API Guide - Context7 MCP
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Authentication

All API requests require authentication using an API key. Include your API key in the Authorization header: 
Authorization: Bearer CONTEXT7_API_KEY
Get your API key at context7.com/dashboard. Learn more about creating and managing API keys.

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API Methods

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Complete Workflow Example

import requests

headers = {"Authorization": "Bearer CONTEXT7_API_KEY"}

# Step 1: Search for the library
search_response = requests.get(
    "https://context7.com/api/v2/libs/search",
    headers=headers,
    params={"libraryName": "react", "query": "I need to manage state"}
)
data = search_response.json()
best_match = data["results"][0]
print(f"Found: {best_match['title']} ({best_match['id']})")

# Step 2: Get documentation context
context_response = requests.get(
    "https://context7.com/api/v2/context",
    headers=headers,
    params={"libraryId": best_match["id"], "query": "How do I use useState?", "type": "json"}
)
docs = context_response.json()

for snippet in docs["codeSnippets"]:
    print(f"Title: {snippet['codeTitle']}")
    for code in snippet["codeList"]:
        print(f"Code: {code['code'][:200]}...")

for info in docs["infoSnippets"]:
    print(f"Content: {info['content'][:200]}...")
For TypeScript SDK usage, see Search Library and Get Context.

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Rate Limits

  • Without API key: Low rate limits and no custom configuration
  • With API key: Higher limits based on your plan
  • View current usage and reset windows in the dashboard.
When you exceed rate limits, the API returns a 429 status code with these headers:
HeaderDescription
Retry-AfterSeconds until rate limit resets
RateLimit-LimitTotal request limit
RateLimit-RemainingRemaining requests in window
RateLimit-ResetUnix timestamp when limit resets

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Best Practices

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Be Specific with Queries

Use detailed, natural language queries for better results: 
# Good - specific question
curl "https://context7.com/api/v2/context?libraryId=/vercel/next.js&query=How%20to%20implement%20authentication%20with%20middleware" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer CONTEXT7_API_KEY"

# Less optimal - vague query
curl "https://context7.com/api/v2/context?libraryId=/vercel/next.js&query=auth" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer CONTEXT7_API_KEY"

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Cache Responses

Documentation updates are relatively infrequent, so caching responses for several hours or days reduces API calls and improves performance.

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Handle Rate Limits

Implement exponential backoff for rate limit errors: 
import time
import requests

def fetch_with_retry(url, headers, max_retries=3):
    for attempt in range(max_retries):
        response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)

        if response.status_code == 429:
            retry_after = int(response.headers.get("Retry-After", 2 ** attempt))
            time.sleep(retry_after)
            continue

        return response

    raise Exception("Max retries exceeded")

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Use Specific Versions

Pin to a specific version for consistent results. Both / and @ syntax are supported: 
curl "https://context7.com/api/v2/context?libraryId=/vercel/next.js/v15.1.8&query=app%20router" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer CONTEXT7_API_KEY"

curl "https://context7.com/api/v2/context?libraryId=/vercel/next.js@v15.1.8&query=app%20router" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer CONTEXT7_API_KEY"

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Error Handling

The Context7 API uses standard HTTP status codes:
All errors return a JSON object with error and message fields: 
{
  "error": "library_not_found",
  "message": "Library \"/owner/repo\" not found. Please check the library ID or your access permissions."
}
For 301 redirects, the response also includes a redirectUrl field pointing to the new library ID.

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SDK and Libraries

For TypeScript SDK installation and usage, see the Getting Started guide.