---
source_url: "https://you.com/docs/quickstart?utm_source=openai"
title: "Quickstart | You.com | You.com | Documentation"
mirrored_at: 2026-08-12T13:03:06.632Z
host: you.com
cited_in_42a: true
mirror_canonical: "https://index.42a.ai/you.com/docs/quickstart__q__utm_source_openai"
---

> **Original source:** https://you.com/docs/quickstart?utm_source=openai

You.com gives you real-time web intelligence through five APIs: Web Search, Answer, Contents, Research, and Finance Research. Two ways to get started — write code, or connect your agent.

The five APIs:

-   **[Web Search API](https://you.com/docs/guides/search)** — real-time web and news results as LLM-ready JSON
-   **[Answer API](https://you.com/docs/guides/answer)** — a cited, synthesized answer from a single query
-   **[Contents API](https://you.com/docs/guides/contents)** — clean Markdown or HTML from URLs you specify
-   **[Research API](https://you.com/docs/guides/research)** — multi-step, cited answers to complex questions
-   **[Finance Research API](https://you.com/docs/guides/finance-research)** — cited answers from a finance-optimized index

* * *

[1](https://you.com/docs/quickstart#get-your-api-key)

### Get Your API Key

Sign in or create an account, then get an API key here: [https://you.com/platform](https://you.com/platform). You’ll start with $100 in complimentary credits — no credit card required.

The code samples below read your key from an environment variable named `YDC_API_KEY` — the canonical variable name across our docs, SDKs, and integrations. Set it once (`export YDC_API_KEY="your-key"`) and the examples will pick it up. See [API key management](https://you.com/docs/administration/api-keys) for best practices.

[2](https://you.com/docs/quickstart#try-the-web-search-api)

### Try the Web Search API

The Web Search API returns real-time web and news results as structured, LLM-ready JSON. Feed the results directly into your prompt to ground your AI in fresh information.

1

from youdotcom import You

2

3

with You() as you:

4

    results \= you.search(query\="global birth rate trends", count\=5)

5

6

    for result in results.results.web:

7

        print(result.title)

8

        print(result.url)

9

        if result.snippets:

10

            print(result.snippets\[0\])

You’ll get back structured JSON like this:

1

{

2

  "results": {

3

    "web": \[

4

      {

5

        "url": "https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/population",

6

        "title": "Population | World Bank",

7

        "description": "The World Bank tracks global birth rate and population trends.",

8

        "snippets": \[

9

          "Global fertility rates have declined significantly over the past five decades, falling from an average of 5 births per woman in 1960 to around 2.3 today."

10

        \],

11

        "page\_age": "2025-10-01T00:00:00",

12

        "favicon\_url": "https://ydc-index.io/favicon?domain=worldbank.org&size=128"

13

      }

14

    \]

15

  },

16

  "metadata": {

17

    "query": "global birth rate trends",

18

    "search\_uuid": "a1b2c3d4-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",

19

    "latency": 0.38

20

  }

21

}

The [Python SDK](https://you.com/docs/sdks/python-sdk) covers the Web Search, Answer, Contents, Research, and Finance Research APIs. The [TypeScript SDK](https://you.com/docs/sdks/typescript-sdk) covers the Web Search, Contents, and Research APIs — call the Answer and Finance Research APIs directly over HTTP with the same `X-API-Key` header.

Search results already include snippets — short, query-relevant text extracts from target pages. Use the `extraction` parameter with `extraction_mode: "full_page"` to fetch full page content for each result as clean Markdown or HTML.

This will naturally increase latency, but massively improves knowledge accuracy.

Full page extraction is billed at $1.00 per 1,000 pages on top of the base Web Search API rate — the same price as the Contents API. With the default `count=10`, a call using `extraction_mode: "full_page"` crawls up to 20 pages and adds $0.02 to the $0.005 base cost.

1

from youdotcom import You

2

\# The Python SDK does not accept \`extraction\` yet, so

3

\# \`you.search()\` calls GET /v1/search with \`livecrawl\`. Switch to

4

\# \`extraction=Extraction(extraction\_mode="full\_page")\` once the SDK ships it.

