Npm Package Docs MCP

NPM Package Docs MCP

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) tool that provides up-to-date documentation for npm packages directly in your IDE. This tool fetches the latest README documentation from either the package's GitHub repository or the README bundled with the npm package itself.

What it does

This MCP tool helps your IDE (like Cursor) get the most current documentation for any npm package instead of relying on outdated or incomplete information. It works by:

1. GitHub Repository First: If the package has a GitHub repository, it fetches the README directly from the repository's main branch (trying master, main, or develop branches)
2. NPM Package Fallback: If no GitHub repository is available, it downloads the package tarball and extracts the README file from the bundled package
3. Real-time Updates: Always gets the latest documentation, ensuring you have the most current information

Why this matters

• No more guesswork: Get accurate, up-to-date documentation instead of relying on potentially outdated IDE suggestions
• Better development experience: Understand package APIs and usage patterns with current documentation
• Reduced errors: Avoid issues caused by using outdated API references or deprecated methods
• Seamless integration: Works directly in your IDE through the MCP protocol

Tools Provided

get_docs_for_npm_package

Description: Retrieves the latest documentation for any npm package

Parameters:

• packageName (string): The name of the npm package (e.g., "react", "lodash", "express")

Returns: The README content as text, either from the GitHub repository or the package tarball

Example Usage:

// In your IDE, you can now ask for documentation like:
// "Show me the docs for express"
// "What's the latest API for react-router-dom?"
// "Get documentation for axios"

How it Works

1. Package Lookup: Queries the npm registry to get package metadata
2. Repository Detection: Checks if the package has a GitHub repository URL
3. GitHub Fetch: If available, fetches README.md from the repository's main branch
4. Tarball Extraction: If no GitHub repo, downloads and extracts the package tarball to find the README
5. Content Return: Returns the documentation content to your IDE

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16 or higher)
• Cursor IDE (or any MCP-compatible IDE)

Installation

Add to Cursor

Add manually to Cursor

Edit your Cursor MCP configuration file (usually located at ~/.cursor/mcp.json):

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "npm-package-docs-mcp": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "meanands/npm-package-docs-mcp"
         ]
       }
     }
   }

1. Restart Cursor: Restart Cursor IDE to load the new MCP server

Usage

Once installed, you can use the tool in Cursor by:

1. Opening the command palette (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P)
2. Typing your request, for example:
   • "Get docs for express"
   • "Show me the latest react documentation"
   • "What's new in lodash v4?"

The tool will fetch and display the current documentation for the requested package.

Development

Running in Development Mode

npm run dev

Building for Production

npm run build

Project Structure

npm-docs-mcp/
├── src/
│   ├── server.ts          # Main MCP server implementation
│   └── types/
│       └── index.ts       # TypeScript type definitions
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── README.md

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.