Context 7 MCP Server Explained in 5 Minutes

In this quick article, I'm going to introduce an MCP server that is incredibly useful, powerful, and will save you a significant amount of time: Context 7.

If you've read any of my previous articles, you'll know that one of the first steps I always recommend is downloading the latest documentation. There are several ways to accomplish this, such as using Gitest, manually copying and pasting, or employing a service like Crawl for AI. However, Context 7 makes this process much faster and more efficient.

How Context 7 Works

First, let's look at the website. Its primary function is to aggregate the latest documentation from various sources. You can also contribute by adding more documentation. For instance, the cal.com MCP server documentation is regularly updated, often daily. The platform is consistently kept current, and users have the option to add new documentation sources as needed.

You might think that tools like Cursor, which have built-in documentation features, would suffice. However, these often fall short, which is why a manual approach was previously necessary. Context 7 offers a far more efficient solution.

A great feature is that if you find documentation that seems outdated, you can simply click through and press a 'refresh' button to pull the latest version instantly. You also have the option to copy the content manually if you prefer.

A Practical Example

Let's see it in action within an environment like Windsurf. By running a simple prompt, we can fetch specific API information.

Get me the latest booking API information for cal.com using context 7

This command calls the Context 7 MCP server. The server first searches for the correct ID, in this case for cal.com, and retrieves the most recent documentation with impressive speed.

This capability is a game-changer if you use clients like Windsurf, Cursor, VS Code, Cloud Code, or Root Code. It ensures you always have the latest context and documentation. Since APIs evolve, having access to the most current information is crucial, and this MCP server automates that for you.

Setting Up Context 7

The setup process, detailed on the GitHub page, is similar to most other MCP clients. You simply add a JSON configuration to your client's settings file. For example, to add it to Windsurf, you would copy the provided JSON snippet and paste it into your MCP servers configuration.

If you already have other MCP servers configured, you just need to add a comma after the last entry and then paste the new configuration.

{
  "name": "context-7",
  "command": [
    "mpx",
    "-y",
    "context-7"
  ],
  "type": "stdio"
}

This is the standard procedure for most clients. While this method works for clients like Windsurf and Cursor, it's important to note that VS Code has a slightly different process for adding MCP servers.

Integrating with VS Code in just 7 steps

Here’s how to set it up in VS Code:

1. Open the command palette with Command+Shift+P.
2. Type MCP and select the option to add a new server.
3. Choose stdio as the server type.
4. In the command input field, enter the following command: bash mpx -y context-7
5. Press Enter.
6. Give it a descriptive name, like Context 7.
7. Restart VS Code. The new MCP server will now be available in your agent.

Additionally, VS Code has a powerful feature that automatically detects other MCP servers installed on your system. If you have configured MCP servers for other tools like Cloud Desktop, Windsurf, or Cursor, VS Code will find them. You can then simply click a button to trust and enable these servers within VS Code, streamlining your setup across multiple environments.

This can lead to having a large number of tools available—in some cases, over 190+ tools—as each MCP server and its associated tools are installed for each IDE or client.

Managing Your Tools in VS Code

The way VS Code handles MCP integration provides excellent control over this potential tool overload. If you have duplicate servers (for example, Context 7 appearing from Cloud Desktop, Windsurf, and a manual installation), you can easily disable the redundant ones. Furthermore, you have the granular ability to turn off specific tools within a server, not just the entire server itself.

As developers accumulate more and more tools, managing them becomes a new challenge. VS Code's implementation offers one of the best solutions by allowing users to toggle either entire MCP servers or individual tools on and off as needed.

This article was a quick introduction to a powerful MCP server that can genuinely save developers a lot of time. It's a tool that has already proven its value in various workflows. If you know of other useful MCP servers, feel free to share them.