Skill Validation with Context7

Trigger Words: validate skill, check skill accuracy, outdated API, skill drift, verify skill, update skill

What: Validate learned skills against current library documentation using Context7

When to use this skill:

•After major library version updates
•Periodic maintenance (quarterly/bi-annual)
•Before sharing skills with team
•When encountering deprecated warnings in code
•Creating new skills from old code

Prerequisites

•Context7 MCP installed and configured
•Learned skills in .github/skills/ or .aiknowsys/learned/
•See docs/context7-integration.md for setup

Workflow

Step 1: Identify Skills to Validate

Manual selection:

bash

# List all learned skills
ls .github/skills/*/SKILL.md
ls .aiknowsys/learned/*.md

# Pick skills that reference external libraries
# Examples: nextjs-middleware, supabase-auth, react-hooks

Automated detection (future):

bash

# Planned: CLI command to scan for library references
npx aiknowsys check-skills --list-external

Prioritize:

•Skills with version numbers in content
•Skills about rapidly evolving frameworks (React, Next.js, Vite)
•Skills created >6 months ago
•Skills with deprecation warnings in code

Step 2: Extract Library References

Read skill content and identify:

•Library/framework names
•Version numbers (if present)
•API method names
•Code patterns

Example skill header:

markdown

# Skill: Next.js Middleware Pattern

**Library:** Next.js
**Version:** 13.x (documented in skill)
**APIs:** middleware(), NextRequest, NextResponse

Extraction checklist:

• What library is this about?
• What version is referenced?
• What specific APIs are used?
• Are there code examples?

Step 3: Query Context7 for Current Documentation

Basic query:

code

Use Context7 to get current documentation for [library]
Library ID: /owner/repo
Topic: [specific API or pattern]

Example queries:

Next.js middleware:

code

Query Context7 /vercel/next.js for current middleware patterns.
Compare with:
- middleware() function signature
- NextRequest/NextResponse usage
- Recommended patterns for auth/i18n

Supabase auth:

code

Query Context7 /supabase/supabase for current auth patterns.
Check:
- signIn() vs signInWithPassword() (method names)
- Auth helpers usage
- Session management best practices

React hooks:

code

Query Context7 /facebook/react for current hooks API.
Verify:
- useEffect dependencies
- Recommended patterns vs legacy patterns
- New hooks since skill was created

Step 4: Compare Skill Content with Current Docs

Comparison matrix:

Aspect	Skill Content	Context7 Response	Status
Method names	`auth.signIn()`	`auth.signInWithPassword()`	⚠️ OUTDATED
Parameters	`{ email, password }`	`{ email, password, options }`	⚠️ INCOMPLETE
Return type	`Promise<User>`	`Promise<AuthResponse>`	⚠️ CHANGED
Pattern	Middleware chaining	App Router approach	⚠️ DEPRECATED

Status codes:

•✅ CURRENT - Skill matches current docs
•⚠️ OUTDATED - Minor changes, still works
•🔴 DEPRECATED - No longer recommended
•❌ BROKEN - Will not work with current version

Step 5: Decide on Action

Based on drift severity:

✅ CURRENT (No action needed):

markdown

# Add validation marker to skill:

---
**Last Validated:** 2026-02-01
**Context7 Source:** /vercel/next.js/v15.0.0
**Status:** ✅ Current (verified with latest docs)

⚠️ OUTDATED (Update skill):

markdown

# Update skill content
# Add note about version compatibility
# Keep old approach in "Legacy" section if still useful

## Current Approach (Next.js 15+)
[updated pattern]

## Legacy Approach (Next.js 13)
[old pattern - kept for reference]

🔴 DEPRECATED (Mark and suggest replacement):

markdown

# Add deprecation warning at top:

> **⚠️ DEPRECATION WARNING**
> This pattern is deprecated as of [library] [version].
> Use [alternative skill] instead.
> See: [link to new docs]

# Consider archiving skill or converting to "historical reference"

❌ BROKEN (Archive or remove):

bash

# Move to archive
mkdir -p .aiknowsys/learned/archived
mv .aiknowsys/learned/old-pattern.md .aiknowsys/learned/archived/

# Or add tombstone:
echo "# ARCHIVED: Pattern no longer valid" > skill.md
echo "Replaced by: [new-pattern.md]" >> skill.md

Step 6: Update Skill with Findings

Template for skill update:

markdown

# Skill: [Name]

**Library:** [Name]
**Version:** [Current version from Context7]
**Last Validated:** [Date]
**Context7 Source:** /owner/repo/vX.X.X
**Status:** ✅ Current | ⚠️ Minor changes | 🔴 Deprecated

---

[Updated content based on Context7 response]

---

## Version History

### v2.0 (2026-02-01)
- Updated for [Library] v15
- Changed method names from X to Y
- Added new parameters
- **Validated with Context7**

### v1.0 (2025-08-01)
- Initial version
- Based on [Library] v13

Integration with AIKnowSys Workflows

Periodic Skill Maintenance

Quarterly review workflow:

bash

# 1. List all external-library skills
find .github/skills .aiknowsys/learned -name "*.md" \
  | xargs grep -l "Library:" \
  | sort > skills-to-validate.txt

# 2. For each skill in list:
cat skills-to-validate.txt | while read skill; do
  echo "Validating: $skill"
  # Ask AI: "Validate this skill with Context7"
done