5

from youdotcom.models import LiveCrawl, LiveCrawlFormats

6

7

with You() as you:

8

    results \= you.search(

9

        query\="global birth rate trends",

10

        count\=5,

11

        livecrawl\=LiveCrawl.ALL,

12

        livecrawl\_formats\=\[LiveCrawlFormats.MARKDOWN\],

13

    )

14

15

    for result in results.results.web:

16

        if result.contents:

17

            print(result.title)

18

            print(result.contents.markdown\[:400\])

Results that support extraction will include a `contents.markdown` field with the full page. For RAG pipelines that need deep context rather than surface-level snippets, this is the parameter to reach for.

[Full Web Search API reference and all parameters](https://you.com/docs/guides/search)

[3](https://you.com/docs/quickstart#try-the-answer-api)

### Try the Answer API

The Web Search API gives you the raw results. The Answer API does the next step — it retrieves web results, verifies every citation against the source text, and returns a Markdown answer with inline citations in one call. The fastest path from a question to a grounded answer, with no orchestration on your end.

1

from youdotcom import You

2

3

with You() as you:

4

    response \= you.answer(

5

        query\="What are the main drivers of the global decline in birth rates?",

6

    )

7

8

    print(response.answer)

9

10

    print(f"\\n\--- {len(response.citations or \[\])} citations ---")

11

    for i, citation in enumerate(response.citations or \[\], 1):

12

        print(f"\[{i}\] {citation.source}")

The response includes a Markdown answer with numbered inline citations, the sources cited, and the web results considered during synthesis:

1

{

2

  "answer": "Global fertility rates have declined over the past five decades due to a combination of increased access to contraception, rising female education and labor force participation, higher costs of raising children, and urbanization. \[\[1, 2, 3\]\]",

3

  "citations": \[

4

    {

5

      "source": "https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/population",

6

      "excerpts": \[

7

        "Global fertility rates have declined significantly over the past five decades, falling from an average of 5 births per woman in 1960 to around 2.3 today."

8

      \]

9

    }

10

  \],

11

  "results": {

12

    "web": \[

13

      {

14

        "url": "https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/population",

15

        "title": "Population | World Bank",

16

        "snippets": \["Global fertility rates have declined significantly over the past five decades..."\]

17

      }

18

    \]

19

  }

20

}

Every citation is verified against the source text before the answer is returned — the `excerpts` are the verbatim passages the model used, so you can confirm accuracy without trusting the model alone. Use `freshness`, `country`, `language`, `include_domains`, `exclude_domains`, and `boost_domains` to steer results, same as the Web Search API.

[Full Answer API reference and all parameters](https://you.com/docs/guides/answer)

[4](https://you.com/docs/quickstart#try-the-contents-api)

### Try the Contents API

The Contents API fetches content from URLs you specify as clean Markdown or HTML — no browser automation, no HTML parsing. One use: pass your competitors’ pricing page URLs to a daily job and feed the Markdown to an LLM to monitor what changed.

1

from youdotcom import You

2

from youdotcom.models import ContentsFormats

3

4

with You() as you:

5

    pages \= you.contents(

6

        urls\=\[

7

            "https://competitor-a.com/pricing",

8

            "https://competitor-b.com/pricing",

9

        \],

10

        formats\=\[ContentsFormats.MARKDOWN\],

11

    )

12

13

    for page in pages:

14

        print(f"=== {page.title} ===")

15

        print(page.markdown)

Each URL comes back as a structured object:

1

\[

2

  {

3

    "url": "https://competitor-a.com/pricing",

4

    "title": "Pricing — Competitor A",

5

    "markdown": "\# Pricing\\n\\n\## Starter\\n$49/month...",

6

    "metadata": {

7

      "site\_name": "Competitor A",

8

      "favicon\_url": "https://ydc-index.io/favicon?domain=competitor-a.com&size=128"

9

    }

10

  }

11

\]

[Full Contents API reference and all parameters](https://you.com/docs/guides/contents)

[5](https://you.com/docs/quickstart#try-the-research-api)

### Try the Research API

The Research API goes beyond a single web search. Give it a complex question and it runs multiple searches, reads through the sources, and synthesizes a thorough, citation-backed answer — so you don’t have to. Control the depth with `research_effort` from `lite` to `frontier`.

