Exa MCP Server
Connect AI assistants to Exa's search capabilities: web search, code search, and company research.
Full Documentation | npm Package | Get Your Exa API Key
Installation
Connect to Exa's hosted MCP server:
https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp
Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:
json{ "mcpServers": { "exa": { "url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp" } } }
Add to .vscode/mcp.json:
json{ "servers": { "exa": { "type": "http", "url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp" } } }
bashclaude mcp add --transport http exa https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp
Exa is available as a native Claude Connector — no config files or terminal commands needed.
- Open Claude Desktop Settings (or Customize) and go to Connectors
- Search for Exa in the directory
- Click + to add it
That's it! Claude will now have access to Exa's search tools.
Add to your config file (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS, %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json on Windows):
json{ "mcpServers": { "exa": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"] } } }
bashcodex mcp add exa --url https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp
Add to your opencode.json:
json{ "mcp": { "exa": { "type": "remote", "url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp", "enabled": true } } }
Open the MCP Store panel (from the "..." dropdown in the side panel), then add a custom server with:
https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp
Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:
json{ "mcpServers": { "exa": { "serverUrl": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp" } } }
Add to your Zed settings:
json{ "context_servers": { "exa": { "url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp" } } }
Add to ~/.gemini/settings.json:
json{ "mcpServers": { "exa": { "httpUrl": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp" } } }
In v0, select Prompt Tools > Add MCP and enter:
https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp
Go to Settings > MCP Servers > Add MCP Server and add:
json{ "exa": { "url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp" } }
Add to ~/.kiro/settings/mcp.json:
json{ "mcpServers": { "exa": { "url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp" } } }
Add to your Roo Code MCP config:
json{ "mcpServers": { "exa": { "type": "streamable-http", "url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp" } } }
For clients that support remote MCP:
json{ "mcpServers": { "exa": { "url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp" } } }
For clients that need mcp-remote:
json{ "mcpServers": { "exa": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"] } } }
Use the npm package with your API key. Get your API key.
json{ "mcpServers": { "exa": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "exa-mcp-server"], "env": { "EXA_API_KEY": "your_api_key" } } } }
Available Tools
Enabled by Default:
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
web_search_exa | Search the web for any topic and get clean, ready-to-use content |
web_fetch_exa | Get the full content of a specific webpage from a known URL |
Off by Default:
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
web_search_advanced_exa | Advanced web search with full control over filters, domains, dates, and content options |
Deprecated (still available for backwards compatibility):
| Tool | Use instead |
|---|---|
get_code_context_exa | web_search_exa |
company_research_exa | web_search_advanced_exa |
crawling_exa | web_fetch_exa |
people_search_exa | web_search_advanced_exa |
linkedin_search_exa | web_search_advanced_exa |
deep_researcher_start | Research API |
deep_researcher_check | Research API |
deep_search_exa | web_search_advanced_exa |
Enable additional tools with the tools parameter:
https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?exaApiKey=YOUR_KEY&tools=web_search_exa,web_search_advanced_exa,web_fetch_exa
Agent Skills (Claude Skills)
Ready-to-use skills for Claude Code. Each skill teaches Claude how to use Exa search for a specific task. Copy the content inside a dropdown and paste it into Claude Code — it handles the rest.
Copy the content below and paste it into Claude Code. It will set up the MCP connection and skill for you.
