[Integration] Aas-ee/open-webSearch - You.com search engine provider

[mouse-value-add]

Target Repository URL

https://github.com/Aas-ee/open-webSearch

Why this repo was selected

• Perfect star range: 1660 stars (ideal mid-popular project where PRs can realistically land)
• Excellent recent activity: Last updated 2026-05-16, very active development
• OUTSTANDING search integration fit: Multi-engine MCP server that aggregates search results from 10+ providers - PERFECT natural fit for adding You.com as another engine
• TypeScript with clean architecture: Well-structured codebase with clear engine extension patterns
• Clear integration path: Existing engine system in src/engines/ with standardized SearchResult interface
• 'No API keys' philosophy: Matches You.com's keyless approach perfectly
• Active maintenance: Responsive to community contributions and well-documented

Candidate evaluation summary

• Aas-ee/open-webSearch: SELECTED - Multi-engine search aggregator with perfect architecture for adding You.com
• containers/kubernetes-mcp-server: 1865 stars, Kubernetes tool - good stats but would be adding net-new search (not core mission)
• korotovsky/slack-mcp-server: 1760 stars, Slack integration - good but search not core functionality

Proposed integration type

You.com search engine provider following existing engine patterns in src/engines/youcom/

Planned env vars and setup

• Optional YDC_API_KEY for authenticated You.com Search API access
• Falls back to keyless You.com Search API (100 free searches/day) when not provided
• Integration follows existing engine patterns in src/engines/ directory
• Engine can be enabled/disabled via MCP tool configuration
• No default behavior changes - youcom engine is opt-in via engines parameter

Expected usage example

// MCP tool call with youcom engine
{
  "query": "TypeScript agent frameworks",
  "engines": ["youcom", "duckduckgo", "brave"],
  "limit": 10
}

// CLI usage
npm run search -- --query "AI frameworks" --engines youcom,duckduckgo --limit 15

// Environment setup (optional)
export YDC_API_KEY=your_api_key

Validation performed

✅ TypeScript compilation passes without errors
✅ You.com engine returns properly formatted SearchResult objects
✅ MCP tool integration works correctly with youcom engine
✅ Engine name normalization handles 'you', 'you.com', 'youcom' variants
✅ Both keyless and authenticated operation modes tested
✅ Error scenarios handled gracefully (401, 429, network failures)
✅ Backward compatibility maintained - existing functionality unchanged
✅ Follows all established engine patterns and architecture

Links

• Implementation branch: https://github.com/mouse-value-add/open-webSearch/tree/feat/youcom-search-engine
• OSS PR: feat: add optional You.com search engine integration Aas-ee/open-webSearch#105

Integration type implemented

You.com search engine provider as complement to existing multi-engine architecture

Setup/env vars

• YDC_API_KEY: Optional API key for authenticated You.com Search API access
  • Without key: Uses keyless operation (100 free searches/day per IP)
  • With key: Higher quotas and enhanced features per You.com plan
• Integration is opt-in via engines parameter - no behavior changes until explicitly requested
• Engine parameters: query (string), engines (array including 'youcom'), limit (number 1-50)

Usage example

{
  "query": "Node.js tutorials",
  "engines": ["youcom", "duckduckgo"],
  "limit": 5
}

# CLI usage
npm run search -- --query "TypeScript frameworks" --engines youcom --limit 10

Fallback/error behavior

• Missing API key: Uses keyless You.com Search API operation automatically
• Rate limits (429): Clear error suggesting API key upgrade with guidance
• Invalid API key (401): Informative error about checking YDC_API_KEY variable
• Network failures: Graceful error handling with context
• Malformed API responses: Validates response structure with helpful error messages
• All errors maintain MCP server functionality and provide actionable guidance

Current status

Implementation complete and PR opened. The integration demonstrates open-webSearch's excellent extensibility while providing immediate web search value that complements the existing multi-engine ecosystem. Awaiting upstream review from the Aas-ee team.