API Lookup Tool

The apilookup tool ensures you get current, accurate API/SDK documentation by forcing the AI to search for the latest information rather than relying on outdated training data. This is especially critical for OS-tied APIs (iOS, macOS, Android, etc.) where the AI's knowledge cutoff may be months or years old. Most importantly, it does this within in a sub-process / sub-agent, saving you precious tokens within your working context window.

Why Use This Tool?

Without Zen (Using Standard AI)

User: "How do I add glass look to a button in Swift?"

AI: [Searches based on training data knowledge cutoff]
    "SwiftUI glass morphism frosted glass effect button iOS 18 2025"

Result: You get outdated APIs for iOS 18, not the iOS 26 effect you're after

With Zen (Using apilookup)

User: "use apilookup how do I add glass look to a button in swift?"

AI: Step 1 - Search: "what is the latest iOS version 2025"
    → Finds: iOS 26 is current

    Step 2 - Search: "iOS 26 SwiftUI glass effect button 2025"
    → Gets current APIs specific to iOS 26

Result: You get the correct, current APIs that work with today's iOS version

Key Features

1. OS Version Detection (Critical!)

For any OS-tied request (iOS, macOS, Windows, Android, watchOS, tvOS), apilookup MUST:

First search for the current OS version ("what is the latest iOS version 2025")
Never rely on the AI's training data for version numbers
Only after confirming current version, search for APIs/SDKs for that specific version

2. Authoritative Sources Only

Prioritizes official documentation:

Project documentation sites
GitHub repositories
Package registries (npm, PyPI, crates.io, Maven Central, etc.)
Official blogs and release notes

3. Actionable, Concise Results

Current version numbers and release dates
Breaking changes and migration notes
Code examples and configuration options
Deprecation warnings and security advisories

When to Use

You need current API/SDK documentation or version info
You're working with OS-specific frameworks (SwiftUI, UIKit, Jetpack Compose, etc.)
You want to verify which version supports a feature
You need migration guides or breaking change notes
You're checking for deprecations or security advisories

Usage Examples

OS-Specific APIs

use apilookup how do I add glass look to a button in swift?
use apilookup what's the latest way to handle permissions in Android?
use apilookup how do I use the new macOS window management APIs?

Library/Framework Versions

use apilookup find the latest Stripe Python SDK version and note any breaking changes since v7
use apilookup what's the current AWS CDK release and list migration steps from v2
use apilookup check the latest React version and any new hooks introduced in 2025

Feature Compatibility

use apilookup does the latest TypeScript support decorators natively?
use apilookup what's the current status of Swift async/await on Linux?

How It Works

Receives your query with API/SDK/framework name
Injects mandatory instructions that force current-year searches
For OS-tied requests: Requires two-step search (OS version first, then API)
Returns structured guidance with instructions for web search
AI executes searches and provides authoritative, current documentation

Output Format

The tool returns JSON with:

status: "web_lookup_needed"
instructions: Detailed search strategy and requirements
user_prompt: Your original request

The AI then performs the actual web searches and synthesizes the results into actionable documentation.

Codex CLI Configuration Reminder

If you use Zen through the Codex CLI, the assistant needs Codex's native web-search tool to fetch current documentation. After adding the Zen MCP entry to ~/.codex/config.toml, confirm the file also contains:

[tools]
web_search = true

If [tools] is missing, append the block manually. Without this flag, apilookup will keep requesting web searches that Codex cannot execute, and you'll see repeated attempts at using curl incorrectly.

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