How to install You.com web search in Claude Code

What it does

Out of the box, an AI assistant only knows what it learned during training, so it can be months behind. This plugin from You.com, a search company, lets your assistant search the live web, open the pages it finds and answer with links to its sources.

It comes as four skills: you-web for search and reading pages, you-research for longer reports built from many sources, you-finance for stock and company numbers, and you-discover for developers who want to build with You.com.

Basic search works without an account. For the other skills you sign in when asked or create an API key (a password for programs) on the You.com website. It suits anyone who uses their assistant for research, price checks or news.

Example prompts

"Use you-research to compare the top three password managers on price and features, with sources"
"Open the pricing page of Notion and summarise the plan limits as a table"
"Find the latest news about the EU AI Act and cite the pages you used"
"Use you-web to check if this product is still sold and at what price"

How to install

$ /plugin marketplace add youdotcom-oss/agent-skills

$ /plugin install you@you-com

$ codex plugin marketplace add youdotcom-oss/agent-skills --sparse .agents/plugins

$ npx skills add youdotcom-oss/agent-skills

How to use it

Ask, for example: Use you-research to compare three note-taking apps on price and features, with sources.

Check it works

In Claude Code, type /plugin and check that the plugin named you is installed; then ask a question with 'Use you-web' and look for cited links in the answer.

Common problems

Search works but page reading or research fails — those tools need a You.com sign-in or API key — sign in or add your key as the README describes.
The plugin commands do not appear — the plugin loads when Claude Code starts — run /plugin to check it is installed and enabled, then restart Claude Code.

What to watch out for

Sends your search questions and the web addresses you ask about to You.com
Full search, page reading, research and finance need a You.com sign-in or API key
Web pages can hide instructions for AI; the README says results are treated as data, but check what the assistant does

Licence and author

Licence: MIT
Author: youdotcom-oss
Source code: github.com/youdotcom-oss/agent-skills

How we tested it

We installed it on an empty test computer on 13 Oct 2026. Installed and started in a clean test system. Not yet used in a real AI session.

Test level

Not run: "codex plugin marketplace add youdotcom-oss/agent-skills --sparse .agents/plugins" (not a form the sandbox runs). Not yet used on real work.

Technical details of the test

Date: 13 Oct 2026
Method: Intake sandbox run on 2026-10-13 in a clean container with no account: cloned the repository and checked its skill, agent and plugin files, ran "npx -y skills --help"; installed you@you-com with the Claude Code command line.

Checked again on 13 Oct 2026

Alternatives

Exa MCP — another search connector with deep research, needs an Exa API key
Context7 — looks up current software documentation only, not the general web

FAQ

Q: Is it free? A: The skills are MIT-licensed and basic search works without a key; heavier use needs a You.com account.
Q: Does it work in Gemini CLI? A: The README lists Claude Code, Codex and other tools but not Gemini CLI by name; the general npx skills command may work.
Q: Where do my questions go? A: To You.com's servers, under You.com's privacy policy.

Sources

github.com/youdotcom-oss/agent-skills