Revise MCP Server

Tools to revise and refactor code via MCP

Local serverstdioPython

What is the Revise MCP server?

Tools to revise and refactor code via MCP. That is what the revise mcp server brings to an AI assistant: the same capability, reachable through the Model Context Protocol rather than a separate app or dashboard.

The short version

Tools to revise and refactor code via MCP (Model Context Protocol).

The tools it exposes

The server publishes 4 tools. What each one is for:

  • move_string_in_file — Moves a contiguous range of lines from one location to another within a file (or between files). Uses substring matching with a ⬥ marker to identify
  • indent_dedent — Indents or unindents a contiguous range of lines by a specified number of levels. Uses substring matching with a ⬥ marker to identify the range
  • outline_file — Returns a high-level outline of a file, similar to VS Code's folded view. Useful for quickly understanding the structure of a large file before
  • Steps — No additional configuration of Revise MCP itself is required — rename_symbol will automatically connect to the VSC as MCP server on localhost:4000

Getting it running

@modelcontextprotocol/inspector on npm is all you need. Most clients run it directly, so configuration is a few lines and a restart.

How it compares

This sits in the developer tooling group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. Revise's toolset — move_string_in_file, indent_dedent, outline_file and 1 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow.

We check each listing at SyncDev against the project's documentation before it goes live — if something here drifts out of date, it is a bug worth reporting.

Things to watch

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
move_string_in_fileMoves a contiguous range of lines from one location to another within a file (or between files). Uses substring matching with a ⬥ marker to identify cut boundaries and paste location — no line counting or coordinate math
indent_dedentIndents or unindents a contiguous range of lines by a specified number of levels. Uses substring matching with a ⬥ marker to identify the range boundaries — no line counting required.
outline_fileReturns a high-level outline of a file, similar to VS Code's folded view. Useful for quickly understanding the structure of a large file before reading it in full.
StepsNo additional configuration of Revise MCP itself is required — rename_symbol will automatically connect to the VSC as MCP server on localhost:4000.

How to install the Revise MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "revise": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/inspector"]
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Example prompts to try

  • Use Revise to move string in file.
  • Use Revise to indent dedent.
  • Use Revise to outline file.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Revise to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 4 tools (move_string_in_file, indent_dedent, outline_file, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Revise directly.