Claudex

Professional conversation viewer and analysis tool for Claude Code

Category: Development Tools · Conversation Analysis · Usage Monitoring

Claudex is a full-stack web application designed for developers, QA engineers, and researchers who need to inspect, search, and analyze Claude Code conversation histories. Built with React and Fastify, it provides enterprise-grade full-text search using SQLite FTS5, universal template support for all Claude Code versions, and comprehensive analytics dashboards.

📚 Documentation | 💬 Discussions | 🐛 Issues

Claudex — browse, search, and give Claude Code persistent memory. SQLite FTS5 full-text search across all sessions, MCP server with 10 tools, universal V1/V2/V3 template support.

🆕 What's New

Version 1.3.0 (February 12, 2026) — MCP Server

• 🧠 MCP Server: Model Context Protocol server gives Claude Code persistent memory across sessions
• 🔧 10 MCP Tools: Project context, session search, conversation retrieval, structured memory CRUD
• 💾 Structured Memory System: Store coding knowledge (conventions, architecture, decisions, error patterns) with priority, confidence, and TTL
• 📋 3 MCP Prompts: /recall, /catchup, /history for quick access to past sessions
• 🎯 Token Budgeting: Three detail levels (minimal/standard/full) for context management
• 📖 One-Command Setup: claude mcp add --transport stdio claudex -- claudex-mcp

View full changelog | Troubleshooting guide

📸 Screenshots

🎨 NEW in v1.2.0: Theming & Customization

10 Professional Themes Classic, Emerald, Blue, Purple, Orange, Red, Rose, Yellow, Green, Default	29 Font Families Visual preview showing actual typefaces
Granular Font Sizing 5 precise options (14px-18px) + border radius control	Settings Modal Appearance functional, more settings coming soon

Conversation View

Full-Text Search

✨ Features

• MCP Server: Give Claude Code persistent memory — conventions, architecture, decisions, and error patterns survive across sessions
• Structured Memory: Store and recall coding knowledge with priority (1-10), confidence, and TTL-based expiration
• Auto Project Discovery: Automatically scans ~/.claude/projects directory to discover all conversations across multiple projects
• Full-Text Search: Enterprise-grade SQLite FTS5 search engine with advanced filtering by project, session, role, date range, and content highlighting
• Universal Template Support: Intelligent template detection and parsing for all Claude Code versions (V1.x, V2-mixed, V2.0+) with automatic format detection
• Smart Content Rendering: Syntax-highlighted code blocks, markdown rendering, diff visualization, JSON formatting, and tool usage tracking
• Session Analytics: Comprehensive analytics dashboard with message distribution charts, file operation tracking, and conversation statistics using Tremor React
• Export Options: Export conversations to JSON (structured data), HTML (readable format), or plain TXT for archival and sharing
• Modern UI: Responsive React interface with 10 themes, 29 fonts, session favorites, and optimized for developer workflows

💖 Support This Project

Claudex is free and open source. If it saves you time and improves your workflow, please consider:

• ⭐ Star the repo - Help others discover Claudex
• 🐛 Report bugs - Your feedback makes us better
• 💡 Share ideas - Request features in Discussions
• ☕ Buy me a coffee - Support continued development

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ and npm
• Claude Code installed with conversation history in ~/.claude/projects

Installation

Option 1: npm (Recommended)

# Global installation
npm install -g @kunwarshah/claudex [https://www.npmjs.com/package/@kunwarshah/claudex]

# Then run anywhere:
claudex

# Custom port (if 3400 is in use):
claudex --port 3500

# Custom project directory:
claudex --project-root ~/my-claude-projects

# Or use without installing (npx):
npx @kunwarshah/claudex

Add MCP Server (gives Claude Code persistent memory):

claude mcp add --transport stdio claudex -- claudex-mcp

See the MCP Server Guide for details.

