> For clean Markdown of any page, append `.md` to the page URL.
> Documentation index: https://you.com/docs/llms.txt (section indexes: append `/llms.txt` to any section URL).
> Search these docs: Docs MCP at https://you.com/docs/_mcp/server (`searchDocs`, no API key).
> Call live You.com APIs: Product MCP at https://api.you.com/mcp (keyless `?profile=free` exposes `you-search` and `you-discover`. Research and finance use `/mcp/research`, `/mcp/finance`, or `?tools=` on `/mcp`). To pick an API or integration path, call `you-discover` on that server instead of guessing.
> OpenAPI: https://you.com/docs/openapi.json—auth header `X-API-Key`, env `YDC_API_KEY`.

# Agent Skills

## Overview

[Agent Skills](https://agentskills.io/what-are-skills) are pre-built instructions that tell an agent how to perform a specific task. Skills can also bundle scripts, templates, and reference materials.
Think of a skill as a structured, repeatable prompt that tells an agent how to complete a specific task in a specific way.

The [youdotcom-oss/agent-skills](https://github.com/youdotcom-oss/agent-skills) repository packages You.com skills for current web search, URL content extraction, cited research, finance research, and developer integration discovery. The shared skills work with Agent Skills-compatible clients and are also packaged for Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, GitHub Copilot CLI, Kimi Code, Grok Build, OpenCode, OpenClaw, Pi, Hermes, and DeepSeek Harness.

> **Launch**
>
> Have an idea for a Skill? We'd love for you to [contribute](https://github.com/youdotcom-oss/agent-skills/issues).

## How Skills Relate to MCP Tools

A skill is an instruction pack. It tells your agent how to approach a task and which tool or API to reach for, but it does not call anything itself. The MCP tools on the You.com server are the callable functions that do the work—`you-search` runs a web search, `you-contents` extracts a page, `you-research` synthesizes a cited answer, `you-finance` does finance research, `you-balance` returns remaining credits, and `you-discover` finds the right integration path.

A few skills share a name with the tool they route to. The `you-research` skill and the `you-research` MCP tool are different things: the skill is a set of routing instructions, and the tool is what runs when the agent follows them. Each skill routes to one or more of those tools:

| Skill                  | Routes To                                                                                                                           |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `you-web`              | `you-search`, `you-contents`, and `you-research` MCP tools. With no API key or OAuth sign-in, `you-search` on the free MCP profile. |
| `you-research` (skill) | A local Research API script, a direct API request, or the `you-research` MCP tool                                                   |
| `you-finance` (skill)  | A local Finance Research API script, a direct API request, or the `you-finance` MCP tool                                            |
| `you-discover` (skill) | The `you-discover` MCP tool on the keyless discover profile and the Docs MCP Server `searchDocs` tool                               |

## Available Skills

Pick the skill that matches the task. Search and URL reading route to the MCP tools by default. Research and finance prefer a local script or a direct API request when `YDC_API_KEY` is set, with the matching MCP tool as a fallback.

#### you-web

Web MCP

Route web search, URL reading, and cited synthesis to the `you-search`, `you-contents`, and `you-research` MCP tools. With no `YDC_API_KEY` or OAuth sign-in, it switches to keyless `you-search` on the free MCP profile.

#### you-research

Research

Route research tasks between agent-led search, a Research API script, and the `you-research` MCP tool as a fallback.

#### you-finance

Finance

Route finance questions to an existing script, a Finance Research API call, or the `you-finance` MCP tool as a fallback.

#### you-discover

Discovery

Find the right You.com API, MCP server, SDK, docs page, plugin, or integration path for an agentic project, using the keyless `you-discover` MCP tool and the Docs MCP Server.

## Prerequisites

`you-research` and `you-finance` need a You.com API key, OAuth sign-in, or [machine payments](/docs/administration/machine-payments). `you-discover` needs no key, and `you-web` switches to the keyless free profile when no credentials are set.

