Library Docs

Library docs

The add-on dotclaude-docs gives Claude current docs for a library or an API. Recalled facts can be out of date, so the skill gets the docs from Context7 with the ctx7 CLI. The decision is D8 in Decisions.

At a glance

Item	Value
Install	/plugin install dotclaude-docs@dotclaude, with npx on PATH for the pinned ctx7
Skills	docs, model-invocable
Bins and hooks	None
Options	None. CONTEXT7_API_KEY is optional and raises the quota
Limits	At most 3 ctx7 calls for one question (Rules)
Problems	See Troubleshooting

The add-on

• The add-on has one skill, docs, in plugins/dotclaude-docs/skills/docs/SKILL.md.
• The skill is model-invocable. Its name and description together have SKILL_META_LOW_BYTES (150) to SKILL_META_HIGH_BYTES (300) bytes, as tools/limits.mjs sets.
• The add-on is a separate plugin, so a user who does not install it pays no listing line. dotclaude works as before without it (Plugin layout).
• Claude uses the skill when the task needs the API of a library version that the project uses, and the project does not show it.

How Claude uses it

1. Claude runs ctx7 library <name> "<topic>" and picks the library ID from the result. It skips this step when the user gave the ID.
2. Claude runs ctx7 docs <library id> "<topic>" with a query on one concept.
3. Claude answers from the docs and names the library ID.

Rules

Rule	What it means
Free tier first	The skill works with no key. When CONTEXT7_API_KEY is set, ctx7 uses it.
Few calls	At most 3 ctx7 calls for one question, and each query is on one concept. When 3 calls do not answer, Claude says what is missing and tells you. It does not raise the bound and does not fill the gap from memory.
Honest failure	When ctx7 fails or the quota is used up, Claude tells the user. For a quota error, Claude tells you that CONTEXT7_API_KEY raises the limit. Claude does not give recalled facts as if they came from the docs.
No secrets in queries	A query goes to the Context7 service, so it holds only the library name and the topic. No secret, token, or private code goes in it.
Pinned and quiet	The command uses an exact ctx7 version and sets CTX7_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1.

Snippet parts

The settings snippet holds these parts, and you copy them when you use dotclaude-docs. No command merges them for you:

• The permissions.allow entries Skill(dotclaude-docs:docs) and the pinned ctx7 command form. The allowed-tools line of the skill does not approve the call on Claude Code 2.1.294 (live run), so the snippet allows it.
• The sandbox network hosts context7.com and registry.npmjs.org.

A test pins the command form in the snippet to the form in the skill.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause and fix
A quota error	The free tier is used up. Set CONTEXT7_API_KEY for a higher limit.
The skill asks for permission on each call	The permissions.allow entries of the settings snippet are not in your settings.json (Snippet parts).
ctx7 cannot reach the service	The sandbox needs the hosts context7.com and registry.npmjs.org (Snippet parts).

See also Troubleshooting.

Related pages

• Core plugin
• Install