Context7 Documentation Lookup

Retrieves current, version-specific documentation for third-party libraries directly from official sources.

When to Use

ALWAYS invoke before writing code for external libraries when:

• Implementing unfamiliar library APIs
• Debugging errors from external packages (stack traces, “method not found”)
• Checking version-specific syntax or breaking changes
• Verifying deprecated/removed APIs
• Encountering unfamiliar import/require statements

Protocol

Step 1: Search for Library ID

scripts/context7.sh search "<library>" "<intent>"

Example:

scripts/context7.sh search "tanstack-query" "optimistic updates"

Output: Library IDs like /tanstack/query, /vercel/next.js

Disambiguation: If multiple similar results appear, ask user which library they meant.

Step 2: Fetch Documentation

scripts/context7.sh docs "<library-id>" "<specific-question>"

Examples:

scripts/context7.sh docs "/vercel/next.js" "middleware redirect authentication"
scripts/context7.sh docs "/tanstack/query" "useMutation optimistic update pattern v5"

Step 3: Apply Context

Uses returned documentation to generate accurate, version-correct code.

Critical Rules

1. Specific queries win – “useState hook array destructuring” beats “react hooks”
2. Include version – Append version to query if user mentions one
3. No guessing – If search returns nothing, ask user before proceeding
4. Only run context7.sh – Do not run other bash commands with this skill

Resources

See reference/troubleshooting.md for error handling, configuration, and common issues.