Exa

Name: Exa
Author: geezerrrr

@geezerrrr

Repository

About Exa

Claude can perform Web Search | Exa with MCP (Model Context Protocol)

#exa #mcp-server #ai-assistant

Basic information

Config

Add this server to your MCP-compatible client using the configuration below.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "exa": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/exa-mcp-server/build/index.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "EXA_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tools

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Overview

What is Exa?

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants like Claude to perform web searches using the Exa AI Search API. It provides structured search results (titles, URLs, snippets), caches recent searches, and handles rate limiting gracefully.

How to use Exa?

Install the package globally via npm (npm install -g exa-mcp-server) or use Smithery for automatic Claude Desktop setup. Configure the server in claude_desktop_config.json by adding the exa server with the command npx and your Exa API key. Restart Claude Desktop, then ask Claude to perform web searches (e.g., “Search for recent developments in quantum computing”).

Key features of Exa

Simplified web search tool with a single query parameter
Customizable search parameters (result count, live crawling strategy)
Automatic live crawling based on specified strategy
Preset optimal parameters for result count and character limits
Search caching saves recent searches as resources for reference
Graceful error handling for API errors and rate limits

Use cases of Exa

Search for recent developments in quantum computing
Summarize latest news about AI startups in New York
Find and analyze recent research papers on climate change solutions
Search for today’s breaking tech news
Retrieve top AI research papers from a specific year with live crawling

FAQ from Exa

What are the prerequisites for using Exa?

You need Node.js v18 or higher, Claude Desktop, an Exa API key, and Git installed.

How do I get an Exa API key?

Obtain your API key from dashboard.exa.ai/api-keys. Set it as the EXA_API_KEY environment variable in the Claude Desktop configuration.

How do I configure Claude Desktop to use Exa?

Edit claude_desktop_config.json (found via Developer Mode in Claude Desktop or at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS). Add the exa server entry with the appropriate command, arguments, and environment variable.

How can I test the server without Claude Desktop?

Use the MCP Inspector: run npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node ./build/index.js (after building the project) to interactively execute search queries and view cached results.

What should I do if the server is not found or connection fails?

Verify the npm link is set up correctly, check Claude Desktop configuration syntax, ensure Node.js is properly installed, and confirm the API key is valid and correctly set. Restart Claude Desktop completely and check its logs for errors.

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