> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL. > For a complete documentation index, see https://docs-staging.you.com/llms.txt. > For full documentation content, see https://docs-staging.you.com/llms-full.txt. > For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs-staging.you.com/_mcp/server. # MCP Server ## Introduction The You.com MCP Server is **the fastest path from zero to web-grounded AI agents**. Give your agents real-time access to the latest web information through the [Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/). Search current content, get up-to-date answers, and extract live web pages—whether in your IDE or deployed agentic workflows. Built on MCP to **work everywhere your agents do**—one integration, unlimited compatibility across IDEs, frameworks, and production systems. **Key Features:** * Free to start — use `you-search` without credentials on the remote server (`?profile=free`) or the local NPM package * Web and news search with advanced filtering * Content extraction from URLs in markdown or HTML format * Finance-optimized research with a dedicated financial index * Multiple deployment options: Remote server (recommended) or local NPM package * Optional API key for higher rate limits * OAuth 2.1 support on the remote server — any MCP client that implements the OAuth 2.1 authorization flow connects without managing API keys * Works seamlessly with Windsurf, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, JetBrains, and other MCP-enabled IDEs ## Getting started Get up and running with the You.com MCP Server in three simple steps: ### Choose your setup You can discover this server in the [Anthropic MCP Registry](https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/?q=io.github.youdotcom-oss%2Fmcp) as `io.github.youdotcom-oss/mcp`, or configure it manually: Always up-to-date with the latest features. Just add the URL `https://api.you.com/mcp` to your agent's configuration. For self-hosting or offline development. Install via `npx @youdotcom-oss/mcp` to run locally on your machine with STDIO transport. ### Configure your client Choose from Windsurf, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, JetBrains, or other supported editors. See the [Setup guides](#setup-guides) below for IDE-specific configuration. #### Standard configuration templates **Remote server** — requires an API key or OAuth 2.1. If your MCP client supports OAuth 2.1, connect without credentials and the authorization flow starts automatically. Otherwise, pass an API key: ```json { "mcpServers": { "ydc-server": { "type": "http", "url": "https://api.you.com/mcp", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer " } } } } ``` **Remote server (free tier, no credentials)** — append `?profile=free` to access `you-search` without authentication. `you-contents`, `you-research`, and `you-finance` are not available on the free tier: ```json { "mcpServers": { "ydc-server": { "type": "http", "url": "https://api.you.com/mcp?profile=free" } } } ``` **Local NPM package (STDIO)** — web search is available without credentials; live page crawl (`you-contents`) and research (`you-research`) require an API key. Set `YDC_API_KEY` to unlock all tools: ```json { "mcpServers": { "ydc-server": { "command": "npx", "args": ["@youdotcom-oss/mcp"] } } } ``` With an API key: ```json { "mcpServers": { "ydc-server": { "command": "npx", "args": ["@youdotcom-oss/mcp"], "env": { "YDC_API_KEY": "" } } } } ``` With an API key and specific tools: ```json { "mcpServers": { "ydc-server": { "command": "npx", "args": ["@youdotcom-oss/mcp"], "env": { "YDC_API_KEY": "", "YDC_ALLOWED_TOOLS": "you-search,you-finance" } } } } ``` Get an API key at [you.com/platform](https://you.com/platform). ### Test your setup Once configured, try these natural language queries with your AI assistant: * "Search the web for the latest news about artificial intelligence" * "What is the capital of France?" (with web search) * "Extract the content from [https://example.com](https://example.com)" * "Research the pros and cons of WebAssembly vs JavaScript for performance-critical applications" Your AI assistant will ask for permission to use the You.com MCP tools the first time, then automatically use them for future requests. ## Authentication **Remote server** (`https://api.you.com/mcp`) supports one of: * **Bearer token** — pass `Authorization: Bearer ` as a request header. Get a key at [you.com/platform](https://you.com/platform). * **OAuth 2.1** — no API key needed. Any MCP client that implements [MCP Authorization](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/draft/basic/authorization) will automatically handle the flow. When you connect without credentials, the server responds with `401 Unauthorized` and a `WWW-Authenticate` header pointing to the You.com authorization server. Your client opens a browser for you to sign in, then retries the connection with