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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.
Store your API key in an environment variable or secret manager. Rotate it if compromised.

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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

The Context7 Model Context Protocol (MCP) server provides seamless integration with Claude and other AI tools: 
npm install @upstash/context7-mcp
Tools provided:
  • resolve-library-id: Search for libraries and get their Context7 IDs
  • query-docs: Get documentation context for your questions
See the Installation guide for setup instructions.

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Direct API Integration

For custom integrations or non-MCP use cases, use the REST endpoints directly. The API is language-agnostic and works with any HTTP client. Example (cURL): 
curl "https://context7.com/api/v2/context?libraryId=/vercel/next.js&query=routing" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer CONTEXT7_API_KEY"
Example (Python): 
import requests

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

# Search for a library
search = requests.get(
    "https://context7.com/api/v2/libs/search",
    headers=headers,
    params={"libraryName": "nextjs", "query": "routing"}
)
library_id = search.json()["results"][0]["id"]

# Get documentation context
response = requests.get(
    "https://context7.com/api/v2/context",
    headers=headers,
    params={"libraryId": library_id, "query": "How to setup dynamic routes"}
)
print(response.text)
Example (JavaScript/Node.js): 
const headers = { Authorization: "Bearer CONTEXT7_API_KEY" };

// Search for a library
const search = await fetch(
  "https://context7.com/api/v2/libs/search?libraryName=react&query=state",
  { headers }
);
const { results } = await search.json();

// Get documentation context
const docs = await fetch(
  `https://context7.com/api/v2/context?libraryId=${results[0].id}&query=useState hook`,
  { headers }
);
const context = await docs.text();