# How to Set Up Graphify Locally: Complete Installation Guide

> Easily set up Graphify locally with our complete installation guide. Follow simple steps to install, register, and build your first knowledge graph quickly and efficiently.

- Repository: [Graphify Labs/graphify](https://github.com/Graphify-Labs/graphify)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-07-19

---

**Install Python 3.10+, run `uv tool install graphifyy`, then execute `graphify install` to register the skill and `graphify .` to build your first knowledge graph.**

Setting up Graphify on your local machine equips you with a self-contained knowledge graph generator for any codebase. This guide covers the complete installation process for the Graphify-Labs/graphify repository, from CLI setup to AI assistant integration.

## Prerequisites

Before installing Graphify, ensure your system meets these requirements:

- **Python 3.10 or newer** – Required for running the Tree-sitter AST parser and CLI tools
- **uv** (recommended) or **pipx** – Isolated environment managers that prevent dependency conflicts

Install the prerequisites using your platform's package manager:

```bash

# macOS (Homebrew)

brew install python@3.12 uv

# Windows (PowerShell)

winget install astral-sh.uv

# Ubuntu/Debian

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

```

## Install the Graphify CLI

Graphify distributes via PyPI under the package name **`graphifyy`** (note the double-y), though the CLI command remains `graphify`. According to the [`pyproject.toml`](https://github.com/Graphify-Labs/graphify/blob/main/pyproject.toml) in the Graphify-Labs/graphify repository, this naming distinction prevents conflicts with other packages while maintaining intuitive CLI usage.

Install using **uv** (recommended for isolated environments):

```bash
uv tool install graphifyy

```

Alternative installation methods:

```bash

# Using pipx

pipx install graphifyy

# Using pip (requires manual PATH configuration)

pip install graphifyy

```

### Fix PATH Issues

If your terminal cannot find the `graphify` command after installation, update your shell environment:

```bash

# For uv installations

uv tool update-shell

# For pipx installations

pipx ensurepath

```

Then restart your terminal session.

## Register the Skill with Your AI Assistant

Once the CLI is available, register Graphify as a skill for your AI coding assistant. This writes the skill definition to platform-specific directories (e.g., [`.claude/skills/graphify/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Graphify-Labs/graphify/blob/main/.claude/skills/graphify/SKILL.md) or [`.agents/skills/graphify/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Graphify-Labs/graphify/blob/main/.agents/skills/graphify/SKILL.md)).

**Global installation** (default: Claude Code):

```bash
graphify install

```

**Project-scoped installation** (writes under current repository):

```bash
graphify install --project

```

The [`AGENTS.md`](https://github.com/Graphify-Labs/graphify/blob/main/AGENTS.md) file in your repository root defines platform-specific registration formats for alternatives like Codex or OpenCode.

## Build Your First Knowledge Graph

With the skill registered, generate a knowledge graph for any codebase. Navigate to your project directory and run:

```bash
graphify .

```

This parses the repository locally using Tree-sitter ASTs—no data leaves your machine unless you enable optional semantic extraction features.

Graphify creates a `graphify-out/` directory containing three artifacts:

- **[`graphify-out/graph.html`](https://github.com/Graphify-Labs/graphify/blob/main/graphify-out/graph.html)** – Interactive visualization of the codebase structure
- **[`graphify-out/GRAPH_REPORT.md`](https://github.com/Graphify-Labs/graphify/blob/main/graphify-out/GRAPH_REPORT.md)** – High-level summary of dependencies and modules
- **[`graphify-out/graph.json`](https://github.com/Graphify-Labs/graphify/blob/main/graphify-out/graph.json)** – Machine-readable graph data for programmatic queries

## Optional Configuration

### Enable Auto-Rebuild on Commits

Install a Git hook to automatically regenerate the graph after every commit:

```bash
graphify hook install

```

This also registers a custom merge driver for [`graph.json`](https://github.com/Graphify-Labs/graphify/blob/main/graph.json) that uses union-merge to resolve conflicts automatically.

### Install Extras for Advanced Features

If you need PDF, Office document, video, or Neo4j support, install Graphify with specific extras. For example, to enable PDF text extraction:

```bash
uv tool install "graphifyy[pdf]"

```

Available extras are defined in the repository's [`pyproject.toml`](https://github.com/Graphify-Labs/graphify/blob/main/pyproject.toml) under `[project.optional-dependencies]`.

## Verify the Installation

Confirm your local Graphify setup works by querying a specific node from your generated graph:

```bash
graphify query "APIRouter"

```

You should see a structured report detailing the `APIRouter` node's connections and metadata, confirming that the [`graph.json`](https://github.com/Graphify-Labs/graphify/blob/main/graph.json) index is accessible and properly formatted.

## Summary

Setting up Graphify locally requires these key steps:

- Install **Python 3.10+** and **uv** (or pipx) as your environment manager
- Install the **`graphifyy`** package using `uv tool install graphifyy`
- Fix PATH issues with `uv tool update-shell` if the command is not found
- Register the skill globally or per-project using `graphify install`
- Generate graphs locally with `graphify .` which populates `graphify-out/` with HTML, Markdown, and JSON artifacts
- Optional: Configure Git hooks with `graphify hook install` for automatic rebuilds

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Why is the PyPI package named "graphifyy" instead of "graphify"?

The package name includes a double-y to avoid conflicts with existing packages on PyPI, while the CLI command installed to your PATH remains `graphify` for intuitive usage. This distinction is documented in the repository's [`README.md`](https://github.com/Graphify-Labs/graphify/blob/main/README.md) under the installation section.

### Can I install Graphify using standard pip?

Yes, `pip install graphifyy` works, but you must manually ensure the `graphify` binary is in your system PATH. The `uv` and `pipx` methods are recommended because they handle environment isolation and PATH configuration automatically.

### Does Graphify require an internet connection to work?

No. The core functionality runs entirely offline using local Tree-sitter AST parsing. Only optional features—such as semantic extraction from PDFs or media files—may call external LLM backends if you enable those specific extras.

### What should I do if "graphify" command is not found after installation?

Run the appropriate PATH update command for your installation method: `uv tool update-shell` for uv installations or `pipx ensurepath` for pipx installations. Then restart your terminal. If issues persist, check that your Python scripts/bin directory is included in your system PATH environment variable.