/context7

Look up current library documentation using Context7 API.

Context7 provides up-to-date documentation and code examples for programming libraries. Prefer the Context7 MCP tools (mcp__context7__*) when available — they're simpler. Use this skill as a fallback when the MCP is unavailable or for scripted/batch lookups.

Quick Reference

Usage

1. Find a Library ID

First, search for the library to get its Context7 ID:

./scripts/resolve-library.sh react

Output example:

## Library Search Results
 
| Name | ID | Snippets | Score |
|------|-----|----------|-------|
| React | /facebook/react | 1250 | 95 |
| React Native | /facebook/react-native | 890 | 92 |

2. Query Documentation

Then use the library ID to query specific documentation:

./scripts/query-docs.sh /vercel/next.js 'how to use app router'

Output: Markdown-formatted documentation snippets with code examples.

Authentication

The scripts automatically get the API key from:

1. Environment variable CONTEXT7_API_KEY (if set)
2. 1Password - item context7 in vault development, field API_KEY

1Password Setup (Recommended)

The key is already stored in 1Password. No setup needed if you have op CLI authenticated.

Manual Setup

If not using 1Password, set the environment variable:

export CONTEXT7_API_KEY="ctx7sk_your_key_here"

Get a key from context7.com → API settings.

Disabling Context7 MCP (Optional)

If you want to use only this skill and reduce MCP overhead:

In Claude Code

Edit your MCP config (~/.config/claude-code/mcp.json or mcp_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "context7": {
      "disabled": true
    }
  }
}

Or remove the entry entirely.

In Claude Desktop

Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) and remove or disable the context7 server.

Workflows

• lookup.md - Step-by-step library documentation lookup

API Reference

This skill calls the Context7 REST API:

• Base URL: https://context7.com/api
• Search endpoint: GET /v2/libs/search?query=...&libraryName=...
• Docs endpoint: GET /v2/context?query=...&libraryId=...&type=txt
• Auth: Bearer token header

Large File Processing

When Context7 returns large documentation blocks (>100 lines), avoid reading them directly into Opus context. Instead use:

# Summarize large docs with external model
scripts/summarize-file.sh <file> "<what you need>" [gemini|cursor|kiro|haiku]

Or delegate to a subagent that writes a summary to a scratchpad file.

See Also

• Context7 Documentation
• writing-skills - Create new golem-powers skills