Codebase intelligence for AI coding
Your codebase gets smarter every session. Patterns compound, mistakes don't repeat.
VS Code extension, CLI with persistent daemon, and MCP server working together. It learns from every session, injects proactive advice before risky changes, and gives your AI repository-lifetime memory that survives context window resets.
Works with your AI assistant
How SnapBack works
SnapBack is an integrated development intelligence platform that gives AI coding assistants repository-lifetime memory and workflow-aligned tools. Unlike generic context providers, SnapBack learns from every session and actively participates in AI interactions.
The Perceive → Reason → Act → Reflect Pattern
1. Perceive: Understanding workspace state
The pulse tool
When an AI assistant needs to understand current state, one call to `pulse` returns everything in token-efficient wire format.
Wire format response:
🫀|pulse:elevated|cpm:18|pressure:45|risk:M|action:monitorThis tells the AI:
- •Change velocity (18 changes per minute)
- •Risk pressure (45% of safety threshold)
- •Risk classification (Medium)
- •Recommended action (monitor, not critical)
Why it matters: The AI grounds itself in reality before reasoning—using ~500 tokens instead of 15k+ for generic context retrieval.
Context windows reset. Your repository's memory doesn't.
The more you code with SnapBack, the better your AI suggestions get.
Workspace Intelligence That Compounds
We're new. We don't have 10,000 users (yet). What we do have is a privacy-first architecture you can verify yourself.
Privacy-First Architecture
Your code never leaves your machine. Only metadata syncs.
View architecture →Open MCP Standard
Built on the Model Context Protocol. No vendor lock-in.
See MCP spec →Instant Local Snapshots
Snapshots in <100ms. Restores in <200ms. All local.
How it works →Works with your AI tools
SnapBack sits at the file system level. It doesn't care which AI you use.
Join the developers helping shape SnapBack. Early adopters get lifetime Pro features at the founding member price.
Multiple surfaces, one brain
SnapBack isn't just an extension or just an MCP server. It's an integrated platform with three coordinated surfaces powered by a persistent daemon.
VS Code Extension
The invisible UI that appears only when intelligence is needed.
- •Real-time pulse and pressure indicators in status bar
- •Inline warnings when risky patterns detected
- •Advisor notifications with learned context
- •Protection state navigation and time travel
- •Configures and manages daemon lifecycle automatically
CLI with Persistent Daemon
The intelligence engine that powers everything.
- •Processes observations from editor and AI tools
- •Maintains repository-lifetime memory and learned patterns
- •Serves context to both extension UI and MCP clients
- •Runs continuously in background or on-demand
- •Handles learning extraction, pattern detection, and risk scoring
MCP Server
Protocol interface for AI assistants (Cursor, Claude, Copilot, Continue.dev).
- •Provides workflow-aligned tools (pulse, advise, check, snap_learn)
- •Token-efficient wire format preserves context budget
- •Shares state with extension via daemon
- •Works with any MCP-compatible client
Connects via STDIO (ships with CLI) or SSE.
Why this matters
You get a cohesive experience across all workflows:
- •The same intelligence that warns you in VS Code also advises your AI assistant via MCP
- •The daemon learns from both human and AI interactions
- •Memory persists across editor sessions, context window resets, and tool switches
- •All surfaces get smarter together, compounding knowledge over time
One system. Multiple surfaces. Repository-lifetime intelligence.
Get started in 2 minutes
Choose the path that matches your workflow:
Option 1: VS Code users
Install the SnapBack extension
- 1.Install from VS Code Marketplace or search "SnapBack" in Extensions
- 2.Extension automatically installs and manages CLI + daemon
- 3.Start coding—SnapBack observes and learns
- 4.If you use Cursor or Claude Desktop, MCP server is automatically available
Option 2: CLI-first users
Install the CLI and run the daemon
- 1.Install via npm or download binary
- 2.Start the daemon: snapback daemon start
- 3.Use from terminal: snapback pulse, snapback advise, snapback check
# via npm npm install -g @snapback/cli # or download binary curl -fsSL https://snapback.dev/install.sh | sh
Option 3: MCP-only users
Connect AI assistants via Model Context Protocol
- 1.Install CLI (daemon required for MCP functionality)
- 2.Configure your MCP client (Claude Desktop, Continue.dev, Cursor)
- 3.AI assistants can now call SnapBack tools
{
"mcpServers": {
"snapback": {
"command": "snapback",
"args": ["mcp"]
}
}
}Built on open standards
SnapBack isn't proprietary tooling. It's built on documented patterns and open protocols you can inspect.
Model Context Protocol (MCP)
SnapBack implements Anthropic's open standard for AI-tool interaction. Works with Claude Desktop, Cursor, Continue.dev, and any MCP-compatible client.
SOPR Pattern
A documented design pattern for AI-aware development intelligence: Snapshot → Observe → Protect → Recover. Defines how to safely capture state, detect patterns, and maintain context in AI-assisted workflows.
Workflow Design Philosophy
Our tools align with the universal Perceive → Reason → Act → Reflect agentic pattern. Token-efficient, workflow-aligned, and designed for how AI agents naturally think.
Open-Core Ecosystem
Core packages like @snapback-oss/contracts and the SnapBack CLI are open source and versioned publicly. You can audit the architecture before you install anything.
If you care about how your tools work, you can inspect the MCP implementation, the workflow pattern, and the wire format before committing.
47% fewer tokens, 4-6 fewer tool calls
SnapBack's workflow-aligned tools and wire format dramatically reduce context consumption.
Why this matters
- •AI assistants spend context budget on reasoning, not data fetching
- •Faster responses (less tool call overhead)
- •More room for actual code and prompt engineering
- •No "context window exhausted" errors mid-session
Wire format example
Instead of returning kilobytes of JSON, SnapBack tools return compact wire format first:
🫀|pulse:elevated|cpm:18|pressure:45|risk:M|action:monitorThe AI can parse this instantly and decide if it needs the detailed human-readable breakdown below.
Progressive disclosure = AI gets exactly the depth it needs, nothing more.
Frequently asked questions
Got questions? We've got answers. Can't find what you're looking for? Check our full FAQ or reach out to our team.
Still have questions? Join our Discord or email us.
Ready to give your AI a memory?
Install SnapBack and start building repository-lifetime intelligence today.