5 MCP Servers Before Writing Code: The Pre-Coding Routine

Running five MCP servers before writing any code gives your AI coding assistant persistent memory, codebase awareness, live web data, language intelligence, and safety guardrails. Developers report saving hundreds of hours per quarter by front-loading this context layer instead of re-explaining their codebase every session.

The five-server stack

Server 1: Memory MCP. Stores conversation history, decisions, and project context in a persistent graph or key-value store. Your assistant remembers past sessions without re-reading files. Server 2: Codebase graph. Indexes your repo into an AST or call-graph so the assistant can navigate symbols, find usages, and understand architecture without grep. Server 3: Web search MCP. Gives your assistant live access to documentation, Stack Overflow answers, API changelogs, and pricing data. Server 4: LSP (Language Server Protocol). Provides type checking, go-to- definition, and diagnostics so the assistant writes code that actually compiles. Server 5: Guard hooks. Pre-commit validation, secret scanning, and output filtering to catch mistakes before they hit your repo.

Why web search MCP matters most for accuracy

Without web search, your assistant hallucinates library versions, deprecated API signatures, and wrong pricing. With it, the assistant can verify facts in real time. A single search call before generating code that depends on an external API saves a full debug cycle. The cost is $0.005 per query on Scavio, which is negligible compared to the time cost of debugging hallucinated code.

The .mcp.json config

Here is a working .mcp.json that configures all five servers. Drop this in your project root and your MCP-compatible editor (Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf) picks it up automatically.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "memory": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic/memory-mcp"],
      "env": { "MEMORY_DIR": "./.memory" }
    },
    "codebase": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic/codebase-graph-mcp"],
      "env": { "REPO_ROOT": "." }
    },
    "search": {
      "type": "sse",
      "url": "https://mcp.scavio.dev/mcp",
      "headers": { "x-api-key": "YOUR_SCAVIO_KEY" }
    },
    "lsp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic/lsp-mcp"],
      "env": { "LSP_LANGUAGES": "python,typescript" }
    },
    "guard": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic/guard-hooks-mcp"],
      "env": { "BLOCK_SECRETS": "true" }
    }
  }
}

How the servers interact during a session

When you ask your assistant to add a feature, the flow is: memory MCP recalls prior decisions about architecture. Codebase graph finds the relevant modules and their dependencies. Web search verifies the latest API docs and package versions. LSP validates the generated code compiles. Guard hooks scan for leaked secrets or unsafe patterns before commit. Each server handles one concern. Together they eliminate the most common failure modes: forgotten context, wrong APIs, broken types, and leaked credentials.

Search server in action

The Scavio MCP server exposes a search tool that your assistant calls mid-conversation. No code changes needed: the assistant decides when to search based on its uncertainty. Example: asked to integrate Stripe, it searches for the current Stripe API version and pricing endpoint schema before writing the integration code.

# What happens under the hood when Claude calls the search tool
import requests, os

resp = requests.post('https://api.scavio.dev/api/v1/search',
    headers={'x-api-key': os.environ['SCAVIO_API_KEY']},
    json={'query': 'stripe api v2026 payment intent create',
          'platform': 'google'})

results = resp.json().get('organic_results', [])
# Assistant reads these results and generates accurate integration code

Cost of the full stack

Memory, codebase graph, LSP, and guard hooks are all local and free. The only paid component is web search. At Scavio Free tier (250 credits/month), a solo developer gets 250 verified searches per month at zero cost. The Starter plan at $30/month covers 7,000 searches, more than enough for a team of five. The ROI is straightforward: one prevented hallucination debug session pays for a month of search credits.

Getting started

Copy the .mcp.json above into your project root. Get a Scavio API key from scavio.dev. Start your editor. The five servers boot automatically. Your first session with full context will feel like working with a junior developer who actually read the docs, remembers yesterday, and checks their work.