Context7 MCP: Up-to-Date Docs for AI Assistants

Have you encountered these issues when using AI coding assistants?

Outdated APIs: AI generates code using deprecated methods
Non-existent functions: AI “hallucinates” APIs that don’t exist
Version mismatches: Example code is for older versions and won’t run on current releases
Constant doc switching: Repeatedly switching between editor and browser

Context7 MCP was created to solve these pain points. It’s a Model Context Protocol server developed by Upstash that provides version-specific official documentation in real-time, injected directly into AI prompts.

Updated October 21, 2026: Setup now runs through npx ctx7 setup --claude or the Context7 plugin; the second MCP tool is query-docs (formerly get-library-docs); the hosted endpoint is https://mcp.context7.com/mcp; and the Free and Pro quotas have changed. Commands and quotas below are checked against Context7’s official docs and the Claude Code MCP reference.

What is Context7 MCP?

Context7 is an MCP server that provides real-time, accurate, version-specific code documentation for LLMs and AI coding assistants.

Core Features

Real-Time Documentation Access 📚
- Pulls latest docs directly from official sources
- Ensures AI always uses the most current information
Version-Specific Precision 🎯
- Mention the version in your prompt (“Next.js 16”) and Context7 matches it, or pass a versioned library ID such as /vercel/next.js/v16.2.9
- Avoids code errors from version mismatches
Zero-Switch Workflow ⚡
- Documentation injected directly into prompts, no browser jumping
- Boosts productivity and maintains focus
Broad Compatibility 🔌
- Works with any MCP-compatible client
- Context7 publishes setup guides for Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot CLI, Cursor, OpenCode, Pi and VS Code, plus manual configuration for 30+ other MCP clients

How It Works

The Context7 MCP server exposes exactly two tools, and clients list them under these names:

1. `resolve-library-id`

Resolves a general library name into a Context7-compatible library ID.

Parameter	Type	Description
`libraryName`	string, required	Library name with its official punctuation — `Next.js`, not `nextjs`
`query`	string, required	What you want to do with the library, e.g. `set up middleware`

The tool returns matching libraries with their ID, title, description, code-snippet count, source reputation, benchmark score, and available versions.

2. `query-docs`

Fetches documentation for a library using a Context7-compatible library ID.

Parameter	Type	Description
`libraryId`	string, required	Exact library ID, e.g. `/vercel/next.js` or `/vercel/next.js/v16.2.9`
`query`	string, required	What to look up, scoped to a single concept
`language`	string, optional	The language you write in, e.g. `Python` — code examples in it rank first

Call resolve-library-id before query-docs unless you already know the ID in /owner/repo form.

This tool was named get-library-docs in earlier releases. It is query-docs today, and it has no maxTokens parameter — scope the result with a precise query instead.

Installation & Setup

Method 1: `ctx7 setup` (Recommended)

Context7 ships its own CLI, which requires Node.js 22.13 or newer:

npx ctx7 setup --claude

The flow authenticates with the OAuth device flow — it prints a verification link and a short code you open on any device, so it works the same locally, over SSH, or on a headless host — then generates an API key and installs the matching skill. It offers two modes:

MCP server — registers the Context7 MCP server so Claude Code can call resolve-library-id and query-docs natively
CLI + Skills — installs a docs skill that drives the ctx7 library and ctx7 docs commands, with no MCP server at all

Add --project to configure the current project instead of your user-level configuration, and remove everything later with npx ctx7 remove.

Method 2: The Context7 Plugin

The plugin connects Claude Code to the hosted MCP server with no local Node.js, npm or npx required:

/plugin marketplace add upstash/context7
/plugin install context7@context7-marketplace

Restart Claude Code, run /mcp, select Context7, and complete the browser sign-in. No API key is required. Note that the plugin does not read CONTEXT7_API_KEY — on a headless, SSH or CI host, use npx ctx7 setup --claude or add the server manually instead.

Method 3: Manual `claude mcp add`

Context7’s official Claude Code instructions give two forms. The remote form is the one to prefer:

# Remote server (hosted, recommended)
claude mcp add --scope user \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  --transport http context7 https://mcp.context7.com/mcp

# Local stdio server
claude mcp add --scope user context7 \
  -- npx -y @upstash/context7-mcp --api-key YOUR_API_KEY

Claude Code has three MCP scopes — local (the default, this project only, private), project (written to .mcp.json and shared through version control), and user (all your projects, private). There is no global scope. A project-scoped server lands in .mcp.json at the repository root; local and user servers live in ~/.claude.json.

