You.com MCP: web search and content for agents
You.com MCP
A STDIO bridge to the hosted You.com MCP server: web search, page extraction and a free keyless mode with no signup
- 27 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- MIT
Extended access
Why this level
- Search phrases and page addresses go to a third-party You.com server
- Search results and page content enter the agent's context, and hostile text on a page can influence its actions
Install
- Works in
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add mcp/you-com-mcpDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewExtended accessThe tool runs code or makes network calls and only reads external data.
- Search phrases and page addresses go to a third-party You.com server
- Search results and page content enter the agent's context, and hostile text on a page can influence its actions
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
The @youdotcom-oss/mcp package holds only a bridge: it takes MCP traffic over stdio and forwards it to the hosted server at https://api.you.com/mcp. The package contains no tools or request logic of its own; everything lives on the You.com side. By default the hosted server exposes four tools: you-search for search, you-contents for extracting page content, you-balance and you-discover. you-finance and you-research are available on request. The wanted set is chosen with a tools parameter in the URL or the YDC_ALLOWED_TOOLS variable. The free profile (YDC_PROFILE=free) works with no key and no signup and exposes you-search and you-discover. With a YDC_API_KEY, sent as an Authorization Bearer header, the default tools are available. A client that supports remote servers does not need the bridge: https://api.you.com/mcp?profile=free connects directly.
Who it is for. Developers and researchers who need web search and page reading in Claude Code, Cursor or Windsurf, including with no signup.
Good fit when
- The agent has to find fresh documentation for a library and you would rather not pay for a key just to try
- A page from search results must be read in full: you-contents pulls the content
- The client speaks only stdio while the server is remote, so a bridge with an npx command is needed
- A finance question needs the you-finance tool, switched on through the tools parameter
- Key usage has to be checked from the conversation with you-balance
Not a fit when
- Your client supports remote servers: https://api.you.com/mcp connects directly, so the bridge is extra
- You need an offline mode or work inside a closed network: the server is hosted and answers over the network
- You need the full toolset without a key: the free profile exposes you-search and you-discover
Example request
Find recent discussions of this library's update and read the two most detailed pages in fullMCP
- Transport
- stdio, http
- Authentication
- key is optional
Environment variables
YDC_API_KEYsecret- You.com platform key, sent as an Authorization Bearer header.
YDC_PROFILE- A value of free turns on the free keyless mode.
YDC_ALLOWED_TOOLS- Comma-separated tool ids.
Limitations
The package is a bridge and useless offline. All requests go to api.you.com, so search phrases and page addresses are handled by You.com. The repository gives no plan terms or key conditions; see you.com/platform.
The free profile overrides tools and leaves only you-search and you-discover. YDC_PROFILE takes precedence over YDC_ALLOWED_TOOLS. you-finance and you-research must be enabled explicitly. Installing with bun add suits a project, while clients usually need only npx.
How to disable. Remove the server with claude mcp remove you or its line from the client config. A key, if you created one, is revoked at you.com/platform/api-keys.
FAQ
How do I install You.com MCP in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add you -e YDC_PROFILE=free -- npx @youdotcom-oss/mcp for the free mode, or claude mcp add you -e YDC_API_KEY=<key> -- npx @youdotcom-oss/mcp with a key.
Do I need a key?
No. The free profile YDC_PROFILE=free needs no key and no signup and exposes you-search and you-discover. The other tools come with YDC_API_KEY by default.
Can I skip the bridge?
Yes, if the client supports remote servers: use https://api.you.com/mcp?profile=free or https://api.you.com/mcp with an Authorization Bearer header.
How do I enable you-finance and you-research?
Put them in the tools parameter of the URL, for example https://api.you.com/mcp?tools=you-search,you-finance, or list them in YDC_ALLOWED_TOOLS.
Where do I get a key?
At you.com/platform/api-keys. Platform docs are at documentation.you.com and support answers at support@you.com.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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Comparison with similar tools
Cards that share the main search query, and how they differ.
| Tool | Official | Authentication | Repository stars | Main difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| You.com MCP: web search and content for agents (this card) | yes | key is optional | 27 | |
| Exa MCP Server | yes | OAuth | 5,231 | the Exa search service with its own toolset, whereas You.com MCP offers a free keyless profile |
| Tavily MCP Server | yes | API key | 2,489 | the Tavily service with an API key, whereas here a free mode works with no signup |
| You.com Agent Skills | no | 104 | a skill set from the same vendor with instructions for search and research, whereas this package connects the server itself over MCP |
README in short
The README gives a quick start with configs for Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf and VS Code, explains connecting to the remote server directly, the environment variables and the toolset. At the end are links to keys, docs and the MCP registry. The license is MIT.