doc-search

# Documentation Search for Development Find current, accurate documentation for any framework, library, or service. ## Mandatory First Step: Context7 For ANY question about a known framework or library (React, Next.js, Prisma, Tailwind, Vue, etc.), ALWAYS start with Context7. It returns indexed, up-to-date documentation — faster and more accurate than general web search. Skip Context7 only if the tool/library is unknown or Context7 doesn't resolve it. ``` Step 1 — Resolve library (`query` and `libraryName` are both required; use the official name, e.g. "Next.js"): Tool: resolve-library-id Input: { "query": "useSearchParams suspense boundary error", "libraryName": "Next.js" } → Returns: "/vercel/next.js" Step 2 — Query docs: Tool: query-docs Input: { "libraryId": "/vercel/next.js", "query": "useSearchParams suspense boundary error" } → Returns: current documentation sections with code examples ``` If Context7 resolves the library, use its results as the primary source. Supplement with other services only if you need additional context (community examples, debugging explanations, multiple pages). ## Strategy: Choose by Need | Need | Best Approach | Tool | |------|--------------|------| | Official docs for a known library | **Context7 first (mandatory)** | `resolve-library-id` → `query-docs` | | Find docs for unfamiliar tool | Exa semantic search | `web_search_exa` (or `web_search_advanced_exa` for domain scoping) | | Quick answer to "how do I..." | Context7 first, then Perplexity | `query-docs` → `perplexity_ask` | | Read a specific docs page | Jina reader | `read_url` | | Debug error with framework | Context7 first, then Perplexity | `query-docs` → `perplexity_reason` | | Find code examples | Firecrawl developer index | `firecrawl_developer_search` (fallback: `web_search_advanced_exa` with `includeDomains: ["github.com"]`) | ## Pattern 1: Context7 — Primary for All Known Libraries ALWAYS use Context7 first when the library name is known. This is the fastest path to accurate, current documentation. ``` Step 1 — Resolve library: Tool: resolve-library-id Input: { "query": "How to implement middleware for authentication", "libraryName": "Next.js" } → Returns: "/vercel/next.js" Step 2 — Query docs (one concept per call, at most 3 Context7 calls per question): Tool: query-docs Input: { "libraryId": "/vercel/next.js", "query": "How to implement middleware for authentication" } ``` Context7 returns documentation sections with code examples from the **current version**. Ideal for: - API signatures that change between versions - Migration guides - Best practices from official docs ## Pattern 2: Exa Semantic Search — Best for Discovery Use when exploring documentation across multiple sources. ``` Tool: web_search_exa Input: { "query": "Prisma ORM connection pooling configuration", "numResults": 10 } ``` Note: `web_search_exa` accepts only `query` and `numResults`. Domain filters require `web_search_advanced_exa`, an opt-in tool — enable it with the `ENABLED_TOOLS` environment variable (bundled server) or the `tools` URL parameter (hosted MCP); see `mcp-patterns/references/exa-tools.md`. ### Domain-Scoped Doc Search ``` Tool: web_search_advanced_exa Input: { "query": "server actions form validation", "numResults": 10, "includeDomains": ["nextjs.org", "react.dev"] } ``` ### Find Code Examples ``` Tool: firecrawl_developer_search Input: { "query": "TypeScript Prisma middleware logging example" } ``` Searches the developer index (GitHub issues, merged PRs, READMEs, docs). Fallback: ``` Tool: web_search_advanced_exa Input: { "query": "TypeScript Prisma middleware logging example", "includeDomains": ["github.com"], "numResults": 5 } ``` ## Pattern 3: Perplexity — Best for Quick Answers Use for "how do I" questions and debugging. ### Quick How-To Perplexity's ask / reason / research tools take a `messages` array (not `query`): ``` Tool: perplexity_ask Input: { "messages": [{ "role": "user", "content": "How to set up Tailwind CSS v4 in Next.js 15" }] } ``` ### Debug a Framework Error ``` Tool: perplexity_reason Input: { "messages": [{ "role": "user", "content": "Next.js error: 'useSearchParams() should be wrapped in a suspense boundary'. What causes this and how to fix it?" }] } ``` ### Compare Approaches `perplexity_search` still takes a plain `query` and returns ranked results; `search_type: "fast"` makes routine lookups cheaper: ``` Tool: perplexity_search Input: { "query": "Server Components vs Client Components data fetching patterns Next.js 15", "max_results": 5, "search_type": "fast" } ``` ## Pattern 4: Read Specific Docs Page When you have a URL and need its content: ``` Tool: read_url Input: { "url": "https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/functions/use-router" } ``` ### Read Multiple Doc Pages `read_url` takes up to 5 URLs per call; add `question` to get only the passages that answer it. ``` Tool: read_url Input: { "url": [ "https://react.dev/reference/react/use", "https://react.dev/reference/react/useActionState", "https://react.dev/reference/react/useOptimistic" ], "question": "When should I use each of these hooks?" } ``` ## Pattern 5: Combined Workflow — Deep Doc Research For complex questions that need multiple sources: ``` Step 1 — Get official docs: Tool: resolve-library-id + query-docs Step 2 — Search for community patterns: Tool: web_search_advanced_exa (with GitHub/StackOverflow domains) Step 3 — Get AI summary: Tool: perplexity_ask (messages: [{ role: "user", content: "..." }]) Step 4 — Read the most relevant pages: Tool: read_url (url: up to 5 top URLs from steps 1-3, plus a question) ``` ## Common Documentation Domains For domain-scoped search with Exa (`web_search_advanced_exa`): | Framework | Domains | |-----------|---------| | React | `react.dev` | | Next.js | `nextjs.org` | | Vue | `vuejs.org` | | Svelte | `svelte.dev` | | Prisma | `prisma.io` | | Tailwind | `tailwindcss.com` | | TypeScript | `typescriptlang.org` | | Node.js | `nodejs.org` | | Python | `docs.python.org` | | Django | `docs.djangoproject.com` | ## Best Practices - **Context7 first, always** — for any known library, resolve + query Context7 before trying other services. It returns current, indexed docs faster than web search. - Fall back to Exa when searching across multiple doc sites or for unfamiliar tools - Use Perplexity to supplement Context7 with AI explanations, especially for debugging - Always verify AI-generated answers against official docs (Context7 or direct page reads) - For version-specific questions, include the version in your query - Combine multiple sources for complex topics — Context7 for facts, Perplexity for explanations, Exa for community patterns