Context7

Context7

Overview

Context7 is a service that provides LLMs with the latest library documentation. It prevents hallucinations from outdated training data or non-existent APIs, enabling retrieval of version-specific accurate documentation and code examples.

When to Use

Use this skill in the following cases:

1. Explicit instruction: When the user instructs "use context7" or "check the latest documentation" 2. Library usage questions: When asked about how to use a specific library's API, hooks, or functions 3. Code example requests: When asked for code examples using a specific library 4. Version-specific information: When library information for a specific version is needed 5. Uncertain API information: When your knowledge might be outdated and latest information verification is needed

Workflow

Step 1: Resolve Library ID

First, obtain the Context7 ID for the target library.

API call:

curl "https://context7.com/api/v2/libs/search?libraryName=LIBRARY_NAME&query=CONTEXT_QUERY" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CONTEXT7_API_KEY"

Example:

# Search for React library
curl "https://context7.com/api/v2/libs/search?libraryName=react&query=hooks" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CONTEXT7_API_KEY"

Criteria for selecting from response:

• trustScore: Trust score (higher is better)
• totalSnippets: Number of available documents (more means richer information)
• versions: Verify that the required version is included

Step 2: Retrieve Documentation

Use the resolved library ID to retrieve specific documentation.

API call:

curl "https://context7.com/api/v2/context?libraryId=LIBRARY_ID&query=SPECIFIC_QUERY" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CONTEXT7_API_KEY"

Example:

# Retrieve information about React's useEffect
curl "https://context7.com/api/v2/context?libraryId=/facebook/react&query=useEffect cleanup function" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CONTEXT7_API_KEY"

Query best practices:

• Use specific queries ("useEffect cleanup function" rather than "hooks")
• Be clear about the purpose ("authentication middleware", "form validation", etc.)

Step 3: Respond to User

Respond to the user's question based on the retrieved documentation.

Information to include in the response:

• Retrieved code examples
• API explanations
• Documentation source URLs (for reference)

Examples

Example 1: React Hook Usage

User: "How do I write a cleanup function with React's useEffect?"

Execution steps: 1. Library search: libraryName=react, query=useEffect cleanup 2. Documentation retrieval: libraryId=/facebook/react, query=useEffect cleanup function 3. Respond with the latest code examples and best practices

Example 2: Next.js Routing

User: "Use context7 to show me how to implement authentication middleware with Next.js App Router"

Execution steps: 1. Library search: libraryName=next.js, query=middleware authentication 2. Documentation retrieval: libraryId=/vercel/next.js, query=middleware authentication route protection 3. Respond with the latest App Router compatible middleware implementation

Example 3: Multiple Libraries Combination

User: "How to create a button component using TailwindCSS and shadcn/ui"

Execution steps: 1. Resolve IDs for each library 2. Retrieve documentation for both 3. Respond with a combined implementation example

Error Handling

Resources

For detailed API specifications, see references/api_reference.md.

• Endpoint details
• Response field descriptions
• Rate limit information
• Error code list

Context7 API Reference

Overview

Context7 is a service that provides LLMs with the latest library documentation. It solves the problem of outdated training data and non-existent APIs (hallucinations).

API Endpoints

Base URL

https://context7.com/api/v2

Authentication

Authorization: Bearer CONTEXT7_API_KEY

The API key starts with the ctx7sk- prefix.

---

1. Library Search API

Endpoint

GET /libs/search

Query Parameters

Response

{
  "libraries": [
    {
      "id": "/facebook/react",
      "name": "React",
      "description": "A JavaScript library for building user interfaces",
      "totalSnippets": 1250,
      "trustScore": 9.5,
      "benchmarkScore": 95,
      "versions": ["18.2.0", "18.3.0", "19.0.0"]
    }
  ]
}

Response Fields

Example

curl "https://context7.com/api/v2/libs/search?libraryName=react&query=hooks" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ctx7sk-xxx"

---

2. Documentation Retrieval API

Endpoint

GET /context

Query Parameters

Response

{
  "documentation": [
    {
      "title": "useEffect Hook",
      "content": "# useEffect\n\nThe `useEffect` Hook lets you synchronize a component with an external system...",
      "source": "https://react.dev/reference/react/useEffect"
    }
  ]
}

Response Fields

Example

curl "https://context7.com/api/v2/context?libraryId=/facebook/react&query=useEffect" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ctx7sk-xxx"

---

Rate Limits

Error Codes

Best Practices

1. Always resolve library ID before use: Don't guess library IDs directly; first obtain the accurate ID through the search API 2. Use specific queries: Specific queries like "useEffect cleanup function" are more effective than "hooks" 3. Error handling: When receiving 404, try searching with a different library name