context7-guidance

Context7 Guidance — Current Docs Over Training Data

The kit ships the Context7 plugin permission so you can pull current documentation at the version the project actually uses. Training data drifts: APIs get deprecated, defaults change, config keys get renamed. When the question is about a real library, fetch the docs — don't answer from memory.

When to Use

Reach for Context7 when the user:

• Names a specific library, framework, SDK, or cloud service (common web frameworks, APIs, and cloud services — even ones you "know")
• Asks a setup or configuration question ("how do I wire up X middleware?")
• Plans a version migration ("upgrading to vN — what changed?")
• Is debugging library-specific behavior (an error, a deprecation, an unexpected default)
• Wants code that calls a third-party API — verify the signature before writing it

When NOT to use it: general programming concepts, refactoring your own code, debugging your own business logic, writing a script from scratch, or code review of non-library logic. Context7 is for external surfaces, not your codebase.

How to Fetch

1. Resolve the library ID. Call resolve-library-id with the library name and pass the user's full question as the query — it sharpens the ranking.
2. Pick the best match. Prefer an exact name match and the official/primary package over community forks. If the user named a version, prefer the version-specific ID.
3. Query the docs. Call query-docs with the chosen library ID and the user's specific question (not a single keyword).
4. Answer from the result. Use the fetched docs, include relevant examples, and cite the version when it matters.

If the tools aren't directly callable, load them first via ToolSearch (select:mcp__context7__resolve-library-id,mcp__context7__query-docs) — don't skip verification just because they weren't preloaded.

Guidelines

• Pass the full question, not one word — it improves relevance at both steps.
• Be version-aware — when the user mentions a version, carry it into the resolve step.
• Prefer official sources when several matches exist.
• Fall back to web search only if Context7 has no coverage for that library.