_current_buffer() - Get the currently active buffer
• get_buffer_content(path) - Get content of a specific buffer by path
• update_buffer(path, content) - Update buffer content directly in nvim (changes appear immediately!)
• open_file(path) - Open a file in nvim (useful after creating new files)
• reload_buffer(path) - Reload a buffer from disk
• reload_all_buffers() - Check and reload all buffers that changed on disk

Setup with Claude Code

Option 1: Using the CLI (Recommended)

Run the following command in your terminal:

claude mcp add --transport stdio nvim -- npx nvim-mcp-server

This will automatically add the server to your ~/.claude.json configuration.

Option 2: Manual Configuration

Alternatively, manually edit ~/.claude.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nvim": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["nvim-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

After adding the configuration, restart Claude Code for changes to take effect.

Verify Setup

Check that the server is configured correctly:

claude mcp list

Or use /mcp within Claude Code to check server status.

Usage

Once configured, the MCP server will automatically:

1. Detect Neovim instances running in the current directory
2. Expose buffer context to Claude via resources
3. Enable buffer operations via tools

Example Workflows

1. Refactor Current File

You: "Refactor the current file to use async/await"

Claude:
- Reads nvim://current-buffer resource automatically
- Sees you're working on src/api.js
- Refactors the code
- Calls update_buffer() to push changes to nvim
- Changes appear instantly in your editor!

2. Check Open Buffers

You: "What files do I have open in nvim?"

Claude:
- Calls list_nvim_buffers() tool
- Shows you all open buffers

3. Update Specific Buffer

You: "Add error handling to src/utils.js"

Claude:
- Calls get_buffer_content("src/utils.js")
- Adds error handling
- Calls update_buffer() to apply changes
- You see updates in nvim immediately

4. Create and Open New File

You: "Create a new component called Button.jsx"

Claude:
- Creates the file using Write tool
- Calls open_file("src/components/Button.jsx")
- File opens in your nvim automatically
- You can continue editing right away!

How It Works

1. Discovery: Uses $TMPDIR to find nvim socket files