1

from youdotcom import You

2

from youdotcom.models import ResearchEffort

3

4

you \= You()

5

6

res \= you.research(

7

    input\="What are the tradeoffs between microservices and monolithic architectures for high-traffic applications?",

8

    research\_effort\=ResearchEffort.STANDARD,

9

)

10

11

print(res.output.content\[:500\])

12

print(f"\\nSources: {len(res.output.sources)}")

13

for source in res.output.sources:

14

    print(f"  - {source.title or 'Untitled'}: {source.url}")

The response includes a Markdown-formatted answer with inline citations and the list of sources used:

1

{

2

  "output": {

3

    "content": "\## Microservices vs Monolithic Architectures\\n\\nThe choice between microservices and monolithic architectures involves several key tradeoffs...\\n\\n\### Scalability\\nMicroservices allow independent scaling of individual components \[\[1, 3\]\]...",

4

    "content\_type": "text",

5

    "sources": \[

6

      {

7

        "url": "https://example.com/architecture-patterns",

8

        "title": "Architecture Patterns for High-Traffic Systems",

9

        "snippets": \[

10

          "Microservices enable teams to scale individual services independently, reducing infrastructure costs for components with uneven load."

11

        \]

12

      }

13

    \]

14

  }

15

}

Use `research_effort` to control how deep the API digs — `lite` for quick answers, `standard` for a good balance, `deep` or `exhaustive` when thoroughness matters more than speed, or `frontier` for long-running deep research that requires [background mode](https://you.com/docs/guides/research#background-mode). The Research API also supports `source_control` and `output_schema` for domain filtering and structured JSON output.

[Full Research API reference and all parameters](https://you.com/docs/guides/research)

[6](https://you.com/docs/quickstart#try-the-finance-research-api)

### Try the Finance Research API

The Finance Research API works just like the Research API — same request shape, same response shape — but it searches a finance-optimized index instead of the open web: SEC filings, equity prices, fundamentals, macro indicators, and financial news. Use it for earnings analysis, due diligence, and market research.

It accepts two parameters: `input` (your financial question) and `research_effort` (`deep` or `exhaustive`).

1

from youdotcom import You

2

from youdotcom.models import FinanceResearchEffort

3

4

with You() as you:

5

    res \= you.finance\_research(

6

        input\="What were the key drivers of NVIDIA's revenue growth in fiscal year 2025?",

7

        research\_effort\=FinanceResearchEffort.DEEP,

8

    )

9

10

    print(res.output.content\[:500\])

11

    print(f"\\nSources: {len(res.output.sources)}")

12

    for source in res.output.sources:

13

        print(f"  - {source.title or 'Untitled'}: {source.url}")

The response is the same shape as the Research API — a Markdown answer with inline citations and a list of sources, but every source comes from the financial index:

1

{

2

  "output": {

3

    "content": "For fiscal year 2025, NVIDIA's revenue rose to \*\*$130.5 billion, up 114% year over year\*\*.\[\[1\]\] The main driver was Data Center demand...",

4

    "content\_type": "text",

5

    "sources": \[

6

      {

7

        "url": "https://investor.nvidia.com/financial-info/financial-reports/default.aspx",

8

        "title": "NVIDIA Corporation - Financial Reports"

9

      }

10

    \]

11

  }

12

}

The Finance Research API does not support `source_control` or `output_schema`. If you need domain filtering or structured JSON output, use the [Research API](https://you.com/docs/guides/research).

[Full Finance Research API reference and all parameters](https://you.com/docs/guides/finance-research)

* * *

## Give Your Agent Access

Four ways to give your agent access to You.com, from zero-setup to installable skills.

1.  **Read these docs in any agent.** Append `.md` to any page URL to get that page’s full content as plain-text Markdown — for example, `you.com/docs/quickstart.md`. For a complete index of the documentation, use `you.com/docs/llms.txt`. Each section also has its own index — append `/llms.txt` to any section URL (for example, `you.com/docs/api-reference/llms.txt`).
    
2.  **Search these docs from an agent with the Docs MCP server.** Point any MCP-enabled client at `https://you.com/docs/_mcp/server` — no API key — and your agent gets a `searchDocs` tool that returns relevant passages with source URLs. See the [Docs MCP Server guide](https://you.com/docs/build-with-agents/docs-mcp-server) for setup.
    

