Documentation lookup
ctx7 is on PATH (Home Manager, from nixpkgs). Run it as it is; the package is Nix-managed, so skip
the setup and upgrade commands its --help advertises.
Two steps: resolve the library ID, then query with it.
bashctx7 library <name> "<query>" ctx7 docs <libraryId> "<query>"
Skip step 1 only when the user supplies an ID as /org/project or /org/project/version. Add
--json to either step when you will parse the output rather than read it.
A query leaves the machine: keep internal identifiers, private-repository paths, and credentials out of it.
Step 1: resolve the ID
Pass a query every time — it ranks the matches, so it also separates libraries that share a name.
Use the official spelling ("Next.js", not "nextjs"); when results look wrong, retry the name before
rewriting the query.
bashctx7 library "Next.js" "how to set up app router middleware"
Each match carries id, title, description, totalSnippets, trustScore, benchmarkScore,
and versions. Prefer an exact name match with a high trustScore and more totalSnippets. When
the user names a version, take the closest entry in versions and use /org/project/version as the
ID.
Stop after three attempts and use the best match you have. When none is usable, say so and suggest a sharper name instead of guessing.
Step 2: query the docs
One topic per docs call: split unrelated concepts into separate calls, unless the question is
about how they interact. Describe what to look up in the documentation rather than the task to
complete — "React useEffect cleanup function with async operations" ranks, "hooks" returns
generic results.
bashctx7 docs /vercel/next.js "how to add middleware"
The output is markdown: titled code snippets and prose snippets, each with the source URL it came from. Cite that URL when the answer rests on it.
When it fails
Lookups work without a login, at a lower rate limit. On a quota error, tell the user to run
ctx7 login themselves; never ask them to paste a token into chat. If they do not authenticate,
answer from training knowledge and say it may be outdated — do not fall back silently.
