Constellation troubleshooting
Skill ShiftinBits/constellation-claude/skills/constellation-troubleshooting
Codebase Understanding for Claude Code
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This skill should be used when the user asks about "Constellation errors", "fix Constellation", "debug Constellation", "Constellation not working", "API connection issues", "indexing problems", "MCP server", "Failed to reconnect", mentions any Constellation error codes (AUTH_ERROR, PROJECT_NOT_INDEXED, etc.), or when Constellation commands fail.
SKILL.md
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Constellation Troubleshooting
Quick diagnostic procedures for Constellation plugin issues.
Quick Diagnosis Flowchart
Issue Reported
|
v
Can mcp__constellation__code_intel be called?
| |
YES NO
| |
v v
API Error MCP Server Issue
(has code) (see MCP Diagnosis)
|
v
Check error.code:
- AUTH_ERROR --> Authentication section
- PROJECT_NOT_INDEXED --> Indexing section
- SYMBOL_NOT_FOUND --> Query Issues section
- API_UNREACHABLE --> Connectivity section
MCP Server Issues
Symptom: "Failed to reconnect to plugin:constellation:constellation" or tool calls fail entirely.
Cause: The MCP server isn't starting or is crashing.
Quick Fixes:
-
Restart Claude Code - MCP connections initialize at startup
-
Verify MCP configuration:
Note, the tool is built into the constellation plugin, but should accurately reflect the following:
{ "mcpServers": { "constellation": { "type": "stdio", "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "@constellationdev/mcp@latest"], "env": { "CONSTELLATION_ACCESS_KEY": "${CONSTELLATION_ACCESS_KEY}" } } } }
Authentication Issues (AUTH_ERROR)
Symptom: "Authentication failed" or "Invalid API key"
Quick Fixes:
-
Configure credentials:
npx @constellationdev/cli auth -
Check if access key is properly set:
In the event of
AUTH_ERRORfailures the MCP server provides details in theerror.guidance[0]value of the response object, indicating the current state of theCONSTELLATION_ACCESS_KEYenvironment variable. -
If key is expired: Regenerate in Constellation web UI under Settings > API Keys
Indexing Issues (PROJECT_NOT_INDEXED)
Symptom: "Project not indexed" or empty results
Quick Fixes:
-
Index the project:
cd /path/to/your/project constellation index --full -
Force reindex if stale:
constellation index --full --force
Connectivity Issues (API_UNREACHABLE)
Symptom: Timeout or connection refused
Quick Fixes:
-
Check network connectivity
-
Check Constellation status at https://status.constellationdev.io/
Query Issues (SYMBOL_NOT_FOUND, FILE_NOT_FOUND)
These are typically not errors - the item simply wasn't found in the index.
Troubleshooting:
- Try partial/broader search terms
- Check spelling and case sensitivity
- Verify the file extension is in configured languages
- Re-index if the file was recently added
Diagnostic Command
Run /constellation:diagnose for a quick health check that tests:
- MCP server connectivity
- API authentication
- Project indexing status
See references/error-codes.md for complete error code documentation.