Step 1: Install or update Exa MCP If Exa MCP already exists in your MCP configuration, either uninstall it first and install the new one, or update your existing MCP config with this endpoint. Run this command in your terminal: claude mcp add --transport http exa "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_advanced_exa" Step 2: Add this Claude skill --- name: company-research description: Company research using Exa search. Finds company info, competitors, news, financials, LinkedIn profiles, builds company lists. Use when researching companies, doing competitor analysis, market research, or building company lists. context: fork --- # Company Research ## Tool Restriction (Critical) ONLY use `web_search_advanced_exa`. Do NOT use `web_search_exa` or any other Exa tools. ## Token Isolation (Critical) Never run Exa searches in main context. Always spawn Task agents: - Agent runs Exa search internally - Agent processes results using LLM intelligence - Agent returns only distilled output (compact JSON or brief markdown) - Main context stays clean regardless of search volume ## Dynamic Tuning No hardcoded numResults. Tune to user intent: - User says "a few" → 10-20 - User says "comprehensive" → 50-100 - User specifies number → match it - Ambiguous? Ask: "How many companies would you like?" ## Query Variation Exa returns different results for different phrasings. For coverage: - Generate 2-3 query variations - Run in parallel - Merge and deduplicate ## Categories Use appropriate Exa `category` depending on what you need: - `company` → homepages, rich metadata (headcount, location, funding, revenue) - `news` → press coverage, announcements - `people` → LinkedIn profiles (public data) - No category (`type: "auto"`) → general web results, deep dives, broader context Start with `category: "company"` for discovery, then use other categories or no category for deeper research. ### Category-Specific Filter Restrictions When using `category: "company"`, these parameters cause 400 errors: - `includeDomains` / `excludeDomains` - `startPublishedDate` / `endPublishedDate` - `startCrawlDate` / `endCrawlDate` When searching without a category (or with `news`), domain and date filters work fine. **Universal restriction:** `includeText` and `excludeText` only support **single-item arrays**. Multi-item arrays cause 400 errors across all categories. ## LinkedIn Public LinkedIn via Exa: `category: "people"`, no other filters. Auth-required LinkedIn → use Claude in Chrome browser fallback. ## Browser Fallback Auto-fallback to Claude in Chrome when: - Exa returns insufficient results - Content is auth-gated - Dynamic pages need JavaScript ## Examples ### Discovery: find companies in a space ``` web_search_advanced_exa { "query": "AI infrastructure startups San Francisco", "category": "company", "numResults": 20, "type": "auto" } ``` ### Deep dive: research a specific company ``` web_search_advanced_exa { "query": "Anthropic funding rounds valuation 2024", "type": "deep", "numResults": 10, "includeDomains": ["techcrunch.com", "crunchbase.com", "bloomberg.com"] } ``` ### News coverage ``` web_search_advanced_exa { "query": "Anthropic AI safety", "category": "news", "numResults": 15, "startPublishedDate": "2024-01-01" } ``` ### LinkedIn profiles ``` web_search_advanced_exa { "query": "VP Engineering AI infrastructure", "category": "people", "numResults": 20 } ``` ## Output Format Return: 1) Results (structured list; one company per row) 2) Sources (URLs; 1-line relevance each) 3) Notes (uncertainty/conflicts) Step 3: Ask User to Restart Claude Code You should ask the user to restart Claude Code to have the config changes take effect.
Copy the content below and paste it into Claude Code. It will set up the MCP connection and skill for you.
Step 1: Install or update Exa MCP If Exa MCP already exists in your MCP configuration, either uninstall it first and install the new one, or update your existing MCP config with this endpoint. Run this command in your terminal: claude mcp add --transport http exa "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_exa" Step 2: Add this Claude skill --- name: code-search-exa description: Code context using Exa. Finds real snippets and docs from GitHub, StackOverflow, and technical docs. Use when searching for code examples, API syntax, library documentation, or debugging help. context: fork --- # Code Context (Exa) ## Tool Restriction (Critical) ONLY use `web_search_exa`. Do NOT use other Exa tools. ## Token Isolation (Critical) Never run Exa in main context. Always spawn Task agents: - Agent calls `web_search_exa` - Agent extracts the minimum viable snippet(s) + constraints - Agent deduplicates near-identical results (mirrors, forks, repeated StackOverflow answers) before presenting - Agent returns copyable snippets + brief explanation - Main context stays clean regardless of search volume ## When to Use Use this tool for ANY programming-related request: - API usage and syntax - SDK/library examples - config and setup patterns - framework "how to" questions - debugging when you need authoritative snippets ## Query Writing Patterns (High Signal) To reduce irrelevant results and cross-language noise: - Always include the **programming language** in the query. - Example: use **"Go generics"** instead of just **"generics"**. - When applicable, also include **framework + version** (e.g., "Next.js 14", "React 19", "Python 3.12"). - Include exact identifiers (function/class names, config keys, error messages) when you have them. ## Output Format (Recommended) Return: 1) Best minimal working snippet(s) (keep it copy/paste friendly) 2) Notes on version / constraints / gotchas 3) Sources (URLs if present in returned context) Before presenting: - Deduplicate similar results and keep only the best representative snippet per approach. ## MCP Configuration ```json { "servers": { "exa": { "type": "http", "url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_exa" } } } ``` Step 3: Ask User to Restart Claude Code You should ask the user to restart Claude Code to have the config changes take effect.
Copy the content below and paste it into Claude Code. It will set up the MCP connection and skill for you.