### Get an API Key

Get your key at [you.com/platform/api-keys](https://you.com/platform/api-keys).

### Set the Environment Variable

```bash
export YDC_API_KEY="<YDC_API_KEY>"
```

## Installation

#### Install all skills

Install the shared skills with the universal Agent Skills installer:

```bash
npx skills add youdotcom-oss/agent-skills
```

#### Install individual skills

Install one or more specific skills when you only need targeted guidance:

```bash
# Install a single skill
npx skills add youdotcom-oss/agent-skills --skill you-web

# Install multiple specific skills
npx skills add youdotcom-oss/agent-skills --skill you-web --skill you-discover
```

## Platform Plugins

Several agent platforms can install You.com skills through host-specific plugin paths. The [Plugins page](/docs/agents/plugins) lists every command with per-package notes.

| Platform           | Install Path                                                                                          |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Claude Code        | `/plugin marketplace add youdotcom-oss/agent-skills` then `/plugin install you@you-com`               |
| GitHub Copilot CLI | `copilot plugin marketplace add youdotcom-oss/agent-skills` then `copilot plugin install you@you-com` |
| Codex              | `codex plugin marketplace add youdotcom-oss/agent-skills --sparse .agents/plugins`                    |
| Cursor             | `/add-plugin you`, or install from the [Cursor Marketplace](https://cursor.com/marketplace/ydc)       |
| Kimi Code          | `/plugins install https://github.com/youdotcom-oss/agent-skills`                                      |
| Grok Build         | `grok plugin marketplace add youdotcom-oss/agent-skills` then `grok plugin install you --trust`       |
| OpenCode           | `opencode plugin @youdotcom-oss/opencode`                                                             |
| OpenClaw           | `openclaw plugins install clawhub:you` or `openclaw plugins install npm:@youdotcom-oss/openclaw`      |
| Pi                 | `pi install npm:@youdotcom-oss/pi`                                                                    |
| Hermes             | `hermes plugins install youdotcom-oss/agent-skills` then `hermes plugins enable you`                  |
| DeepSeek Harness   | `dsh plugin add @youdotcom-oss/dsh-plugin`                                                            |

## MCP Endpoints

The skills reference the same You.com MCP endpoints documented in the [MCP Server guide](/docs/agents/mcp-server) and the [Docs MCP Server guide](/docs/agents/docs-mcp-server).

| Endpoint                                   | Use It For                                                                                                                                                 |
| ------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `https://api.you.com/mcp`                  | Default tools: `you-search`, `you-contents`, `you-balance`, and `you-discover`. Allow `you-research` or `you-finance` with `?tools=` or `X-Allowed-Tools`. |
| `https://api.you.com/mcp?profile=free`     | Keyless `you-search` and `you-discover`.                                                                                                                   |
| `https://api.you.com/mcp?profile=discover` | Keyless `you-discover` only. The `you-discover` skill uses it.                                                                                             |
| `https://api.you.com/mcp/research`         | `you-research` only. Profile ceiling still applies.                                                                                                        |
| `https://api.you.com/mcp/finance`          | `you-finance` only. Profile ceiling still applies.                                                                                                         |
| `https://you.com/docs/_mcp/server`         | You.com docs search through `searchDocs`.                                                                                                                  |

## Usage

Once installed, your AI coding agent will automatically activate the relevant skill when you describe what you want. For example:

* "Use you-web to find current docs and cite sources."
* "Use you-research to investigate this topic across multiple sources."
* "Use you-finance to research this company and cite market data."
* "Use you-discover to find the best You.com integration path for my TypeScript agent."

Each skill provides routing guidance, setup checks, safety rules, and validation steps tailored to the task.

## Resources

#### [Plugins](/docs/agents/plugins)

Install matrix for every supported agent platform

#### [GitHub Repository](https://github.com/youdotcom-oss/agent-skills)

Source code and all available skills

#### [API Keys](https://you.com/platform)

Get your You.com API key