Query indexed library documentation via the ctx7 CLI. Always follow the two-step process below.

1.Resolve Library ID

ctx7 library <name> "<specific question>"

The query ranks results by relevance — be descriptive, not single-keyword.

Pick the best match by: closest name, highest snippet count, strongest reputation.

For a specific version, use the version ID from results (e.g. /vercel/next.js/v14.3.0-canary.87).

2.Fetch Documentation

ctx7 docs <library-id> "<specific question>"

Library IDs always start with /. Using a bare name like react will fail.

Write specific queries describing what you want to accomplish — "How to set up authentication with JWT in Express.js" >> "auth".

Output formats

# Structured JSON
ctx7 docs /facebook/react "How to use hooks for state management" --json

# Pipe-friendly (no spinners/colors outside TTY)
ctx7 docs /vercel/next.js "middleware for route protection" | head -50

Examples

# Next.js app router
ctx7 library nextjs "How to set up app router with middleware"
ctx7 docs /vercel/next.js "How to set up app router with middleware"

# Scripting: resolve ID then fetch
ctx7 library react "hooks" --json | jq '.[0].id'

Checklist

• Always run ctx7 library first to get the correct ID
• Use the full /org/project ID — never a bare name
• Write descriptive queries, not single keywords
• Pick version-specific ID when the user needs docs for a particular version