Context7 MCP

Scope: When and how to use the Context7 MCP server for fetching current library documentation, plus installation and version management.

Fetches current library documentation via the Context7 MCP server. Use this to get up-to-date API references, config patterns, and version information for libraries where your training data may be stale.

GitHub: https://github.com/upstash/context7

Package: @upstash/context7-mcp

Detection

Check if the context7 MCP is available:

ToolSearch query: "+context7"

If mcp__context7__* tools appear in results, the MCP is installed and available. If not, see Installation.

Installation

Install for the current user (pin to a specific version):

# Check latest version
npm view @upstash/context7-mcp dist-tags --json

# Install with pinned version
claude mcp add context7 -- npx -y @upstash/context7-mcp@<version>

This adds the server to ~/.claude.json under mcpServers.

After installing: Claude CLI must be restarted for the MCP server to become available. Resuming an existing session after restart is sufficient — a brand new session is not required.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js / npm (for npx)

When to Use

• Generating configuration files (vite, biome, eslint, tsconfig, etc.)
• Scaffolding new projects with specific library versions
• Working with libraries that release frequently (build tools, linters, frameworks)
• When the user asks for "latest" or "current" versions/patterns

Look up docs before generating config or scaffold files — not after.

Using MCP Tools

MCP tools are deferred — they must be loaded via ToolSearch before first use in a session.

Two-step flow:

1. Resolve the library ID:

   ToolSearch query: "select:mcp__context7__resolve-library-id"
   mcp__context7__resolve-library-id(libraryName: "vite")
   

2. Query the docs:

   ToolSearch query: "select:mcp__context7__query-docs"
   mcp__context7__query-docs(context7CompatibleLibraryID: "/vercel/next.js", topic: "configuration")
   

Version Management

The MCP server is configured in ~/.claude.json under mcpServers.context7.

Check the pinned version:

jq -r '.mcpServers.context7.args[] | select(startswith("@upstash/context7-mcp"))' ~/.claude.json

Check the latest available version:

npm view @upstash/context7-mcp dist-tags --json

Update the pinned version: Edit ~/.claude.json and update the version in the command array (e.g., @upstash/context7-mcp@2.1.1). Claude CLI must be restarted after changes.