---
title: "Getting Started"
description: "Get started with the Context7 TypeScript SDK"
---
<Warning>
**Work in Progress**: This SDK is currently under active development. The API is subject to change and may introduce breaking changes in future releases.
</Warning>
# Getting Started
`@upstash/context7-sdk` is a TypeScript SDK for Context7, enabling easier access to library documentation with full type coverage.
Using `@upstash/context7-sdk` you can:
- Search across available libraries
- Get documentation context for any library
- Access library metadata including trust scores and versions
You can find the Github Repository [here](https://github.com/upstash/context7/tree/master/packages/sdk).
## Install
<CodeGroup>
```shell npm
npm install @upstash/context7-sdk
```
```shell pnpm
pnpm add @upstash/context7-sdk
```
```shell yarn
yarn add @upstash/context7-sdk
```
```shell bun
bun add @upstash/context7-sdk
```
</CodeGroup>
## Usage
### Initializing the Client
To use the Context7 SDK, you need an API key. You can get your API key from the [Context7 Dashboard](https://context7.com/dashboard).
#### Using environment variables
The SDK automatically reads from environment variables if no API key is provided in the config:
```bash
CONTEXT7_API_KEY="your_api_key_here"
```
When an environment variable is set, you can initialize the client without any parameters:
```typescript
import { Context7 } from "@upstash/context7-sdk";
const client = new Context7();
```
#### Using a configuration object
If you prefer to pass configuration in code, the constructor accepts a config object containing the apiKey value. This could be useful if your application needs to interact with multiple projects, each with a different configuration.
```typescript
import { Context7 } from "@upstash/context7-sdk";
const client = new Context7({
apiKey: <CONTEXT7_API_KEY>,
});
```
<Note>
The SDK checks for API keys in this order: 1. `config.apiKey` (if provided) 2.
`process.env.CONTEXT7_API_KEY`
</Note>
## Quick Start Example
```typescript
import { Context7 } from "@upstash/context7-sdk";
const client = new Context7();
// Search for libraries
const libraries = await client.searchLibrary(
"I need to build a UI with components",
"react"
);
console.log(`Found ${libraries.length} libraries`);
console.log(libraries[0].id); // "/facebook/react"
// Get documentation as JSON array (default)
const docs = await client.getContext(
"How do I use hooks?",
"/facebook/react"
);
console.log(docs[0].title, docs[0].content);
// Get documentation context as plain text
const context = await client.getContext("How do I use hooks?", "/facebook/react", {
type: "txt",
});
console.log(context);
```
## Error Handling
The SDK throws `Context7Error` for API errors:
```typescript
import { Context7, Context7Error } from "@upstash/context7-sdk";
const client = new Context7();
try {
const context = await client.getContext("query", "/invalid/library");
} catch (error) {
if (error instanceof Context7Error) {
console.error("Context7 API Error:", error.message);
} else {
console.error("Unexpected error:", error);
}
}
```
## Next Steps
Explore the SDK commands:
- [Search Library](/sdks/ts/commands/search-library) - Search for libraries
- [Get Context](/sdks/ts/commands/get-context) - Retrieve library documentation context
