exa-mcp

Exa MCP

Web search and code context search powered by Exa.ai - a search engine designed for AI.

Source: Exa MCP

What It Does

Tool	Description
web_search_exa	Search the web with AI-optimized results
get_code_context_exa	Search for code examples and implementations

Why Exa Over Built-in WebSearch?

Feature	Built-in WebSearch	Exa MCP
AI-optimized results	No	Yes
Code-specific search	No	Yes
Semantic understanding	Basic	Advanced
Result quality	Standard	Higher relevance
Rate limits	Stricter	More generous

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ or Bun
• Claude Code CLI
• Exa API key (get one at exa.ai)

Step 1: Get Your Exa API Key

1. Go to exa.ai
2. Sign up for an account
3. Get your API key from the dashboard

Step 2: Install the MCP Package

# Using npm
npm install -g @anthropic/mcp-exa

# Or using bun
bun add -g @anthropic/mcp-exa

Step 3: Add to Claude Code Settings

Edit your Claude Code settings file:

# macOS/Linux
~/.claude/settings.json

# Or open via Claude Code
claude config

Add this to the mcpServers section:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "exa": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic/mcp-exa"],
      "env": {
        "EXA_API_KEY": "your-exa-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Alternative using Bun:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "exa": {
      "command": "bunx",
      "args": ["@anthropic/mcp-exa"],
      "env": {
        "EXA_API_KEY": "your-exa-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Verify Installation

# List available MCPs
mcp-cli servers

# Check the tools
mcp-cli tools exa

# Should show:
# exa/web_search_exa
# exa/get_code_context_exa

Usage

Web Search

# Check the schema first (REQUIRED)
mcp-cli info exa/web_search_exa

# Search the web
mcp-cli call exa/web_search_exa '{"query": "Next.js 15 server actions best practices"}'

Code Context Search

# Check the schema first
mcp-cli info exa/get_code_context_exa

# Search for code examples
mcp-cli call exa/get_code_context_exa '{"query": "React useOptimistic hook example"}'

Parameters

web_search_exa

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
query	string	Yes	Search query

get_code_context_exa

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
query	string	Yes	Code-related search query

Auto-Detection in CLAUDE.md

Add this to your ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md to make Claude automatically use Exa:

### Web Search - Use `exa` MCP (NOT built-in WebSearch)

**ALWAYS use Exa for web searches:**
| Action | MCP Command |
|--------|-------------|
| Web search | `mcp-cli call exa/web_search_exa '{"query": "search terms here"}'` |
| Code context | `mcp-cli call exa/get_code_context_exa '{"query": "code search terms"}'` |

**When to use Exa:**
- User asks to search the web
- User asks "find", "search for", "look up" something online
- Need current information beyond knowledge cutoff
- Researching libraries, frameworks, or documentation
- Finding code examples or implementations

**NEVER use built-in WebSearch - always use Exa MCP**

Use Cases

1. Documentation Search

mcp-cli call exa/web_search_exa '{"query": "Supabase RLS policies examples 2024"}'

2. Finding Code Examples

mcp-cli call exa/get_code_context_exa '{"query": "Next.js middleware authentication example"}'

3. Research Latest Practices

mcp-cli call exa/web_search_exa '{"query": "React 19 new features and best practices"}'

4. Troubleshooting

mcp-cli call exa/web_search_exa '{"query": "Vercel deployment error module not found solution"}'

Troubleshooting

"Invalid API key"

1. Check your API key at exa.ai dashboard
2. Make sure the key is set in settings.json:

   "env": {
     "EXA_API_KEY": "your-actual-key-here"
   }

3. Restart Claude Code after updating settings

"MCP not found"

# Reinstall
npm install -g @anthropic/mcp-exa

# Or try with npx directly
npx -y @anthropic/mcp-exa

"Rate limit exceeded"

Exa has generous rate limits, but if you hit them:

• Wait a few seconds between requests
• Consider upgrading your Exa plan

Pricing

Exa offers:

• Free tier with generous limits
• Paid tiers for higher usage

Check exa.ai/pricing for current pricing.

License

MIT