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The Context7 VS Code extension registers the Context7 MCP server with VS Code’s built-in MCP support, so AI features like Copilot Chat in agent mode get current library documentation instead of relying on training data. The extension connects to the hosted server at https://mcp.context7.com/mcp. There is no local server process to manage and nothing to update manually. The source is available at upstash/context7-vscode-extension.

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Installation

Install Context7 MCP Server from the Visual Studio Marketplace, or search for Upstash.context7-mcp in the Extensions view. Requires VS Code 1.101 or later. The server registers automatically when the extension activates. To confirm, run the MCP: List Servers command and check that “Context7” is listed. If you prefer to configure the MCP server yourself instead of using the extension, see All MCP Clients.

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Adding an API Key

An API key gives you higher rate limits and access to private repositories. Create one in the Context7 dashboard.
1

Open Settings

Press Cmd+, (or Ctrl+, on Windows/Linux) and search for “context7”.
2

Set the Key

Paste your key into the Context7: Api Key field, or add it to settings.json directly:
3

Restart the Server

Changing the key stops the running server so the new key can be picked up. Restart it via MCP: List Servers → Context7 → Start Server, or just send a new chat request, which prompts to start it. No window reload required.
Keep the API key in your user settings rather than workspace settings if you commit .vscode/settings.json to version control.

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Using Context7

Add “use context7” to your prompts in Copilot Chat:
If you know the library ID, use it directly to skip resolution:
Add a rule to your AI assistant’s instructions (e.g. .github/copilot-instructions.md) telling it to use Context7 for code generation and library questions, so you don’t have to type “use context7” every time.

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Available Tools

The extension exposes the two Context7 tools to VS Code:
  1. resolve-library-id: Resolves a package or product name to a Context7-compatible library ID
  2. query-docs: Fetches up-to-date documentation for a library