Step 1: Install or update Exa MCP If Exa MCP already exists in your MCP configuration, either uninstall it first and install the new one, or update your existing MCP config with this endpoint. Run this command in your terminal: claude mcp add --transport http exa "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_advanced_exa" Step 2: Add this Claude skill --- name: people-research description: People research using Exa search. Finds LinkedIn profiles, professional backgrounds, experts, team members, and public bios across the web. Use when searching for people, finding experts, or looking up professional profiles. context: fork --- # People Research ## Tool Restriction (Critical) ONLY use `web_search_advanced_exa`. Do NOT use `web_search_exa` or any other Exa tools. ## Token Isolation (Critical) Never run Exa searches in main context. Always spawn Task agents: - Agent runs Exa search internally - Agent processes results using LLM intelligence - Agent returns only distilled output (compact JSON or brief markdown) - Main context stays clean regardless of search volume ## Dynamic Tuning No hardcoded numResults. Tune to user intent: - User says "a few" → 10-20 - User says "comprehensive" → 50-100 - User specifies number → match it - Ambiguous? Ask: "How many profiles would you like?" ## Query Variation Exa returns different results for different phrasings. For coverage: - Generate 2-3 query variations - Run in parallel - Merge and deduplicate ## Categories Use appropriate Exa `category` depending on what you need: - `people` → LinkedIn profiles, public bios (primary for discovery) - `personal site` → personal blogs, portfolio sites, about pages - `news` → press mentions, interviews, speaker bios - No category (`type: "auto"`) → general web results, broader context Start with `category: "people"` for profile discovery, then use other categories or no category for deeper research on specific individuals. ### Category-Specific Filter Restrictions When using `category: "people"`, these parameters cause errors: - `startPublishedDate` / `endPublishedDate` - `startCrawlDate` / `endCrawlDate` - `includeText` / `excludeText` - `excludeDomains` - `includeDomains` — **LinkedIn domains only** (e.g., "linkedin.com") When searching without a category, all parameters are available (but `includeText`/`excludeText` still only support single-item arrays). ## LinkedIn Public LinkedIn via Exa: `category: "people"`, no other filters. Auth-required LinkedIn → use Claude in Chrome browser fallback. ## Browser Fallback Auto-fallback to Claude in Chrome when: - Exa returns insufficient results - Content is auth-gated - Dynamic pages need JavaScript ## Examples ### Discovery: find people by role ``` web_search_advanced_exa { "query": "VP Engineering AI infrastructure", "category": "people", "numResults": 20, "type": "auto" } ``` ### With query variations ``` web_search_advanced_exa { "query": "machine learning engineer San Francisco", "category": "people", "additionalQueries": ["ML engineer SF", "AI engineer Bay Area"], "numResults": 25, "type": "deep" } ``` ### Deep dive: research a specific person ``` web_search_advanced_exa { "query": "Dario Amodei Anthropic CEO background", "type": "auto", "numResults": 15 } ``` ### News mentions ``` web_search_advanced_exa { "query": "Dario Amodei interview", "category": "news", "numResults": 10, "startPublishedDate": "2024-01-01" } ``` ## Output Format Return: 1) Results (name, title, company, location if available) 2) Sources (Profile URLs) 3) Notes (profile completeness, verification status) Step 3: Ask User to Restart Claude Code You should ask the user to restart Claude Code to have the config changes take effect.
Copy the content below and paste it into Claude Code. It will set up the MCP connection and skill for you.
