Research Recipe Skill

A portable Agent Skill template for teams that need a custom research workflow. Copy the recipe, define the trigger, choose the standard You.com MCP server tools, and lock the output shape so agents retrieve and present evidence consistently.

What You’ll Build

A copy-and-customize SKILL.md template for teams that need a domain-specific research workflow. The recipe asks the author to define the trigger, choose the standard You.com MCP tools, and lock the output shape before publishing the skill.

When to Use It

No stock skill fits the task. Start from this recipe when you need a tailored trigger, a specific mix of retrieval tools, or a fixed output template your agent fills.

Prerequisites

Customize the Recipe

1. Set the trigger — define the task type and the phrases that should invoke it.
2. Choose the endpoints — you-research (synthesis), you-search (web/news), you-finance (markets), and you-contents (page text).
3. Lock the output shape — a freeform answer, or a fixed template your agent fills.

The Template

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---
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name: research-recipe
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description: A template for composing a custom research Skill on You.com endpoints. Copy this, set the trigger and the output shape, and wire the retrieval. Use when no stock skill fits the task.
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---
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# Research recipe (You.com) - template
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## When this fires
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Define your trigger here: the task type and the phrases that should invoke it.
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## How to retrieve
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1. Choose the endpoint(s): `you-research` (synthesis), `you-search` (web/news),
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   `you-finance` (markets), `you-contents` (page text).
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2. Call the standard You.com MCP server tools exposed by the agent harness.
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3. Define the output shape - a freeform answer, or a fixed template your agent
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   fills.

Example: A Filled-In Skill

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---
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name: my-research-skill
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description: Use when the user needs a domain-specific research brief.
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---
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# My research skill
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## When this fires
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Define the task type, trigger phrases, and exclusions.
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## How to retrieve
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1. Choose the endpoint mix: you-research, you-search, you-finance, you-contents.
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2. Call the standard You.com MCP server tools.
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3. Include relevant thread context in the retrieval request.
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## Output shape
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Return the exact sections your team needs, with citations preserved.

Next Steps