CLI Options:

• --help, -h: Show help message
• --version, -v: Show version
• --port, -p <port>: Custom server port (default: 3400)
• --project-root <path>: Custom Claude projects directory

Environment Variables:

• PORT: Server port (default: 3400)
• PROJECT_ROOT: Claude projects directory (default: ~/.claude/projects)

Option 2: From Source

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/kunwar-shah/claudex.git
cd claudex

2. Run system check (optional but recommended):

npm run check

This validates your environment and catches common setup issues.

3. Install dependencies (or use auto-fix):

# Option 1: Manual installation
npm install
cd server && npm install && cd ..
cd client && npm install && cd ..

# Option 2: Auto-fix (installs deps + creates .env)
npm run check:fix

4. Configure environment (if not using auto-fix):

cd server
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env if needed (default: PROJECT_ROOT=~/.claude/projects)
cd ..

5. Start the application:

# Automatically runs system check, then starts servers
npm run dev

6. Open your browser: http://localhost:3000

The backend API runs on http://localhost:3400

System Checker

Claudex includes a comprehensive system checker that validates your environment:

# Quick check
npm run check

# Detailed output
npm run check:verbose

# Auto-fix common issues
npm run check:fix

# JSON output (for CI/CD)
npm run check:json

What it checks:

• ✅ Node.js & npm versions
• ✅ PROJECT_ROOT path & permissions
• ✅ Port availability (3000, 3400)
• ✅ Dependencies installation
• ✅ Claude Code data (projects, sessions)
• ✅ JSONL file validity
• ✅ Database permissions
• ✅ Search index status

Global CLI Installation (Optional)

Install globally to use claudex command anywhere:

./install.sh

# Then run from anywhere:
claudex

🔧 Configuration

Server Configuration (.env)

# Path to Claude Code projects directory
# Supports ~ expansion (e.g., ~/.claude/projects)
PROJECT_ROOT=~/.claude/projects

# Server port
PORT=3400

# Environment
NODE_ENV=development

Default Ports

• Frontend: http://localhost:3000 (Vite dev server)
• Backend: http://localhost:3400 (Fastify API)
• Frontend build: Uses port 3400 (served by backend in production)

📂 Project Structure

claudex/
├── server/                    # Backend (Node.js + Fastify)
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── parsers/          # Template detection & message parsing
│   │   │   ├── templateDetector.js    # V1/V2/V3 template detection
│   │   │   └── messageParser.js       # Universal message parser
│   │   ├── services/         # Core business logic
│   │   │   ├── fileScanner.js        # Project/session discovery
│   │   │   ├── sessionParser.js      # Full session parsing
│   │   │   ├── searchDatabase.js     # SQLite FTS5 search
│   │   │   ├── searchIndexer.js      # Search index builder
│   │   │   └── memoryService.js      # Structured memory CRUD
│   │   ├── mcp/              # MCP server (Claude Code integration)
│   │   │   ├── index.js              # MCP entry point + stdio transport
│   │   │   ├── tools.js              # 10 MCP tool handlers
│   │   │   ├── resources.js          # MCP resources
│   │   │   └── prompts.js            # 3 MCP prompts
│   │   ├── routes/           # API endpoints
│   │   │   ├── projects.js           # Project/session routes
│   │   │   ├── search.js             # Search routes
│   │   │   └── export.js             # Export routes
│   │   ├── utils/            # Helper utilities
│   │   │   └── pathHelper.js         # Path expansion (~/ support)
│   │   └── server.js         # Main server
│   ├── data/                 # SQLite database (auto-created)
│   ├── .env.example          # Environment template
│   └── package.json
├── client/                   # Frontend (React + Vite)
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/       # React components
│   │   │   ├── ProjectSelector.jsx
│   │   │   ├── SessionList.jsx
│   │   │   ├── ConversationThread.jsx
│   │   │   ├── MessageBubble.jsx
│   │   │   ├── ClaudeMessageRenderer.jsx
│   │   │   └── SearchPage.jsx
│   │   ├── services/         # API client
│   │   │   └── api.js
│   │   └── App.jsx           # Main app
│   └── package.json
├── bin/                      # CLI entry point
├── test-search.sh           # Search API testing script
├── install.sh               # Global CLI installer
├── SETUP.md                 # Detailed setup guide
├── README.md                # This file
└── package.json             # Root package (CLI + concurrently)