Step 1: Install or update Exa MCP If Exa MCP already exists in your MCP configuration, either uninstall it first and install the new one, or update your existing MCP config with this endpoint. Run this command in your terminal: claude mcp add --transport http exa "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_advanced_exa" Step 2: Add this Claude skill --- name: web-search-advanced-financial-report description: Search for financial reports using Exa advanced search. Near-full filter support for finding SEC filings, earnings reports, and financial documents. Use when searching for 10-K filings, quarterly earnings, or annual reports. context: fork --- # Web Search Advanced - Financial Report Category ## Tool Restriction (Critical) ONLY use `web_search_advanced_exa` with `category: "financial report"`. Do NOT use other categories or tools. ## Filter Restrictions (Critical) The `financial report` category has one known restriction: - `excludeText` - NOT SUPPORTED (causes 400 error) ## Supported Parameters ### Core - `query` (required) - `numResults` - `type` ("auto", "fast", "deep", "instant") ### Domain filtering - `includeDomains` (e.g., ["sec.gov", "investor.apple.com"]) - `excludeDomains` ### Date filtering (ISO 8601) - Very useful for financial reports! - `startPublishedDate` / `endPublishedDate` - `startCrawlDate` / `endCrawlDate` ### Text filtering - `includeText` (must contain ALL) - **single-item arrays only**; multi-item causes 400 - ~~`excludeText`~~ - NOT SUPPORTED ### Content extraction - `textMaxCharacters` / `contextMaxCharacters` - `enableSummary` / `summaryQuery` - `enableHighlights` / `highlightsNumSentences` / `highlightsPerUrl` / `highlightsQuery` ### Additional - `additionalQueries` - `maxAgeHours` / `livecrawlTimeout` - `subpages` / `subpageTarget` ## Token Isolation (Critical) Never run Exa searches in main context. Always spawn Task agents: - Agent calls `web_search_advanced_exa` with `category: "financial report"` - Agent merges + deduplicates results before presenting - Agent returns distilled output (brief markdown or compact JSON) - Main context stays clean regardless of search volume ## When to Use Use this category when you need: - SEC filings (10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, S-1) - Quarterly earnings reports - Annual reports - Investor presentations - Financial statements ## Examples SEC filings for a company: ``` web_search_advanced_exa { "query": "Anthropic SEC filing S-1", "category": "financial report", "numResults": 10, "type": "auto" } ``` Recent earnings reports: ``` web_search_advanced_exa { "query": "Q4 2025 earnings report technology", "category": "financial report", "startPublishedDate": "2025-10-01", "numResults": 20, "type": "auto" } ``` Specific filing type: ``` web_search_advanced_exa { "query": "10-K annual report AI companies", "category": "financial report", "includeDomains": ["sec.gov"], "startPublishedDate": "2025-01-01", "numResults": 15, "type": "deep" } ``` Risk factors analysis: ``` web_search_advanced_exa { "query": "risk factors cybersecurity", "category": "financial report", "includeText": ["cybersecurity"], "numResults": 10, "enableHighlights": true, "highlightsQuery": "What are the main cybersecurity risks?" } ``` ## Output Format Return: 1) Results (company name, filing type, date, key figures/highlights) 2) Sources (Filing URLs) 3) Notes (reporting period, any restatements, auditor notes) Step 3: Ask User to Restart Claude Code You should ask the user to restart Claude Code to have the config changes take effect.
Copy the content below and paste it into Claude Code. It will set up the MCP connection and skill for you.
Step 1: Install or update Exa MCP If Exa MCP already exists in your MCP configuration, either uninstall it first and install the new one, or update your existing MCP config with this endpoint. Run this command in your terminal: claude mcp add --transport http exa "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_advanced_exa" Step 2: Add this Claude skill --- name: web-search-advanced-research-paper description: Search for research papers and academic content using Exa advanced search. Full filter support including date ranges and text filtering. Use when searching for academic papers, arXiv preprints, or scientific research. context: fork --- # Web Search Advanced - Research Paper Category ## Tool Restriction (Critical) ONLY use `web_search_advanced_exa` with `category: "research paper"`. Do NOT use other categories or tools. ## Full Filter Support The `research paper` category supports ALL available parameters: ### Core - `query` (required) - `numResults` - `type` ("auto", "fast", "deep", "instant") ### Domain filtering - `includeDomains` (e.g., ["arxiv.org", "openreview.net"]) - `excludeDomains` ### Date filtering (ISO 8601) - `startPublishedDate` / `endPublishedDate` - `startCrawlDate` / `endCrawlDate` ### Text filtering - `includeText` (must contain ALL) - `excludeText` (exclude if ANY match) **Array size restriction:** `includeText` and `excludeText` only support **single-item arrays**. Multi-item arrays (2+ items) cause 400 errors. To match multiple terms, put them in the `query` string or run separate searches. ### Content extraction - `textMaxCharacters` / `contextMaxCharacters` - `enableSummary` / `summaryQuery` - `enableHighlights` / `highlightsNumSentences` / `highlightsPerUrl` / `highlightsQuery` ### Additional - `userLocation` - `moderation` - `additionalQueries` - `maxAgeHours` / `livecrawlTimeout` - `subpages` / `subpageTarget` ## Token Isolation (Critical) Never run Exa searches in main context. Always spawn Task agents: - Agent calls `web_search_advanced_exa` with `category: "research paper"` - Agent merges + deduplicates results before presenting - Agent returns distilled output (brief markdown or compact JSON) - Main context stays clean regardless of search volume ## When to Use Use this category when you need: - Academic papers from arXiv, OpenReview, PubMed, etc. - Scientific research on specific topics - Literature reviews with date filtering - Papers containing specific methodologies or terms ## Examples Recent papers on a topic: ``` web_search_advanced_exa { "query": "transformer attention mechanisms efficiency", "category": "research paper", "startPublishedDate": "2024-01-01", "numResults": 15, "type": "auto" } ``` Papers from specific venues: ``` web_search_advanced_exa { "query": "large language model agents", "category": "research paper", "includeDomains": ["arxiv.org", "openreview.net"], "includeText": ["LLM"], "numResults": 20, "type": "deep" } ``` ## Output Format Return: 1) Results (structured list with title, authors, date, abstract summary) 2) Sources (URLs with publication venue) 3) Notes (methodology differences, conflicting findings) Step 3: Ask User to Restart Claude Code You should ask the user to restart Claude Code to have the config changes take effect.
