The Context7 VS Code extension registers the Context7 MCP server with VS Code’s built-in MCP support, so AI features like Copilot Chat in agent mode get current library documentation instead of relying on training data.
The extension connects to the hosted server at https://mcp.context7.com/mcp. There is no local server process to manage and nothing to update manually. The source is available at upstash/context7-vscode-extension.
Installation
Install Context7 MCP Server from the Visual Studio Marketplace, or search for Upstash.context7-mcp in the Extensions view.
Requires VS Code 1.101 or later.
The server registers automatically when the extension activates. To confirm, run the MCP: List Servers command and check that “Context7” is listed.
If you prefer to configure the MCP server yourself instead of using the extension, see All MCP Clients.
Adding an API Key
An API key gives you higher rate limits and access to private repositories. Create one in the Context7 dashboard.
Open Settings
Press Cmd+, (or Ctrl+, on Windows/Linux) and search for “context7”.
Set the Key
Paste your key into the Context7: Api Key field, or add it to settings.json directly:{
"context7.apiKey": "YOUR_API_KEY"
}
Restart the Server
Changing the key stops the running server so the new key can be picked up. Restart it via MCP: List Servers → Context7 → Start Server, or just send a new chat request, which prompts to start it. No window reload required.
Keep the API key in your user settings rather than workspace settings if you commit .vscode/settings.json to version control.
Using Context7
Add “use context7” to your prompts in Copilot Chat:
use context7 to show me how to set up middleware in Next.js 15
use context7 for Prisma query examples with relations
use context7 for the Supabase syntax for row-level security
If you know the library ID, use it directly to skip resolution:
use context7 with /supabase/supabase for authentication docs
use context7 with /vercel/next.js for app router setup
Add a rule to your AI assistant’s instructions (e.g. .github/copilot-instructions.md) telling it to use Context7 for code generation and library questions, so you don’t have to type “use context7” every time.
The extension exposes the two Context7 tools to VS Code:
resolve-library-id: Resolves a package or product name to a Context7-compatible library ID
query-docs: Fetches up-to-date documentation for a library