Verify the result with claude mcp get context7, which reports the connection status, or claude mcp list, which health-checks every approved server.

Get Your API Key

Visit context7.com/dashboard
Sign up and create an API Key
Pass it as the Authorization: Bearer <key> header (remote) or --api-key (stdio). ctx7 setup and the plugin handle this for you

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Query Latest Next.js App Router Usage

You: "How do I set up a Next.js 16 proxy? use context7"

Context7 runs:
1. resolve-library-id(libraryName: "Next.js", query: "set up a proxy")
   → /vercel/next.js (plus the versioned IDs it has indexed)
2. query-docs(libraryId: "/vercel/next.js", query: "set up a proxy")
   → Current proxy documentation and code examples

Claude answers from the documentation it just fetched, not from training data.

Example 2: Skip Resolution with a Library ID

If you already know the ID, name it in the prompt and Context7 skips the lookup step:

You: "use context7 with /supabase/supabase for authentication docs"

Context7 runs:
1. query-docs(libraryId: "/supabase/supabase", query: "authentication")
   → Current Supabase auth documentation

Pass a versioned ID such as /vercel/next.js/v16.2.9 when you need one specific release.

Pricing Plans (checked October 21, 2026)

Plan	Price	Included API calls	Best For
Free	$0/month	1,000 per month	Individual developers, public repositories
Pro	$10 per seat/month	2,000 per seat/month, then $5 per 1,000	Teams, private repositories
Enterprise	Custom	2,000 per seat/month, then $5 per 1,000	SOC-2, SSO, self-hosted

Search API and Context API requests each count as one call against the allowance. Free accounts are blocked when they hit the monthly limit, with 20 bonus calls granted each day until the month resets; Pro accounts are never blocked and bill the overage. Parsing private repositories is charged separately at $5 per 1M tokens. See Context7’s pricing page for the current terms.

Why Context7?

The Problem: AI’s “Knowledge Cutoff Date”

Large language models are trained on data with cutoff dates. Even on the current lineup — Claude Fable 5.1, Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5 and Haiku 5.5 all carry a reliable knowledge cutoff of June 2026 — that still leaves gaps:

New framework versions release after the cutoff
API detail changes (parameter names, return formats)
Best practices for new features (like React Server Components evolution)

These changes lead AI to generate incorrect or outdated code.

The Solution: Real-Time Documentation Injection

Context7 uses the MCP protocol to inject the latest official documentation directly into AI’s context, ensuring every code generation is based on current, correct information.

Context7 vs. Manual Doc Lookup

Comparison	Manual Lookup	Context7 MCP
Switching Cost	Need browser jump	Zero switching
Version Control	Manual version check	Auto-match version
Integration	Copy-paste needed	Auto-inject prompts
Efficiency	Interrupts workflow	Seamless integration
Accuracy	Depends on AI memory	Direct official docs

Advanced Usage Tips

1. Explicitly Specify Versions

"How do I set up a Next.js 16 proxy? use context7"

Mention the version in the prompt and Context7 matches the right one. For an exact release, pass the versioned library ID directly: /vercel/next.js/v16.2.9.

2. Scope the Query, Not a Token Budget

There is no maxTokens knob. What you control is the question:

Good:  "use context7 for the Supabase syntax for row-level security"
Avoid: "use context7, tell me about Supabase"

Queries work best when they describe a single concept you are trying to accomplish. Pass the optional language parameter — or just write in the language — to rank code examples in your stack first.

3. Add a Rule So You Don’t Have to Ask

ctx7 setup installs a skill that triggers on library questions automatically. To wire it up by hand instead, add a rule to CLAUDE.md:

Always use Context7 when I need library/API documentation, code generation, setup or configuration steps without me having to explicitly ask.