1

{

2

  "mcpServers": {

3

    "fern\_mcp\_you-com-docs": {

4

      "url": "https://you.com/docs/\_mcp/server"

5

    }

6

  }

7

}

3.  **Call the You.com APIs from an agent with the You.com MCP server.** The hosted server gives your agent `you-search`, `you-contents`, `you-answer`, `you-research`, and `you-finance` against the live web. Connect without credentials to the free tier for `you-search` only (100 queries per day), or pass your API key for the full tool set. See the [MCP Server guide](https://you.com/docs/build-with-agents/mcp-server) for IDE-specific setup.

1

{

2

  "mcpServers": {

3

    "ydc-server": {

4

      "type": "http",

5

      "url": "https://api.you.com/mcp",

6

      "headers": {

7

        "Authorization": "Bearer <YDC\_API\_KEY>"

8

      }

9

    }

10

  }

11

}

For keyless `you-search`, use `https://api.you.com/mcp?profile=free`.

4.  **Install Agent Skills for task-specific routing.** Skills are instruction packs that tell your agent which tool or API to reach for and how to use it — current web search, URL content extraction, cited research, finance research, and integration discovery. Install all of them with one command, or pick the ones you need.

$

npx skills add youdotcom-oss/agent-skills

See the [Agent Skills page](https://you.com/docs/build-with-agents/skills) for the full list, platform plugins, and what each skill routes to.

* * *

## More Ways to Explore

### Explore the APIs Interactively

### Use the SDKs

Ergonomic, typed access to our APIs. The Python SDK covers Web Search, Answer, Contents, Research, and Finance Research. The TypeScript SDK covers Web Search, Contents, and Research.

### Try in Postman

Fork one of our pre-built collections, add your API key to the `production` environment, and send your first request without writing code.

* * *

## Evaluate You.com

You.com provides an [open-source evaluation framework](https://github.com/youdotcom-oss/web-search-api-evals) and a reproducible methodology for [benchmarking search APIs](https://you.com/resources/the-you-dot-com-web-search-eval-harness) — so you can measure what actually matters: accuracy, latency, and information retrieval quality.

We’re the only search API provider with peer-reviewed evaluation research. Our methodology was presented at the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) 2026 conference and received the Best Paper Award. Read the research:

1.  [Stochasticity in Agentic Evaluations: Quantifying Inconsistency with Intraclass Correlation](https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.06710)
2.  [Randomness in AI Benchmarks: What Makes an Eval Trustworthy?](https://you.com/resources/randomness-in-ai-benchmarks)

When starting your own evaluation, keep it simple: run `count=10` with no filters on a representative query set, then layer in full page extraction if snippets aren’t providing enough context.

-   [How to Evaluate the Web Search API](https://you.com/docs/guides/evaluate-us) — methodology, dataset recommendations (SimpleQA, FRAMES, FreshQA), latency benchmarking, and a production checklist
-   [Agentic Web Search Playoffs](https://github.com/youdotcom-oss/agentic-web-search-playoffs) — open-source benchmark comparing web search providers in agentic workflows

Our team can also design and run custom benchmarks tailored to your domain and quality bar. [Talk to us](https://you.com/book-a-demo)

* * *

## Use Cases

Ready-to-run sample apps built on You.com APIs. Each comes with a live demo and a fully forkable open-source GitHub repo — clone it, extend it, or use it as a starting point for your own project.

* * *

## Pricing

You.com uses pay-as-you-go pricing based on the API and usage. All new accounts include **$100 in free credits**.

### Quick Pricing Overview

-   **Web Search API**: $5.00 per 1,000 calls (up to 100 results per call)
-   **Web Search API full page extraction add-on**: $1.00 per 1,000 pages
-   **Contents API**: $1.00 per 1,000 pages
-   **Answer API**: $5.00 per 1,000 calls
-   **Research API**: Starts at $12 per 1,000 calls (varies per effort tier)
-   **Finance Research API**: Starts at $110 per 1,000 calls (`deep`) — $500 per 1,000 calls (`exhaustive`)

Track your usage and spending from the [analytics dashboard](https://you.com/platform/analytics). For volume discounts, annual pricing, and enterprise features, visit [you.com/pricing](https://you.com/pricing) or contact [\[email protected\]](https://you.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ea8b9a83aa93859fc4898587).