# 3. Generate validation report
# (Future: automated command)

Before Team Sharing

Pre-commit validation:

bash

# If skill references external library:
# 1. Validate with Context7
# 2. Add validation marker
# 3. Commit with version info

git add .github/skills/my-skill/
git commit -m "feat(skill): add [skill name]

Validated with Context7 /owner/repo/vX.X.X
Status: ✅ Current as of $(date +%Y-%m-%d)
"

After Framework Updates

Post-update workflow:

bash

# After: npm update next@15
# Check which skills reference Next.js:

grep -r "Next.js" .github/skills .aiknowsys/learned

# Validate each with Context7 /vercel/next.js/v15.0.0
# Update skills with breaking changes
# Mark others as validated

Automation Opportunities

Planned: CLI Command (Future)

bash

# Scan all skills for external library references
npx aiknowsys check-skills --context7

# Output:
# 🔍 Scanning 23 skills...
# 
# ✅ 15 skills validated (current)
# ⚠️  5 skills need updates:
#   - nextjs-middleware.md (v13 → v15)
#   - supabase-auth.md (deprecated method)
#   - react-hooks.md (missing new APIs)
# 🔴 2 skills deprecated:
#   - webpack-config.md (replaced by Vite)
# ❌ 1 skill broken:
#   - old-api-pattern.md (library removed)
#
# Update skills? (Y/n)

Planned: GitHub Action (Future)

yaml

# .github/workflows/validate-skills.yml
name: Validate Skills

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 0 1 * *'  # Monthly
  workflow_dispatch:

jobs:
  validate:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: Validate skills with Context7
        run: npx aiknowsys check-skills --context7 --ci
      - name: Create PR if updates needed
        if: failure()
        uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v5
        with:
          title: "chore: update outdated skills"
          body: "Automated skill validation found updates needed."

Examples

Example 1: Validating Next.js Middleware Skill

Skill content (v13):

javascript

// .github/skills/nextjs-middleware/SKILL.md
export function middleware(req) {
  if (!req.cookies.auth) {
    return NextResponse.redirect('/login');
  }
}

Validation process:

code

1. Query Context7: /vercel/next.js (latest)
2. Compare: Method signature changed in v15
3. Update skill:

export function middleware(req: NextRequest) {
  const session = req.cookies.get('auth');
  if (!session) {
    return NextResponse.redirect(new URL('/login', req.url));
  }
}

4. Add validation marker:
**Last Validated:** 2026-02-01
**Context7 Source:** /vercel/next.js/v15.0.0
**Status:** ✅ Updated for Next.js 15

Example 2: Detecting Deprecated Pattern

Skill content:

javascript

// Supabase auth (old)
const { user } = await supabase.auth.signIn({
  email, password
});

Context7 check:

code

Query: /supabase/supabase auth patterns
Response: "signIn() deprecated, use signInWithPassword()"

Action: Update skill with deprecation warning

Updated skill:

markdown

> **⚠️ DEPRECATION NOTICE**
> `signIn()` deprecated in Supabase v2.
> Use `signInWithPassword()` instead.

## Current Pattern (Supabase v2+)
\`\`\`javascript
const { data, error } = await supabase.auth.signInWithPassword({
  email, password
});
\`\`\`

## Legacy Pattern (Supabase v1)
\`\`\`javascript
// ⚠️ Deprecated
const { user } = await supabase.auth.signIn({ email, password });
\`\`\`

Best Practices

DO ✅

•Validate before sharing skills with team
•Document version in skill header
•Add validation date after Context7 check
•Keep legacy patterns for reference (with deprecation notice)
•Create new skill instead of overwriting if major breaking change

DON'T ❌

•Don't delete old content without preserving history
•Don't blindly trust Context7 - verify changes make sense
•Don't skip validation for "small" skills
•Don't assume current AI knowledge is up-to-date
•Don't validate project-specific patterns (Context7 is for external libs)

Troubleshooting

Context7 Returns Different API than Expected

Possible causes:

•You're looking at wrong version
•Library had breaking change
•Context7 showing beta/preview docs

Solutions:

•Specify exact version: /owner/repo/vX.X.X
•Check library's changelog
•Cross-reference with official docs
•Document uncertainty in skill

Skill References Multiple Libraries

Example: Next.js + Supabase + React Hook Form

Approach:

code

1. Query each library separately:
   - /vercel/next.js
   - /supabase/supabase
   - /react-hook-form/react-hook-form

2. Validate integration pattern:
   - Does the combination still work?
   - Are there new recommended approaches?

3. Update skill with all library versions:
   **Dependencies:**
   - Next.js v15
   - Supabase v2
   - React Hook Form v7
   **Last Validated:** 2026-02-01

Related Skills

•context7-usage - Using Context7 with AIKnowSys
•skill-creator - Creating learned skills
•code-refactoring - Updating code based on skill changes

Skill Validation with Context7

Prerequisites

Workflow

Step 1: Identify Skills to Validate

Step 2: Extract Library References

Step 3: Query Context7 for Current Documentation

Step 4: Compare Skill Content with Current Docs

Step 5: Decide on Action

Step 6: Update Skill with Findings

Integration with AIKnowSys Workflows

Periodic Skill Maintenance

Before Team Sharing

After Framework Updates

Automation Opportunities

Planned: CLI Command (Future)

Planned: GitHub Action (Future)

Examples

Example 1: Validating Next.js Middleware Skill

Example 2: Detecting Deprecated Pattern

Best Practices

DO ✅

DON'T ❌

Troubleshooting

Context7 Returns Different API than Expected

Skill References Multiple Libraries

Related Skills

See Also