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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

Context7 provides two core API methods for retrieving documentation context.

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Search Library

Search for available libraries by name. Use this to find the correct library ID before fetching documentation. Endpoint: GET /api/v2/libs/search
ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
querystringYesYour question or task (used for relevance ranking)
libraryNamestringYesLibrary name to search for (e.g., “react”, “nextjs”)
Response: Returns an array of matching libraries: 
[
  {
    "id": "/facebook/react",
    "name": "React",
    "description": "A JavaScript library for building user interfaces",
    "totalSnippets": 1250,
    "trustScore": 95,
    "benchmarkScore": 88,
    "versions": ["v18.2.0", "v17.0.2"]
  }
]
Example: 
curl "https://context7.com/api/v2/libs/search?libraryName=react&query=hooks" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer CONTEXT7_API_KEY"

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Get Context

Retrieve documentation context for a specific library. Returns relevant documentation snippets based on your query. Endpoint: GET /api/v2/context
ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
querystringYesYour question or task (used for relevance ranking)
libraryIdstringYesLibrary identifier from search (e.g., /facebook/react)
typestringNoResponse format: json (default) or txt
Response (JSON format): Returns an array of documentation snippets: 
[
  {
    "title": "Using the Effect Hook",
    "content": "The Effect Hook lets you perform side effects...",
    "source": "react.dev/reference/react/useEffect"
  }
]
Response (Text format): Returns plain text ready for LLM prompts. Example: 
# JSON format (default)
curl "https://context7.com/api/v2/context?libraryId=/facebook/react&query=useEffect" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer CONTEXT7_API_KEY"

# Text format
curl "https://context7.com/api/v2/context?libraryId=/facebook/react&query=useEffect&type=txt" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer CONTEXT7_API_KEY"

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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"}
)
libraries = search_response.json()
best_match = libraries[0]
print(f"Found: {best_match['name']} ({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?"}
)
docs = context_response.json()

for doc in docs:
    print(f"Title: {doc['title']}")
    print(f"Content: {doc['content'][:200]}...")
For TypeScript SDK usage with additional features, 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: 
{
  "error": "Too many requests",
  "status": 429
}

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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

Store documentation locally to reduce API calls and improve performance. Documentation updates are relatively infrequent, so caching for several hours or days is usually appropriate.

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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:
            # Wait before retrying with exponential backoff
            time.sleep(2 ** attempt)
            continue

        return response

    raise Exception("Max retries exceeded")

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Use Specific Versions

Specify exact versions for consistent results across deployments: 
# Pin to a specific version
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:
CodeDescriptionAction
200SuccessProcess the response normally
202Accepted - Library not finalizedWait and retry later
301Moved - Library redirectedUse the new library ID from redirectUrl
400Bad Request - Invalid parametersCheck query parameters
401Unauthorized - Invalid API keyCheck your API key format (starts with ctx7sk)
403Forbidden - Access deniedCheck library access permissions
404Not Found - Library doesn’t existVerify the library ID
422Unprocessable - Library too large/no codeTry a different library
429Too Many Requests - Rate limit exceededWait for Retry-After header, then retry
500Internal Server ErrorRetry with backoff
503Service Unavailable - Search failedRetry later

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Error Response Format

All errors return a JSON object with these fields: 
{
  "error": "library_not_found",
  "message": "Library \"/owner/repo\" not found."
}

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SDK and Libraries

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