Find Docs

Documentation Lookup

Retrieve current documentation and code examples from Context7.

Activation

Use this skill when the user says or means any of the following:

• "use find-docs"
• "use Context7 docs skill"
• "use Context7"
• "use context7"
• "context 7"
• "ctx7"
• "contact 7" (common ASR/typo variant)
• "context seven"
• "look up Context7"
• "use docs skill"
• "find docs for "
• asks for documentation, API references, SDK usage, CLI help, or code examples for a library, framework, SDK, CLI tool, or cloud service

Prerequisites

• Node.js/npm access for npx
• network access
• Context7 CLI availability through npx ctx7@latest

Make sure the CLI is up to date before running commands:

npx ctx7@latest <command>

Workflow

Use a two-step process: resolve the library name to an ID, then query docs with that ID.

# Step 1: Resolve library ID
npx ctx7@latest library <name> <query>

# Step 2: Query documentation
npx ctx7@latest docs <libraryId> <query>

If the user already provides a library ID in the format /org/project or /org/project/version, skip Step 1.

If the query is ambiguous, ask for clarification before guessing.

If multiple good matches exist, mention the ambiguity briefly and proceed with the most relevant one.

Step 1: Resolve a Library

Resolve a package or product name to a Context7-compatible library ID and return matching libraries.

npx ctx7@latest library react "How to clean up useEffect with async operations"
npx ctx7@latest library nextjs "How to set up app router with middleware"
npx ctx7@latest library prisma "How to define one-to-many relations with cascade delete"

Always pass a query argument. It is required and directly affects result ranking. Use the user's intent to form the query so the search can disambiguate libraries with similar names.

Result fields

Each result includes:

• Library ID — Context7-compatible identifier in the format /org/project
• Name — Library or package name
• Description — Short summary
• Code Snippets — Number of available code examples
• Source Reputation — Authority indicator (High, Medium, Low, or Unknown)
• Benchmark Score — Quality indicator (100 is the highest score)
• Versions — Available versions. Use a version-specific ID if the user requests a version

Selection process

1. Analyse the query to understand what library or package the user wants.
2. Select the most relevant match based on:
   • Name similarity to the query (exact matches first)
   • Description relevance to the query's intent
   • Documentation coverage (prefer higher code snippet counts)
   • Source reputation (prefer High or Medium)
   • Benchmark score (higher is better)
3. If the user asks for a specific version, use the closest matching version-specific ID.
4. If no good matches exist, say so and suggest a better query.

Do not include sensitive or confidential information such as API keys, passwords, credentials, personal data, or proprietary code in the query.

Step 2: Query Documentation

Query the resolved library ID for current documentation and examples.

npx ctx7@latest docs /facebook/react "How to clean up useEffect with async operations"
npx ctx7@latest docs /vercel/next.js "How to add authentication middleware to app router"
npx ctx7@latest docs /prisma/prisma "How to define one-to-many relations with cascade delete"

Writing good queries

Use the user's full question as the query when possible. Prefer a specific query over a single keyword.

The output contains two types of content: code snippets (titled, with language-tagged blocks) and info snippets (prose explanations with breadcrumb context).

Optional Authentication

Context7 works without authentication. Use authentication only for higher rate limits:

# Option A: environment variable
export CONTEXT7_API_KEY=your_key

# Option B: OAuth login
npx ctx7@latest login

Error Handling

If a command fails with a quota error (Monthly quota reached or quota exceeded):

1. Inform the user that their Context7 quota is exhausted.
2. Suggest npx ctx7@latest login for higher limits.
3. If they cannot or choose not to authenticate, answer from training knowledge and note that it may be outdated.

If the ctx7 command is missing or stale, run the command through npx ctx7@latest.

If no library matches, refine the query with a product name, vendor, framework, or version.

Never silently fall back to training data without explaining why Context7 was not used.

Common Mistakes

• Library IDs require a / prefix — /facebook/react not facebook/react
• Use descriptive queries, not single words — "React useEffect cleanup function" not "hooks"
• Use the closest available version if the exact version is not indexed
• Keep queries free of secrets and other sensitive data