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Context7 Claude skills

Up-to-date library documentation for coding agents through a hosted MCP server and ctx7 CLI, with short skills that tell the agent when to look docs up.

upstash/context7 10 skills Planning, TDD & debuggingResearch
Our verdict Recommended with caveats

Widely used and well maintained, but the skills are thin wrappers around a hosted service that receives your documentation queries.

1/5 Depth expertise shipped Note Security Review before installing 1d Maintenance Updated today 64K Adoption stars OK License MIT, commercial OK

What Context7 does

Context7 fetches current, version-specific documentation and code examples for libraries and frameworks so the agent does not rely on stale training data. It exposes two MCP tools, resolve-library-id and query-docs, served from a hosted endpoint (mcp.context7.com), and a ctx7 command-line tool, which needs Node.js 22.13 or newer, that can set up a CLI-plus-skills mode or an MCP mode for Claude, Cursor or OpenCode. The skills in the repo are small, around 2-3 KB each, and mostly repeat one instruction: when the user asks about a library, framework, SDK or CLI, call Context7 instead of answering from memory. The same skill is packaged for several hosts, so ten folders contain only a few distinct texts, plus a context7-cli skill. The setup flow authenticates through OAuth and creates an API key. A free key is recommended for higher rate limits. The value is the documentation service; the skills are the wiring that makes the agent use it.

Good for

  • Questions about fast-moving libraries and APIs
  • Code generation where version-specific syntax matters

Not for

  • Offline or air-gapped work
  • Internal libraries that are not indexed by the service

What's inside depth 1/5

Ten skill folders of about 3 KB each that mostly duplicate one short instruction, with little supporting material; the substance is in the service.

Skills
10
Reference docs
2
Scripts
0
Tests / evals
0
Templates
0
Avg SKILL.md
3.2 KB

Counted from the repository file tree. How we score depth.

Dependencies and costs

  • Hosted Context7 service (mcp.context7.com)
  • Free API key recommended for higher rate limits
  • Node.js 22.13+ for the ctx7 CLI
  • Telemetry: No separate telemetry was found in the dossier, but every lookup (library name and your question) is sent to Context7's hosted service, and the README recommends authenticating with an API key.

Security review

Review before installing

Skills and plugin copies that tell the agent to look up current library documentation through the Context7 MCP server or the ctx7 CLI. Every lookup (library name and your question) goes to Context7's hosted service, optionally with your API key. ctx7 setup edits agent configuration or installs skills for you. The skill folders contain markdown only, and the CLI and server code were not reviewable.

Worth knowing

  • Needs an API key for its own serviceCONTEXT7_API_KEY (or an OAuth device flow whose key ctx7 setup stores) is sent only to Context7 (mcp.context7.com / context7.com); most commands work without login.skills/context7-cli/SKILL.md:50
  • Makes network requestsEach docs lookup sends a library name and your free-text query to the hosted Context7 service and returns documentation snippets; the skills say not to put secrets or proprietary code in the query.skills/find-docs/SKILL.md:65
  • Relies on a CLI or package we could not reviewSkills drive the ctx7 CLI (Node 22.13+) and the hosted MCP server at https://mcp.context7.com/mcp, neither of whose code is in the files we hold.skills/context7-cli/SKILL.md:50
  • Runs remote code at an unpinned versionSetup is run as npx ctx7 setup (latest published version).README.md:52
  • Changes files outside your projectctx7 setup registers the MCP server in your agent's config or installs skills into ~/.claude/skills, ~/.cursor/skills etc., and can skip confirmations with --yes.skills/context7-cli/references/setup.md:11

What we checked

The repository (583 files) on Oct 29, 2026. Not a full review: 449 of 583 files were not downloaded (large repository; we reviewed the skill folders); it relies on code outside the repository: ctx7 CLI (npm package) and the hosted Context7 MCP/API service; About 450 of the 583 repo files (the CLI and MCP server source, CI, marketplace manifests) are not in our copy.

NVIDIA SkillSpector static scan: 24 pattern hits (MCP Rug Pull 20, Excessive Agency 3, analysis-evasion 1). The hits are unpinned npx ctx7 mentions in docs, 'skip confirmation' flag descriptions for ctx7 setup, and a scanner note on the README's badge header, which contains no hidden characters.

A review, not a certification. Skills change after we check them — read the files before installing.

License

MIT — commercial use allowed.

Can it run unattended?

Not really. It is an on-demand lookup tool, not a workflow with loops or stop conditions.

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FAQ

What is Context7?

Context7 is a documentation service for AI coding agents. Through an MCP server or a CLI it returns current docs and code examples for the library you ask about, instead of relying on the model's training data.

How do I install Context7?

The README describes a one-command setup with the ctx7 CLI, which needs Node.js 22.13 or newer, authenticates through OAuth and installs the skill or MCP config for your agent. You can also configure the MCP server URL https://mcp.context7.com/mcp manually with an API key.

Is Context7 free?

The README says a free API key is available for higher rate limits, which implies limited use without one. Check the Context7 dashboard for current plans.

Does Context7 send my code to a server?

It sends the library lookup and the query text to the hosted service. It does not need to read your repository, but avoid putting secrets in the query.

Sources: GitHub repository (stars, license, file tree, last push Oct 28, 2026). Review based on the README and SKILL.md files as published.