4. Combine with Other MCP Servers

Context7 works synergistically with other MCP servers:

Memory MCP: Remember project package versions
Filesystem MCP: Read package.json to auto-infer versions
Sequential Thinking MCP: Break down complex problems

Supported Languages & Frameworks

Context7 indexes a large, continuously refreshed catalog of packages and frameworks. Each entry carries a library ID, an indexed code-snippet count, a source-reputation rating, a benchmark score, and any version-specific IDs. Search it from the terminal with npx ctx7 library <name> "<what you want to do>", or browse it on the website. Commonly used entries include:

Frontend

React, Vue, Angular, Svelte
Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit
Tailwind CSS, Bootstrap

Backend

Node.js, Express, NestJS
Python (Flask, Django, FastAPI)
Go, Rust

Databases & Infrastructure

PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis
AWS SDK, Google Cloud SDK
Kubernetes, Docker

Browse the full, live catalog at the Context7 official site — the index is updated continuously, so treat any list in an article as a sample rather than a specification.

Best Practices

✅ Recommended

Pick the scope deliberately: --scope project to share the server through .mcp.json, --scope user for every project on your machine
Version locking: Name the version in the prompt, or pass a versioned library ID
One concept per query: Specific questions return better documentation than broad ones
Combine with Memory MCP: Let Claude remember project packages

❌ Avoid

Over-reliance: Basic syntax doesn’t need documentation
Vague queries: Single keywords burn an API call and return weak matches
Mixed versions: Ensure project dependencies match doc versions

Troubleshooting

Issue 1: Cannot Connect to Context7

# Check what Claude Code has configured and whether it connected
claude mcp get context7

# Health-check every approved server
claude mcp list

# Check your Context7 login from the CLI
npx ctx7 whoami

claude mcp list prints a status next to each server — ✔ Connected, ! Needs authentication, or ✘ Failed to connect with the failure detail. A project-scoped server shows ⏸ Pending approval until you approve it in an interactive session.

Issue 2: Package Not Found

You: "I want to use some-obscure-library"
Context7: No matching library found

Solution:

Use the library’s official punctuation — Next.js, not nextjs
Search the index directly: npx ctx7 library react "how to clean up useEffect"
Browse context7.com, or submit the library through Adding Libraries

Issue 3: Documentation Too Old

If documentation isn’t the latest:

Pass a versioned library ID (/vercel/next.js/v16.2.9) instead of the bare ID
Report it to the Context7 team (GitHub Issues) or consult Troubleshooting
Supplement with WebFetch or WebSearch for anything the index hasn’t picked up yet

Context7’s Future

OAuth 2.0 Support

Context7’s MCP server supports OAuth 2.0 for clients that implement the MCP OAuth specification. There is no separate oauth configuration block — you change the endpoint from /mcp to /mcp/oauth:

- "url": "https://mcp.context7.com/mcp"
+ "url": "https://mcp.context7.com/mcp/oauth"

OAuth is available for remote HTTP connections only; a local stdio connection uses API-key authentication instead. In Claude Code, claude mcp login context7 runs the OAuth flow for a configured remote server, and claude mcp login context7 --no-browser prints the authorization URL instead of opening a browser — useful over SSH.

MCP Ecosystem

Context7 is a star project in the Model Context Protocol ecosystem. In December 2025, Anthropic donated MCP to the Agentic AI Foundation (co-founded by Anthropic, Block, and OpenAI), marking MCP as an industry standard.

In March 2025, OpenAI officially adopted MCP, integrating it into the ChatGPT desktop app, further driving MCP adoption.

Context7 was listed as Trial stage in Thoughtworks Technology Radar in November 2025, recognized as a mature tool worth trying.

On Anthropic’s side, the Build plugins for Claude announcement (September 25, 2026) confirms that “Claude supports the latest MCP spec, commonly referred to as MCP 2.0” — so a server written to the current specification works across Claude Code, the desktop app and the Claude apps.

Conclusion

Context7 MCP solves the core pain point of AI coding assistants: outdated knowledge and inaccurate code generation. By providing version-specific official documentation in real-time, it enables Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode and other MCP clients to generate more accurate and reliable code.

Is It Right for You?

Use Case	Recommendation
Learning new frameworks	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Frequently switching tech stacks	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Using latest framework versions	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Daily development assistance	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Basic syntax lookup	⭐⭐

Get Started Now

Run npx ctx7 setup --claude and complete the device-flow sign-in
Or install the plugin: /plugin marketplace add upstash/context7, then /plugin install context7@context7-marketplace
Ask a library question with use context7, or add the rule to CLAUDE.md so it fires on its own
Enjoy zero-switch development experience