the issued token. * **Free tier** — no credentials required. Connect to `https://api.you.com/mcp?profile=free` for unauthenticated access to `you-search` only. `you-contents`, `you-research`, and `you-finance` are excluded from this profile. Limited to 100 queries per day. **Local NPM package** (`npx @youdotcom-oss/mcp`) uses STDIO transport: * **Free tier** — run without any `YDC_API_KEY` env var. Subject to free-tier rate limits. * **API key** — set `YDC_API_KEY=` in the environment for higher rate limits. * **Tool scoping** — set `YDC_ALLOWED_TOOLS` to a comma-separated list of tool ids to expose. For example, `YDC_ALLOWED_TOOLS=you-search,you-finance` makes only those two tools available. * **Free profile** — set `YDC_PROFILE=free` for search-only mode with no authentication. This overrides `YDC_ALLOWED_TOOLS` and does not expose `you-research`, `you-contents`, `you-finance`, or livecrawl. OAuth is only available for the HTTP remote server. The local NPM package does not support OAuth. ## Available tools The You.com MCP Server provides four tools. Three are enabled by default; `you-finance` is optional and must be requested explicitly. Simply ask in natural language what you want to do—your MCP client automatically handles the rest. ### you-search Comprehensive web and news search with advanced filtering capabilities. Use this when you need to search the web for information, filter by specific sites or file types, or get the latest news on a topic. ### you-contents Extract full page content from URLs in markdown or HTML format. Use this when you need to extract and analyze content from web pages for reading or processing in your workflow. ### you-research Comprehensive web research that returns synthesized, citation-backed answers. Use this when you need in-depth analysis of a topic rather than raw search results. Supports configurable effort levels—`lite`, `standard`, `deep`, and `exhaustive`—so you can balance speed against thoroughness. ### you-finance (optional) Finance-optimized research with a dedicated financial index covering structured company fundamentals, equity and commodity price data, private company metrics, SEC filings, and financial news. Use this when you need citation-backed answers to financial questions—earnings analysis, market research, due diligence, and macroeconomic research. `you-finance` is not included in the default tool set. Request it explicitly with `?tools=` on the remote server or `YDC_ALLOWED_TOOLS` on the local package (see [Scoping tools](#scoping-tools) below). ## Scoping tools The default MCP endpoint (`https://api.you.com/mcp`) exposes three tools: `you-search`, `you-research`, and `you-contents`. `you-finance` is not included by default. You can control which tools are visible in two ways. ### Using the `?tools=` query parameter (recommended) Append `?tools=` with a comma-separated list of tool ids to scope the visible tool set. This is the simplest approach and works with any HTTP MCP client. **Finance only:** ```json { "mcpServers": { "ydc-server": { "type": "http", "url": "https://api.you.com/mcp?tools=you-finance", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer " } } } } ``` **Search plus finance:** ```json { "mcpServers": { "ydc-server": { "type": "http", "url": "https://api.you.com/mcp?tools=you-search,you-finance", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer " } } } } ``` **All four tools:** ```json { "mcpServers": { "ydc-server": { "type": "http", "url": "https://api.you.com/mcp?tools=you-search,you-research,you-contents,you-finance", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer " } } } } ``` ### Using the `X-Disable-Tools` header When you use HTTP transport, you can also hide tools from the MCP session by sending the `X-Disable-Tools` header on each request. List tool names as a comma-separated list. Omit the header or leave it empty to register all tools. Add the header in your MCP client configuration alongside any other headers (for example `Authorization`): ```json { "mcpServers": { "ydc-server": { "type": "http", "url": "https://api.you.com/mcp", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ", "X-Disable-Tools": "you-research,you-contents" } } } } ``` This applies to Streamable HTTP connections. The local NPM package uses STDIO transport and does not use this header. ### Local NPM package tool scoping For the local NPM package (`npx @youdotcom-oss/mcp`), use the `YDC_ALLOWED_TOOLS` environment variable instead of `?tools=`: ```json { "mcpServers": { "ydc-server": { "command": "npx", "args": ["@youdotcom-oss/mcp"], "env": { "YDC_API_KEY": "", "YDC_ALLOWED_TOOLS": "you-search,you-finance" } } } } ``` You can also set `YDC_PROFILE=free` for search-only mode with no authentication. `YDC_PROFILE` takes precedence over `YDC_ALLOWED_TOOLS`. ## Use cases & examples Here are practical examples showing how to use the You.com MCP tools in your daily