***

title: MCP Server
og:title: You.com MCP Server | Model Context Protocol Integration
og:description: Integrate You.com's powerful web access capabilities into your agentic IDE using the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Search, extract content, and get AI-powered answers. Quick setup for Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, and more.
---------------------

For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL. For a complete documentation index, see https://you.com/docs/build-with-agents/llms.txt. For full documentation content, see https://you.com/docs/build-with-agents/llms-full.txt.

## 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 locally — run the NPM package without an API key or account
* Web and news search with advanced filtering
* Content extraction from URLs in markdown or HTML format
* 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:

<Steps toc={true}>
  ### 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:

  <CardGroup cols={2}>
    <Card title="Remote server (recommended)" icon="fa-regular fa-cloud">
      Always up-to-date with the latest features. Just add the URL
      `https://api.you.com/mcp` to your agent's configuration.
    </Card>

    <Card title="Local NPM package" icon="fa-regular fa-box">
      For self-hosting or offline development. Install via `npx
          @youdotcom-oss/mcp` to run locally on your machine with STDIO transport.
    </Card>
  </CardGroup>

  ### 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 <your-api-key>"
        }
      }
    }
  }
  ```

  **Local NPM package (STDIO)** — web search is available without credentials; live page crawl (`you-contents`) requires 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": "<your-api-key>"
        }
      }
    }
  }
  ```

  <Note>
    Get an API key at [you.com/platform](https://you.com/platform).
  </Note>

  ### 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.
</Steps>

## Authentication

**Remote server** (`https://api.you.com/mcp`) requires one of:

* **Bearer token** — pass `Authorization: Bearer <your-api-key>` 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.

**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=<your-api-key>` in the environment for higher rate limits.

<Note>
  OAuth is only available for the HTTP remote server. The local NPM package does not support OAuth.
</Note>

## Available tools

The You.com MCP Server provides three powerful tools that work with your AI assistant. 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.

## Disabling tools

When you use **HTTP transport** (for example `https://api.you.com/mcp`), you can hide tools from the MCP session by sending the `X-Disable-Tools` header on each request. List tool names as a comma-separated list. Names are trimmed of leading and trailing whitespace. 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 <your-api-key>",
        "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.

## 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"

### 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

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Windsurf" icon="wind" defaultOpen>
    For setup, follow the MCP installation [guide](https://docs.windsurf.com/windsurf/cascade/mcp#adding-a-new-mcp-plugin).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Claude Code" icon="code">
    **Quick setup (API key):**

    ```bash
    claude mcp add --transport http ydc-server https://api.you.com/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer <your-api-key>"
    ```

    **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).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Claude Desktop" icon="desktop">
    For setup, follow the MCP installation [guide](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/develop/connect-local-servers).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Cursor IDE" icon="arrow-pointer">
    [![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.

    <Note>
      To avoid conflicts, go to Settings → Agents tab and turn off Cursor's built-in
      web search tool.
    </Note>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="VS Code" icon="code">
    **Quick setup (command line):**

    ```bash
    code --add-mcp '{"name":"ydc-server","url":"https://api.you.com/mcp","type":"http","headers":{"Authorization":"Bearer <your-api-key>"}}'
    ```

    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.

    <Note>
      **Requirements:**

       GitHub Copilot extension must be installed
    </Note>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="JetBrains IDEs" icon="code">
    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)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Zed Editor" icon="pen-to-square">
    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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Other editors" icon="ellipsis">
    **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.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## 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

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="API key issues" icon="key">
    **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)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="OAuth issues" icon="shield-check">
    **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
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Connection issues" icon="network-wired">
    **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
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="IDE integration issues" icon="code">
    **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
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### 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)

<Note>
  **Pro tip:** When errors occur, check your MCP client logs - they include a
  pre-filled mailto link with error details for easy reporting.
</Note>

## 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:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="HTTP transport" icon="fa-regular fa-globe">
    **Use for:**

    * Remote server connections
    * Web applications
    * Production deployments

    **Authentication:** Bearer token or OAuth 2.1

    **Endpoint:** `https://api.you.com/mcp`
  </Card>

  <Card title="STDIO transport" icon="fa-regular fa-terminal">
    **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)

    **Command:** `npx @youdotcom-oss/mcp`
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Resources

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="NPM package" icon="fa-regular fa-box" href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/@youdotcom-oss/mcp">
    Official package on npm
  </Card>

  <Card title="GitHub repository" icon="fa-brands fa-github" href="https://github.com/youdotcom-oss/dx-toolkit/tree/main/packages/mcp">
    Source code and issues
  </Card>

  <Card title="MCP specification" icon="fa-regular fa-book" href="https://modelcontextprotocol.io/">
    Model Context Protocol docs
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Explore further

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart guide" icon="fa-regular fa-play" href="/docs/quickstart" horizontal>
    Get started with You.com API
  </Card>

  <Card title="Search API reference" icon="fa-regular fa-magnifying-glass" href="/docs/api-reference/search/v1-search" horizontal>
    Detailed API documentation
  </Card>
</CardGroup>