🎯 Supported Claude Code Formats

The viewer automatically detects and parses all Claude Code conversation formats:

V3 Template (Universal - Recommended)

• Claude Code v2.0+: New format with role field directly
• Claude Code v1.x: Original format with type field
• Edge cases: Mixed formats and migration states
• New message types: file-history-snapshot support
• Role mapping: All system messages → assistant (binary user/assistant classification)

Legacy Templates (Auto-detected)

• V2-Mixed: Transition format between V1 and V2
• V1: Original Claude Code format

The template detector uses a waterfall detection strategy, automatically selecting the best parser for your conversation files.

🔍 Search System

Building the Search Index

The search index needs to be built before searching:

# Option 1: Via API
curl -X POST http://localhost:3400/api/search/index/build

# Option 2: Via test script
./test-search.sh

# Option 3: Via UI (Search page → "Rebuild Index" button)

When to Rebuild Index

Rebuild the search index when:

• First time setup
• After template changes
• When new conversations are added
• If search results seem outdated

Search API Examples

# Basic search
curl -X POST http://localhost:3400/api/search \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"q": "migration", "limit": 10}'

# Search with filters
curl -X POST http://localhost:3400/api/search \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "q": "database",
    "projectId": "my-project",
    "role": "user",
    "limit": 20,
    "offset": 0
  }'

# Check index status
curl http://localhost:3400/api/search/index/status

📡 API Endpoints

Projects & Sessions

Search

Export

Health

🛠️ Development

Development Mode

# Run both frontend + backend with hot reload
npm run dev

# Or run separately:
# Terminal 1 - Backend (auto-restarts on changes)
cd server && npm run dev

# Terminal 2 - Frontend (hot module replacement)
cd client && npm run dev

Testing the Search System

# Run comprehensive search tests
./test-search.sh

This script will:

1. Check server health
2. Get index status
3. Build/rebuild index
4. Run test searches with various filters
5. Display results

Adding New Templates

1. Update Template Detector (server/src/parsers/templateDetector.js):

'my-template': {
  name: 'My Template Name',
  detect: (samples) => {
    return samples.some(s => s.myUniqueField !== undefined);
  },
  parser: 'my-template'
}

2. Add Parser Method (server/src/parsers/messageParser.js):

parseMyTemplate(rawMessage) {
  return {
    id: rawMessage.id || this.generateId(),
    role: rawMessage.myRole === 'user' ? 'user' : 'assistant',
    content: rawMessage.myContent || '',
    timestamp: rawMessage.myTimestamp,
    // ... other fields
  };
}

3. Rebuild Search Index: The new template will be automatically detected and used.

📝 Scripts Reference

Claudex Directory

• npm run dev - Run frontend + backend concurrently (with pre-check)
• npm start - Run frontend + backend (production mode)
• npm run check - Run system health check
• npm run check:verbose - Run detailed system check
• npm run check:fix - Auto-fix common setup issues
• npm run check:json - JSON output for CI/CD
• ./install.sh - Install as global CLI command
• ./test-search.sh - Test search API endpoints

Server Directory

• npm run dev - Run with nodemon (auto-restart)
• npm start - Run in production mode

Client Directory

• npm run dev - Vite dev server (http://localhost:3000)
• npm run build - Build for production
• npm run preview - Preview production build

🐛 Troubleshooting

Quick Diagnosis

Run the system checker first to identify issues:

npm run check:verbose

This will check all common problems and provide actionable suggestions.

Common Issues

"No messages found" Despite Messages Existing

Fixed in v1.1.1 - If you see intermittent empty sessions or duplicate key warnings:

# Update to latest version
cd claude-viewer
git pull origin main
npm install && cd server && npm install && cd ../client && npm install && cd ..
npm run dev

See detailed troubleshooting guide for more information.

