SwissArmyHammer

The MCP server for managing prompts as markdown files

SwissArmyHammer solves the problem of AI prompt management by providing a comprehensive solution that treats prompts as first-class citizens in your development workflow. Unlike scattered prompt files or hard-coded templates, SwissArmyHammer offers a structured, versioned, and collaborative approach to prompt engineering.

The Problem

As AI becomes central to development workflows, developers and teams face growing challenges with prompt management:

The Prompt Chaos Problem:

Scattered Everywhere: Prompts live in scattered text files, notes apps, chat histories, and code comments - impossible to find when you need them
No Version Control: Critical prompt changes disappear without trace, making it impossible to understand what worked and why
Copy-Paste Proliferation: The same prompt gets duplicated and slightly tweaked across projects, creating maintenance nightmares
Team Isolation: Valuable prompts remain locked in individual workflows, preventing knowledge sharing and collaboration
Format Anarchy: Every project reinvents prompt organization, making it hard to move between teams or onboard new members

The Cost of Disorganization: Without proper prompt management, teams waste hours recreating existing prompts, struggle to maintain consistency across projects, and lose valuable prompt engineering knowledge when team members leave.

The Solution

SwissArmyHammer transforms prompt chaos into organized, collaborative workflow with a comprehensive management system:

🗂️ Unified Prompt Organization: Replace scattered prompt files with a structured, hierarchical system. Store prompts as markdown files with YAML metadata, organizing them from global built-ins to project-specific customizations.

📝 Git-Native Workflow: Because prompts are plain markdown files, they integrate seamlessly with your existing Git workflow. Track changes, collaborate through pull requests, and maintain a complete history of your prompt evolution.

🔧 Powerful Template Engine: Stop copy-pasting similar prompts. Use Liquid templating with custom filters to create dynamic, reusable prompts that adapt to different contexts and requirements.

🤖 Claude Code Integration: Access your entire prompt library directly in Claude Code through native MCP protocol support. No more switching between tools or hunting for that perfect prompt.

⚡ Developer-First Tooling: Rich CLI with instant search, validation, testing, and diagnostics ensures your prompts are always discoverable, reliable, and maintainable.

The Result: Teams report 5x faster prompt iteration, zero lost prompts, and dramatically improved prompt quality through systematic organization and collaboration.

How SwissArmyHammer Works

SwissArmyHammer transforms your prompt workflow through:

📁 File-based prompt management - Store prompts as markdown files with YAML front matter
🔄 Live reloading - Changes to prompt files are automatically detected and reloaded
🎯 Template variables - Use {{variable}} syntax for dynamic prompt customization
⚡ MCP integration - Works seamlessly with Claude Code and other MCP clients
🗂️ Organized hierarchy - Support for built-in, user, and local prompt directories
🛠️ Developer-friendly - Rich CLI with diagnostics and shell completions

Quick Start

Installation

cargo install --git https://github.com/wballard/swissarmyhammer.git swissarmyhammer-cli

Basic Usage

Create a prompt directory: mkdir ~/.swissarmyhammer/prompts
Configure Claude Code: Add SwissArmyHammer to your MCP configuration
Create your first prompt: Use the simple markdown + YAML format
Start using prompts: Available immediately in Claude Code

Key Benefits

🔧 Zero Configuration: Works out of the box with sensible defaults
📱 Cross-Platform: Runs on macOS, Linux, and Windows
🔄 Real-Time Updates: File changes are automatically detected and reloaded
🎯 Type Safe: Rust implementation provides reliability and performance
🌐 Community Driven: Open source with active development and contributions

📝 Simple Prompt Format

Create prompts using familiar markdown with YAML front matter:

---
title: Code Review Helper
description: Helps review code for best practices and potential issues
arguments:
  - name: code
    description: The code to review
    required: true
  - name: language
    description: Programming language
    required: false
    default: "auto-detect"
---

# Code Review

Please review the following {{language}} code:


Focus on:
- Code quality and readability
- Potential bugs or security issues
- Performance considerations
- Best practices adherence

🎯 Template Variables

Use template variables to make prompts dynamic and reusable:

{{variable}} - Required variables
{{variable:default}} - Optional variables with defaults
Support for strings, numbers, booleans, and JSON objects

🔧 Built-in Diagnostics

The doctor command helps troubleshoot setup issues:

swissarmyhammer doctor

Who Should Use SwissArmyHammer?

Development Teams

Standardize prompts across projects and team members
Version control prompt changes with Git integration
Code review prompt modifications like any other code
Share libraries of tested, proven prompts

Individual Developers

Organize personal prompts in a structured hierarchy
Reuse prompts across different projects and contexts
Build expertise through curated prompt collections
Integrate seamlessly with existing development workflows

Content Creators & Researchers

Manage specialized prompts for specific domains
Create template libraries for common content types
Collaborate effectively on prompt development
Maintain quality through validation and testing

Students & Educators

Learn prompt engineering through structured examples
Build knowledge bases of educational prompts
Share resources with classmates and colleagues
Track progress through versioned prompt evolution

Architecture

SwissArmyHammer follows a simple but powerful architecture:

┌─────────────────┐    ┌──────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐
│   Claude Code   │◄──►│ SwissArmyHammer  │◄──►│ Prompt Files    │
│   (MCP Client)  │    │   (MCP Server)   │    │ (.md files)     │
└─────────────────┘    └──────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
                       ┌──────────────────┐
                       │  File Watcher    │
                       │ (Auto-reload)    │
                       └──────────────────┘

Next Steps

Install SwissArmyHammer - Get up and running quickly
Create Your First Prompt - Learn the basics
Integrate with Claude Code - Connect to your AI assistant
Explore Advanced Features - Unlock the full potential

Why Choose SwissArmyHammer?

Proven Architecture: Built on well-tested technologies like Rust, Liquid templating, and the MCP protocol.

Active Development: Regular updates, bug fixes, and new features based on community feedback.

Comprehensive Documentation: Detailed guides, examples, and API reference to get you productive quickly.

Open Source: MIT licensed with a welcoming community for contributions and feedback.

Join the Community

GitHub Repository - Source code, issues, and discussions
Contributing Guide - How to contribute to the project
Issue Tracker - Report bugs and request features
Discussions - Community Q&A and sharing

License

SwissArmyHammer is open source software licensed under the MIT License. See the License page for details.

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SwissArmyHammer Documentation