---
name: bm-scan
description: Build or refresh the basemind index by running `basemind scan` via the CLI — works without the MCP server (use it when basemind reports "no index" / "no indexed files").
argument-hint: [path]
---
# bm-scan — build or refresh the basemind index
Run `basemind scan` via the CLI so the code map exists and is current.
## When to use
basemind (or its statusline) reports "no index" / "no indexed files", an MCP tool returns empty
results that shouldn't be empty, or the index is stale after large changes.
## How to use
```sh
basemind scan ${ARGUMENTS:-}
```
- No argument → full working-tree scan.
- A path argument (`/bm-scan src/mcp`) → scope the scan to that path (incremental).
- If `basemind` isn't on `PATH`: use the plugin-managed cache
(`${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-~/.cache}/basemind/bin/<version>/basemind`), or build a dev binary with
`cargo build --release` and use `./target/release/basemind`.
## Notes
- Report files scanned / updated / skipped and elapsed time. Non-extractable files are
**skipped**, not failures.
- If a `basemind serve` MCP server already holds the store lock for this repo, `scan` errors on
the lock — use the `rescan` MCP tool instead, or stop the server first.
## See also
The `basemind-scan` skill for the full workflow, binary-resolution order, and `extra_roots`
config for indexing directories outside the repo.