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Exa

@geezerrrr

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About Exa

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

#exa#mcp-server#ai-assistant

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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Fetch the live tool list by running this server in a temporary sandbox using the button above.

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.

Frequently asked questions

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](https://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.

Comments

Basic information

Category

Search

License

MIT

Transports

stdio

Author

geezerrrr

Submitted by

wayne li

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