Copy the content below and paste it into Claude Code. It will set up the MCP connection and skill for you.
Step 1: Install or update Exa MCP If Exa MCP already exists in your MCP configuration, either uninstall it first and install the new one, or update your existing MCP config with this endpoint. Run this command in your terminal: claude mcp add --transport http exa "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_advanced_exa" Step 2: Add this Claude skill --- name: web-search-advanced-personal-site description: Search personal websites and blogs using Exa advanced search. Full filter support for finding individual perspectives, portfolios, and personal blogs. Use when searching for personal sites, blog posts, or portfolio websites. context: fork --- # Web Search Advanced - Personal Site Category ## Tool Restriction (Critical) ONLY use `web_search_advanced_exa` with `category: "personal site"`. Do NOT use other categories or tools. ## Full Filter Support The `personal site` category supports ALL available parameters: ### Core - `query` (required) - `numResults` - `type` ("auto", "fast", "deep", "instant") ### Domain filtering - `includeDomains` - `excludeDomains` (e.g., exclude Medium if you want independent blogs) ### Date filtering (ISO 8601) - `startPublishedDate` / `endPublishedDate` - `startCrawlDate` / `endCrawlDate` ### Text filtering - `includeText` (must contain ALL) - `excludeText` (exclude if ANY match) **Array size restriction:** `includeText` and `excludeText` only support **single-item arrays**. Multi-item arrays (2+ items) cause 400 errors. To match multiple terms, put them in the `query` string or run separate searches. ### Content extraction - `textMaxCharacters` / `contextMaxCharacters` - `enableSummary` / `summaryQuery` - `enableHighlights` / `highlightsNumSentences` / `highlightsPerUrl` / `highlightsQuery` ### Additional - `additionalQueries` - `maxAgeHours` / `livecrawlTimeout` - `subpages` / `subpageTarget` - useful for exploring portfolio sites ## Token Isolation (Critical) Never run Exa searches in main context. Always spawn Task agents: - Agent calls `web_search_advanced_exa` with `category: "personal site"` - Agent merges + deduplicates results before presenting - Agent returns distilled output (brief markdown or compact JSON) - Main context stays clean regardless of search volume ## When to Use Use this category when you need: - Individual expert opinions and experiences - Personal blog posts on technical topics - Portfolio websites - Independent analysis (not corporate content) - Deep dives and tutorials from practitioners ## Examples Technical blog posts: ``` web_search_advanced_exa { "query": "building production LLM applications lessons learned", "category": "personal site", "numResults": 15, "type": "deep", "enableSummary": true } ``` Recent posts on a topic: ``` web_search_advanced_exa { "query": "Rust async runtime comparison", "category": "personal site", "startPublishedDate": "2025-01-01", "numResults": 10, "type": "auto" } ``` Exclude aggregators: ``` web_search_advanced_exa { "query": "startup founder lessons", "category": "personal site", "excludeDomains": ["medium.com", "substack.com"], "numResults": 15, "type": "auto" } ``` ## Output Format Return: 1) Results (title, author/site name, date, key insights) 2) Sources (URLs) 3) Notes (author expertise, potential biases, depth of coverage) Step 3: Ask User to Restart Claude Code You should ask the user to restart Claude Code to have the config changes take effect.
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