workflow: ### Research & information gathering **Finding specific information:** * "Find recent research papers about quantum computing on arxiv.org" * "Search for TypeScript documentation about generics" * "Get the latest news about renewable energy from the past week" * "Find PDF files about machine learning algorithms" ### Content extraction & analysis **Extracting web content:** * "Extract the content from this blog post: [https://example.com/article](https://example.com/article)" * "Get the documentation from these three URLs in markdown format" * "Pull the HTML content from this page preserving the layout" * "Batch extract content from these 5 documentation pages" ### Combined workflows Your AI assistant can orchestrate multiple tools to complete complex tasks: 1. **Research + extract**: "Search for the best TypeScript tutorials, then extract the content from the top 3 results" 2. **Question + deep dive**: "What is WebAssembly? Then search for real-world examples and extract code samples" 3. **News + analysis**: "Find recent articles about AI regulation, then summarize the key points" ### Financial research (requires `you-finance`) When `you-finance` is enabled, your AI assistant can answer financial questions with citation-backed sources from a finance-optimized index: * "What were the key drivers of NVIDIA's revenue growth in fiscal year 2025?" * "Compare the gross margins of Apple, Microsoft, and Google over the past three fiscal years" * "What are the key risk factors disclosed in Palantir's most recent 10-K filing?" * "How has the Federal Reserve's rate path affected commercial real estate valuations since 2022?" `you-finance` is not included in the default tool set. Request it with `?tools=you-finance` on the remote server or `YDC_ALLOWED_TOOLS=you-finance` on the local package. See [Scoping tools](#scoping-tools) for details. ### Pro tips * **Be specific**: Include domains, date ranges, or file types when searching for more precise results * **Use natural language**: You don't need to memorize parameters - just describe what you want * **Ask follow-up questions**: Refine results and dig deeper by asking your AI assistant to clarify or expand * **Let your agent orchestrate**: For complex workflows, your AI assistant will automatically use multiple tools together ## Setup guides For setup, follow the MCP installation [guide](https://docs.windsurf.com/windsurf/cascade/mcp#adding-a-new-mcp-plugin). **Quick setup (API key):** ```bash claude mcp add --transport http ydc-server https://api.you.com/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer " ``` **OAuth 2.1 (no API key):** Connect without credentials and Claude Code will initiate the OAuth flow automatically: ```bash claude mcp add --transport http ydc-server https://api.you.com/mcp ``` For setup, follow the MCP installation [guide](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp). For setup, follow the MCP installation [guide](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/develop/connect-local-servers). [![Install MCP Server](https://cursor.com/deeplink/mcp-install-dark.svg)](https://cursor.com/en-US/install-mcp?name=ydc-server\&config=eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2FwaS55b3UuY29tL21jcCIsImhlYWRlcnMiOnsiQXV0aG9yaXphdGlvbiI6IkJlYXJlciA8eW91LWFwaS1rZXk%2BIn19) For setup, follow the MCP installation [guide](https://cursor.com/docs/context/mcp#installing-mcp-servers); use the configuration template above **without** the `type` field. To avoid conflicts, go to Settings → Agents tab and turn off Cursor's built-in web search tool. **Quick setup (command line):** ```bash code --add-mcp '{"name":"ydc-server","url":"https://api.you.com/mcp","type":"http","headers":{"Authorization":"Bearer "}}' ``` For setup, follow the MCP installation [guide](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/customization/mcp-servers#_add-an-mcp-server); use the configuration template above. **Requirements:** GitHub Copilot extension must be installed For setup, follow the MCP installation [guide](https://www.jetbrains.com/help/ai-assistant/mcp.html#connect-to-an-mcp-server); use the configuration template above. **Supported IDEs:** IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, GoLand, RubyMine, PhpStorm, and more (requires AI Assistant enabled) For setup, follow the MCP installation [guide](https://zed.dev/docs/ai/mcp#as-custom-servers); use the configuration template above **without** the `type` field. **Codex:** For setup, follow the MCP installation [guide](https://github.com/openai/codex/blob/main/docs/config.md#streamable-http). **opencode:** For setup, follow the MCP installation [guide](https://opencode.ai/docs/mcp-servers/#remote); use the configuration template above. **LM Studio:** For setup, follow the MCP installation [guide](https://lmstudio.ai/docs/app/mcp); use the configuration template above but **without** the `type` field. **Gemini CLI:** Follow the [MCP server setup guide](https://google-gemini.github.io/gemini-cli/docs/tools/mcp-server.html) using the standard configuration template. ## Additional resources For complete details on search parameters, response formats, and advanced usage, see the [Search API Reference](/docs/api-reference/search/v1-search). ## Troubleshooting **Symptoms:** Authentication errors, "Invalid API key" messages **Solutions:** 1. Verify your API key is active at [you.com/platform](https://you.com/platform) 2. Check for extra spaces or quotes in your configuration 3. Ensure the API key has the correct scopes enabled 4. For the local NPM package, verify the `YDC_API_KEY` environment variable is properly exported 5. If using the remote server, try OAuth 2.1 as an alternative (see the Authentication section) **Symptoms:** Browser window doesn't open, OAuth flow fails, "Invalid token" errors **Solutions:** 1. Confirm your MCP client supports OAuth 2.1 — check your client's documentation 2. If the browser window opens but authorization fails, try signing in to [you.com](https://you.com) first in the same browser 3. If the flow completes but the client still receives 401, restart the MCP client to clear cached token state 4. As a fallback, use an API key from [you.com/platform](https://you.com/platform) instead **Symptoms:** "Connection refused", timeout errors **Solutions:** 1. **Remote server:** Check your internet connection and firewall settings 2. **Local package:** Ensure `npx` and Node.js are installed and in your PATH 3. **HTTP mode:** Confirm the server is listening on the correct port 4. Check your MCP client logs for detailed error messages **Symptoms:** MCP server not appearing in IDE, tools not available **Solutions:** 1. Restart your IDE after configuration changes 2. Check the IDE's MCP logs for error messages (Claude Code: terminal output, Claude Desktop: application menu, Cursor: MCP server logs in settings, VS Code: output panel) 3. Verify the configuration file is in the correct location 4. For STDIO transport, ensure the command is executable 5. Try the remote server option if local installation fails ### Report an issue If you're experiencing issues, we're here to help: * **Email:** [support@you.com](mailto:support@you.com) * **Web:** [You.com Support](https://you.com/support/contact-us) * **GitHub:** [Report an issue](https://github.com/youdotcom-oss/dx-toolkit/issues) **Pro tip:** When errors occur, check your MCP client logs - they include a pre-filled mailto link with error details for easy reporting. ## For contributors Interested in contributing to the You.com MCP Server? We'd love your help! Need technical details? Check [AGENTS.md](https://github.com/youdotcom-oss/dx-toolkit/blob/main/AGENTS.md) for complete development setup, architecture overview, code patterns, and testing guidelines. 1. Fork the repository 2. Create a feature branch following naming conventions in [CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/youdotcom-oss/dx-toolkit/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) 3. Follow the code style guidelines and use conventional commits 4. Write tests for your changes (maintain >80% coverage) 5. Run quality checks: `bun run check && bun test` 6. Submit a pull request with a clear description We appreciate all contributions, whether it's: * Bug fixes * New features * Documentation improvements * Performance optimizations * Test coverage improvements ## Transport protocols The MCP server supports two transport protocols: **Use for:** * Remote server connections * Web applications * Production deployments **Authentication:** Bearer token, OAuth 2.1, or free tier (`?profile=free`, search only) **Default tools:** `you-search`, `you-research`, `you-contents` **Optional tools:** `you-finance` (request with `?tools=you-finance`) **Endpoint:** `https://api.you.com/mcp` **Use for:** * Local NPM package installations * Development environments * IDEs that only support STDIO **Authentication:** `YDC_API_KEY` environment variable, or free tier (no env var) **Default tools:** `you-search`, `you-research`, `you-contents` **Optional tools:** `you-finance` (request with `YDC_ALLOWED_TOOLS`) **Command:** `npx @youdotcom-oss/mcp` ## Resources Official package on npm Source code and issues Model Context Protocol docs ## Framework integrations The You.com MCP server also powers native framework integrations. These packages connect to the same hosted MCP server at `https://api.you.com/mcp` and expose the same tools through framework-specific APIs: `@youdotcom-oss/ai-sdk-plugin` — async tools for AI SDK applications `@youdotcom-oss/langchain` — tools for LangChain.js agents `@youdotcom-oss/cli` — agent-first CLI for testing and scripting ## Explore further Get started with You.com API Detailed API documentation Finance-optimized research with citations Python, TypeScript, and framework integrations