Agent tools · Last verified 2026-10-16

free web search MCP server for Claude and Cursor

Hosted MCP server with a keyless free profile: live web search for agents, capped at 100 queries per day.

What it does

You.com runs a hosted MCP server over Streamable HTTP. Adding ?profile=free to the endpoint turns on a keyless mode, so an agent can run real web searches before anyone signs up for an API key. It is the quickest way to give a coding agent current search results: paste one URL into the MCP config and a you-search tool appears. Results come back as ranked URLs with titles, descriptions and short highlights, which keeps the agent’s context small.

Verified facts

PriceThe keyless free profile costs nothing. Keyed API use is pay-as-you-go (Web Search API listed at $5.00 per 1k calls on the check date). [Verified 2026-10-16] source
API key / authNone for https://api.you.com/mcp?profile=free. Higher limits and extra tools need a Bearer API key or OAuth 2.1. [Verified 2026-10-16] source
Rate limit (free profile)100 queries per day. [Verified 2026-10-16] source
Tools on the free profileOur tools/list call on the check date returned two tools: you-search and you-discover. One You.com docs page says the free profile is search-only, so treat you-discover as possibly subject to change. you-contents, you-research and you-finance need a key. [Verified 2026-10-16] source
TermsUse is governed by You.com’s Terms of Service. [Verified 2026-10-16] source
EndpointPOST https://api.you.com/mcp?profile=free (MCP Streamable HTTP; a plain GET returns 405) [Verified 2026-10-16] source

Prompt to give your agent

Use the you-search tool for anything that needs current information. Run one focused query per question, open the most authoritative result, and cite its URL. We are on the free profile with only 100 queries a day, so don't repeat a search you already ran, and tell me if you run out.

Agent / MCP-style tool snippet

# Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport http you-free "https://api.you.com/mcp?profile=free"

// Cursor: .cursor/mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "you-free": { "type": "http", "url": "https://api.you.com/mcp?profile=free" }
  }
}

Working example (run 2026-10-16)

curl -sS -X POST "https://api.you.com/mcp?profile=free" \
  -H "content-type: application/json" -H "accept: application/json, text/event-stream" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":2,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"you-search","arguments":{"query":"Open-Meteo API terms","count":1}}}'

Response (trimmed):

HTTP 200 (text/event-stream)
event: message
data: {"result":{"_meta":{"you/usage":{"sku":"search","results_returned":1,"extraction_mode":"highlights"}},
  "content":[{"type":"text","text":"{\"results\":{\"web\":[{\"url\":\"https://freeapihub.com/blog/free-weather-api-python-tutorial-beginners\",
  \"title\":\"Free Weather API in Python: Open-Meteo Tutorial\", ...}]}}"}]}}

When not to use it

  • Do not use it for production or shared agents. 100 queries a day runs out fast once several people or loops share it. Switch to the keyed endpoint.
  • Do not count on full page text. The free profile does not include you-contents, so the agent sees snippets and highlights, not whole pages.
  • Do not treat a successful MCP handshake as proof that tool calls work. Run one real search to confirm.

Use cases

  • Giving Claude Code or Cursor current docs and release notes
  • Fact-checking during research chats
  • Testing an MCP search integration before buying API credits

FAQ

Is the You.com MCP server free?

Yes, the keyless profile at https://api.you.com/mcp?profile=free is free and capped at 100 queries per day. Higher limits need a paid API key.

Does it need an API key?

Not for the free profile. Keyed or OAuth access unlocks more tools and higher limits.

Which tools does the free profile include?

On our 2026-10-16 check, tools/list returned you-search and you-discover. Contents, research and finance tools need a key.

Alternatives

  • Wikipedia REST API — Free and unmetered for normal use when you only need stable background facts, not live web results.
  • Morpho MCP — Another keyless hosted MCP server, for a specific data domain instead of general search.
  • You.com MCP with an API key — Same server with higher limits plus contents, research and finance tools. Paid per use.

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