Ask Next
Query live Next.js docs through Vercel’s RAG API before coding routing, caching, Server Actions, or other framework features.
Overview
Ask-next is an agent skill most often used in Build (also Ship, Launch) that queries Vercel’s Next.js documentation RAG API for accurate, up-to-date framework guidance on a topic.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/vercel-labs/next-docs-agentic-rag --skill ask-nextWhat is this skill?
- POSTs to next-docs-agentic-rag.labs.vercel.dev/api/rag with a topic argument
- Explicit trigger: use before implementing any Next.js feature
- User-invocable with disable-model-invocation; allowed-tools includes Bash for curl
- Returns summaries with cited Next.js doc file paths from retrieved chunks
- Argument-hint examples: cache components, routing, server actions
Adoption & trust: 29 installs on skills.sh; 9 GitHub stars; 1/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You are about to implement a Next.js feature but cannot trust whether your model’s training data matches the latest App Router and caching docs.
Who is it for?
Solo builders using allowed Bash who want a quick doc lookup on cache components, routing, or server actions before writing code.
Skip if: Offline-only agents without network, non-Next frameworks, or cases where you already have the exact doc page pinned and validated.
When should I use this skill?
Before implementing any Next.js feature; pass a topic such as cache components, routing, or server actions.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You receive a concise, citation-oriented summary from the official Next.js doc index so implementation matches current framework behavior.
- Concise Next.js doc summary for the queried topic
- Referenced doc file paths from retrieved content
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Accurate framework docs are pulled at implementation time in Build, but the same lookup prevents wrong patterns during Ship refactors and Launch SEO-related routing changes. Next.js feature work—App Router, server components, caching—clusters on the frontend/backend boundary; this skill front-loads official answers there.
Where it fits
Look up cache components behavior before refactoring a client boundary in a dashboard page.
Confirm Server Actions constraints before wiring a form POST in a solo SaaS admin tool.
Double-check official migration notes when upgrading Next.js mid-release candidate.
Retrieve metadata and routing doc guidance before shipping localized marketing routes.
How it compares
Live Next.js doc RAG via curl—not static SKILL.md prose or generic web search.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is ask-next for?
Indie developers and agent users on Next.js who need authoritative doc retrieval before implementing framework features.
When should I use ask-next?
In Build (frontend/backend) before coding unfamiliar APIs; in Ship (review) when validating a migration approach; in Launch (seo) when doc-backed routing or metadata behavior affects discoverability.
Is ask-next safe to install?
It executes curl against a Vercel labs host—review outbound network policy and the Security Audits panel on this Prism page.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Ask Next
Query the Next.js documentation RAG API for the topic: $ARGUMENTS Steps: 1. Call the RAG API: ```bash curl -s -X POST "https://next-docs-agentic-rag.labs.vercel.dev/api/rag" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d "$(jq -n --arg q "$ARGUMENTS" '{query: $q}')" ``` 2. Read the returned documentation carefully. 3. Present a concise summary of the relevant Next.js documentation, citing specific doc file paths where applicable.