No Projects Found

# Check what the system sees
npm run check

# Verify path
cat server/.env | grep PROJECT_ROOT

• Verify PROJECT_ROOT in .env points to ~/.claude/projects
• Check that Claude Code has created conversation files
• Run npm run check:fix to auto-create missing directories

Search Not Working

# Quick fix via UI
# Visit http://localhost:3000/search → Click "Rebuild Index"

# Or via command line
curl -X POST http://localhost:3400/api/search/index/build

Port Conflicts

# System checker will detect port conflicts
npm run check

# Auto-detected ports in use show PID
# Kill process: kill <PID>
# Or change PORT in server/.env

Permission Errors

# Check permissions
npm run check:verbose

# Fix permissions
chmod +r ~/.claude/projects
chmod +w claude-viewer/server/data

Dependencies Issues

# Auto-install all dependencies
npm run check:fix

🚢 Production Deployment

Using Docker (Recommended)

Claudex includes production-ready Docker configuration with multi-stage builds for optimal image size.

Quick Start with Docker

# Build and start with docker-compose
docker-compose up -d

# View logs
docker-compose logs -f

# Stop
docker-compose down

Access at: http://localhost:3400

Docker Configuration

The default docker-compose.yml mounts your Claude projects directory as read-only:

volumes:
  # Adjust path to match your system
  - ~/.claude/projects:/root/.claude/projects:ro

Common path configurations:

# Linux/macOS
~/.claude/projects:/root/.claude/projects:ro

# Windows (WSL2)
/mnt/c/Users/YourName/.claude/projects:/root/.claude/projects:ro

# Custom path
/path/to/your/projects:/root/.claude/projects:ro

Docker Commands

# Build image manually
docker build -t claudex:latest .

# Run container manually
docker run -d \
  -p 3400:3400 \
  -v ~/.claude/projects:/root/.claude/projects:ro \
  -v claudex-data:/app/data \
  --name claudex-web \
  claudex:latest

# Check health
docker ps  # Check STATUS column for "healthy"

# View logs
docker logs claudex-web -f

# Stop and remove
docker stop claudex-web && docker rm claudex-web

Docker Features

• Multi-stage build: Optimized image size (~200MB)
• Non-root user: Runs as nodejs user for security
• Health checks: Automatic health monitoring
• Persistent volumes: Stores search index and logs
• Read-only mounts: Claude projects mounted read-only for safety
• Log rotation: JSON logs with 10MB max size, 3 file rotation

Docker Environment Variables

# Override in docker-compose.yml or docker run
-e PORT=3400                           # Server port
-e HOST=0.0.0.0                        # Bind address
-e NODE_ENV=production                 # Environment
-e PROJECT_ROOT=/root/.claude/projects # Claude projects path

Manual Production Build

For non-Docker deployments:

# 1. Install dependencies
npm run install-deps

# 2. Build client
npm run build

# 3. Start server (serves built client)
cd server && NODE_ENV=production npm start

Access at: http://localhost:3400

📋 Roadmap

• SQLite FTS5 full-text search
• Universal template support (V1/V2/V3)
• Export to JSON/HTML/TXT
• Docker deployment (v1.1.0)
• Conversation analytics dashboard (v1.1.0)
• Theming system — 10 themes, 29 fonts (v1.2.0)
• Session favorites/bookmarking (v1.2.4)
• MCP server for Claude Code (v1.3.0)
• Structured memory system (v1.3.0)
• Token cost calculator
• WebSocket live updates
• Plugin system for custom parsers

📄 License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature
3. Commit changes: git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'
4. Push to branch: git push origin feature/amazing-feature
5. Open a Pull Request

📚 Additional Documentation

• SETUP.md - Detailed setup and configuration guide
• INSTALL.md - Legacy installation instructions

💡 Tips

• Use the search page to find conversations across all projects
• Export conversations to share with team members
• Rebuild search index after adding new conversations
• Check /api/health endpoint to verify system status
• Use npm run dev for the best development experience with hot reload