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Getting Started

After installation, ctx-tree works immediately with zero configuration. This guide walks through your first session.

First session​

Start a new Claude Code session in any project. The SessionStart hook fires and injects the tool guide automatically — Claude knows which tools to use instead of the native ones.

Reading a file​

Instead of Read, Claude will use ctx_tree_read:

> Read the main server file

Claude calls ctx_tree_read({ path: "src/server.ts" }) and gets back:

{
  "nodeId": "01HXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
  "path": "src/server.ts",
  "cached": false,
  "chunks": 4,
  "hint": "Call ctx_tree_compose([\"01HXX...\"], 4000) to retrieve content within budget"
}

The file is stored in the graph. The context window received ~60 tokens instead of ~4,200.

Searching​

Instead of Grep, Claude uses ctx_tree_grep:

> Find all exports from the store module
{
  "matches": ["01HXX... src/store/nodes.ts:12", "01HXX... src/store/edges.ts:8"],
  "pattern": "export",
  "count": 2
}

Recalling content​

To read the actual content of stored nodes within a token budget:

> Compose the server file with a 4000 token budget

Claude calls ctx_tree_compose(["01HXX..."], 4000) and gets back the file content, chunked and scored to fit the budget.

Cross-session recall​

After the first session, those reads are persisted. Open a new session next week and the file is already in the graph:

> Search for anything we've read about the store module

Claude calls ctx_tree_search({ query: "store nodes edges" }) and gets back the previously stored nodes — zero tokens spent re-reading.

Key tools to know​

ToolWhen to use
ctx_tree_readRead any file (replaces Read)
ctx_tree_grepSearch file content (replaces Grep)
ctx_tree_browseFetch a URL (replaces WebFetch)
ctx_tree_composeRetrieve stored node content within a token budget
ctx_tree_searchKeyword search across all stored nodes
ctx_tree_recentSurface nodes from prior sessions on re-entry
ctx_tree_noteStore an observation or decision for later recall

Tips​

Orient on session re-entry: Use ctx_tree_recent to see what was read last session before diving in:

> What did we work on last session?

Store decisions: Use ctx_tree_note to persist observations that don't live in files:

> Note: the auth middleware is intentionally synchronous due to passport.js constraints

Check the graph: Use ctx_tree_neighbors to explore what's linked to a node — callers, imports, siblings.

Next steps​