Context7 Documentation Lookup Skill

Fetch current library documentation, API references, and code examples without MCP context overhead.

When to Use

Activate when:

• User asks about library APIs or framework patterns
• Import statements suggest documentation needs: import, require, from
• Questions about specific library versions or migration
• Need for official documentation patterns vs generic solutions
• "How do I use X library?", "What's the API for Y?"

Workflow

Step 1: Search for Library ID

Always search first to get the correct library ID:

scripts/context7.sh search "library-name"

Example output shows library IDs you can use:

ID: /facebook/react
Name: React
Snippets: 2135 | Score: 79.4

Step 2: Fetch Documentation

scripts/context7.sh docs "<library-id>" "[topic]" "[mode]"

Parameters:

• library-id: From search results (e.g., /facebook/react)
• topic: Optional focus area (e.g., hooks, routing)
• mode: code (default) for API/examples, info for guides

Examples:

# Get React hooks documentation
scripts/context7.sh docs "/facebook/react" "hooks"

# Get Next.js routing docs
scripts/context7.sh docs "/vercel/next.js" "routing"

# Get conceptual guide (info mode)
scripts/context7.sh docs "/vercel/next.js" "app router" info

Step 3: Apply to User's Question

Use the returned documentation to:

1. Provide accurate, version-specific answers
2. Show official code patterns and examples
3. Reference correct API signatures
4. Include relevant caveats or deprecations

Script Reference

Command	Purpose	Example
search	Find library ID	scripts/context7.sh search "prisma"
docs	Fetch documentation	scripts/context7.sh docs "/prisma/prisma" "queries"

Documentation Modes

Mode	Use For
code	API references, code examples, function signatures (default)
info	Conceptual guides, tutorials, architecture docs

Example Workflow

# User asks: "How do I use React hooks?"

# Step 1: Search for React
scripts/context7.sh search "react"
# Output shows: ID: /facebook/react

# Step 2: Fetch hooks docs
scripts/context7.sh docs "/facebook/react" "hooks"

# Step 3: Use the returned documentation to answer

Error Handling

If the script fails:

1. Verify jq and curl are installed
2. Check the library ID format (/org/project)
3. Try a broader topic or no topic filter
4. Try info mode if code returns nothing
5. Check network connectivity

Notes

• No MCP overhead: Uses REST API directly, no tool schemas in context
• API key optional: Works without key, but rate-limited
• Topic filtering: Use specific topics for focused results
• Search first: Always search to find the correct library ID
• Caching: Results are not cached; each call fetches fresh data

---

Contributing: Improvements to this skill should be submitted to the source repository: https://github.com/netresearch/context7-skill