context7-driven-development

name	context7-driven-development
description	Use when implementing features or debugging issues that involve external libraries, frameworks, or APIs. Always verify with Context7 before writing code.

Context7-Driven Development

Overview

Never assume you know the API. Always verify with Context7 before writing code.

Context7 provides up-to-date documentation for libraries and frameworks. Using it prevents hallucinated APIs, deprecated patterns, and version mismatches.

When to Use

Use Context7-Driven Development when:

• Writing code that uses external libraries/frameworks
• Fixing bugs involving external code
• Integrating with third-party services
• Upgrading library versions
• Debugging library-specific errors

Core Workflow

Implementation Workflow

1. Identify Dependencies

   • Check package.json, Cargo.toml, imports
   • List all external libraries being used

2. Resolve Library IDs

   context7_resolve-library-id(libraryName, query)
   

   • Get exact Context7-compatible library ID
   • Include version if known: /org/project/v1.2.3

3. Query Documentation

   context7_query-docs(libraryId, "How to [specific operation]")
   

   • Query BEFORE writing code
   • Query AFTER writing code to verify
   • Be specific: "How to authenticate with OAuth in NextAuth.js" not "auth"

4. Apply to Implementation

   • Follow documentation patterns exactly
   • Check version compatibility
   • Note breaking changes

Debugging Workflow

1. Reproduce & Isolate

   • Understand error message
   • Identify which library is involved

2. Query Context7

   context7_query-docs(libraryId, "fix Error X in [library]")
   

   • Search for error patterns
   • Look for troubleshooting guides

3. Verify Fix

   • Apply suggested fix
   • Test thoroughly
   • Check for related issues

Query Best Practices

Bad Query	Good Query
"auth"	"How to authenticate users with JWT in Express.js"
"hooks"	"React useEffect cleanup function examples"
"database"	"How to connect to PostgreSQL with Prisma ORM"
"error"	"Fix ECONNREFUSED in node-fetch retry logic"

Red Flags - STOP and Query

• "I know how this works" → You don't. Query Context7.
• "This is a common pattern" → Patterns change. Verify.
• "I've used this before" → Memory fails. Check docs.
• "The API is intuitive" → Assumptions cause bugs. Look it up.
• "I'll check after writing" → No. Query first. Always.

Verification Checklist

Before submitting code:

• Resolved library ID via context7_resolve-library-id
• Queried Context7 with specific question
• Followed documentation patterns exactly
• Checked version compatibility
• Queried again after implementation to verify

Maximum Queries

Call context7_query-docs max 3 times per question. If you can't find what you need after 3 queries, use the best information available and note the uncertainty.

Examples

Before (Hallucination Risk)

// Assuming API from memory - WRONG
const client = new SomeClient({ apiKey: process.env.KEY });
await client.doSomething({ option: "value" }); // Might not exist!

After (Context7-Driven)

// After querying Context7 for SomeClient API
// Learned: v2.0 changed constructor signature
const client = SomeClient.create({ 
  apiKey: process.env.KEY,
  region: "us-east-1" // Required in v2.0+
});
await client.executeAction({ option: "value" }); // Correct method name