Neovim MCP Server

The Neovim MCP Server bridges the gap between advanced AI assistants and the venerable Vim ecosystem. By exposing a rich set of resources, tools, and status endpoints over the Model Context Protocol, it lets Claude (or any MCP‑compatible client) interact with a live Neovim session as if it were a first‑class text editing service. This eliminates the need for manual copy‑paste or external scripting, allowing developers to harness AI suggestions, refactorings, and code completions directly inside their editor workflow.

At its core, the server connects to a running Neovim instance that has been started with a listening socket (e.g., ). Once connected, it provides real‑time access to the editor’s state: current buffers, cursor position, mode, visual selections, registers, and even plugin detection. Developers can query this information through the and resources, enabling AI assistants to understand the exact context of the text being edited. The server also offers a comprehensive set of “core tools” that wrap common Vim commands—such as , , and —allowing the assistant to perform navigation, edits, window splits, and more without leaving the AI interface.

Beyond simple command execution, the Neovim MCP Server shines in its advanced text manipulation capabilities. Tools like , , and give AI agents powerful regex‑based search, replace, and project‑wide grep functionality. The , , and tools provide seamless buffer management, letting the assistant open new files or switch between existing ones on demand. Visual mode handling () and mark setting () further enhance the ability to target precise code regions, making tasks such as refactoring or code extraction effortless.

Real‑world scenarios for this server include on‑the‑fly code review, automated documentation generation, or context‑aware refactoring suggestions—all delivered directly inside Neovim. A developer can ask the assistant to “extract this function into a new file” or “replace all TODO comments with proper tags,” and the assistant will execute the necessary Vim commands, update buffers, and even run shell commands if permitted. This tight integration reduces context switching, preserves the developer’s mental model of the editor, and keeps the workflow fluid.

In summary, the Neovim MCP Server transforms a conventional text editor into an AI‑powered development environment. By exposing low‑level Vim operations and high‑level buffer management through a standard protocol, it offers developers a powerful, extensible bridge between AI assistants and their native tooling. The result is a streamlined editing experience where the assistant feels like an integral part of Neovim rather than an external helper.