searching-docs

by @indiosmo in Development

# Install this skill:

npx skills add indiosmo/skills --skill "searching-docs"

Install specific skill from multi-skill repository

# Description

Search library/API documentation using Context7 and Ref MCP tools. Use when Claude needs to: (1) Look up API syntax or code snippets, (2) Search library documentation, (3) Research implementation patterns, (4) Debug issues using docs, or (5) Explore unfamiliar libraries or frameworks.

# SKILL.md

name: searching-docs
description: "Search library/API documentation using Context7 and Ref MCP tools. Use when Claude needs to: (1) Look up API syntax or code snippets, (2) Search library documentation, (3) Research implementation patterns, (4) Debug issues using docs, or (5) Explore unfamiliar libraries or frameworks."

Tool Selection

Scenario	Tool	Reason
Known library, need code examples	Context7	Optimized for retrieving code snippets
General API reference lookup	Context7	Fast, structured documentation access
Obscure/niche library	Ref	Broader search across multiple sources
Concept explanation or tutorials	Ref	Better for prose and explanatory content
Debugging with error messages	Ref	Can search Stack Overflow, GitHub issues
Cross-library comparison	Ref	Searches across multiple documentation sources

Decision Flow

Is the library well-known (React, Python stdlib, popular npm packages)?
Yes: Start with Context7
No: Start with Ref
Do you need code snippets or API signatures?
Yes: Prefer Context7
No (need explanations/tutorials): Prefer Ref
Did the first tool return insufficient results?
Yes: Try the other tool as fallback

Combining Tools

For comprehensive research, use both tools:
1. Context7 for official API documentation and code examples
2. Ref for community solutions, tutorials, and edge cases

When the agent returns, synthesize findings into actionable guidance for the user.

Tool Usage Examples

Context7 workflow:
1. Call resolve-library-id with the library name to get the Context7 library ID
2. Call query-docs with the returned library ID and your specific question

Ref workflow:
1. Call ref_search_documentation with a descriptive query including language/framework names
2. Call ref_read_url with the exact URL from results (include the #hash portion)

# Supported AI Coding Agents

This skill is compatible with the SKILL.md standard and works with all major AI coding agents:

⚡ Amp 🚀 Antigravity 🤖 Claude Code 🦀 Clawdbot 📝 Codex ▶️ Cursor 🤖 Droid 💎 Gemini CLI 🐙 GitHub Copilot 🪿 Goose 📊 Kilo Code 🔧 Kiro CLI 💻 OpenCode 🦘 Roo Code 🌲 Trae 🏄 Windsurf

Learn more about the SKILL.md standard and how to use these skills with your preferred AI coding agent.