About This Server
Exa's official MCP server gives AI agents real-time web search, page content crawling, company research and paper lookup, powered by an AI-optimized neural search engine that returns clean, LLM-ready results.
Installation
npx -y exa-mcp-serverOfficial README installation guide
Connect to Exa's hosted MCP server:
https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp<details>
<summary><b>Cursor</b></summary>
Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"exa": {
"url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"
}
}
}</details>
<details>
<summary><b>VS Code</b></summary>
Add to .vscode/mcp.json:
{
"servers": {
"exa": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"
}
}
}</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Claude Code</b></summary>
claude mcp add --transport http exa https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Claude Desktop</b></summary>
Exa is available as a native Claude Connector — no config files or terminal commands needed.
1. Open Claude Desktop Settings (or Customize) and go to Connectors
2. Search for Exa in the directory
3. Click + to add it
That's it! Claude will now have access to Exa's search tools.
<details>
<summary>Alternative: manual config</summary>
Add to your config file (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS, %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json on Windows):
{
"mcpServers": {
"exa": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"]
}
}
}</details>
</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Codex</b></summary>
codex mcp add exa --url https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp</details>
<details>
<summary><b>OpenCode</b></summary>
Add to your opencode.json:
{
"mcp": {
"exa": {
"type": "remote",
"url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp",
"enabled": true
}
}
}</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Antigravity</b></summary>
Open the MCP Store panel (from the "..." dropdown in the side panel), then add a custom server with:
https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Windsurf</b></summary>
Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"exa": {
"serverUrl": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"
}
}
}</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Zed</b></summary>
Add to your Zed settings:
{
"context_servers": {
"exa": {
"url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"
}
}
}</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Gemini CLI</b></summary>
Add to ~/.gemini/settings.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"exa": {
"httpUrl": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"
}
}
}</details>
<details>
<summary><b>v0 by Vercel</b></summary>
In v0, select Prompt Tools > Add MCP and enter:
https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Warp</b></summary>
Go to Settings > MCP Servers > Add MCP Server and add:
{
"exa": {
"url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"
}
}</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Kiro</b></summary>
Add to ~/.kiro/settings/mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"exa": {
"url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"
}
}
}</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Roo Code</b></summary>
Add to your Roo Code MCP config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"exa": {
"type": "streamable-http",
"url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"
}
}
}</details>
<details>
<summary><b>LM Studio</b></summary>
<a href="https://lmstudio.ai/install-mcp?name=exa&config=eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL21jcC5leGEuYWkvbWNwIn0%3D">
<img src="https://files.lmstudio.ai/deeplink/mcp-install-light.svg" alt="Add Exa MCP to LM Studio" />
</a>
Or add manually: open LM Studio, go to the Program tab, click Install > Edit mcp.json, and add:
{
"exa": {
"url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"
}
}Exa's tools will appear in the chat. Ask your model to search the web, fetch a page, or research a topic.
</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Replit</b></summary>
Go to Integrations > MCP Servers > Add MCP Server, then enter:
- Name:
Exa - URL:
https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp
Or click here to install automatically.
</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Other Clients</b></summary>
For clients that support remote MCP:
{
"mcpServers": {
"exa": {
"url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"
}
}
}For clients that need mcp-remote:
{
"mcpServers": {
"exa": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"]
}
}
}</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Via npm Package</b></summary>
Use the npm package with your API key. Get your API key.
{
"mcpServers": {
"exa": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "exa-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"EXA_API_KEY": "your_api_key"
}
}
}
}</details>
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Exa MCP different from a regular search engine?
Exa is an AI-optimized neural search engine that returns structured, de-noised page content instead of a list of blue links, so LLMs can consume it directly; the MCP lets agents search the live web, crawl pages and do company/paper research, filling the time gap in training data.
How do I install Exa MCP? Do I need an API key?
Run npx -y exa-mcp-server and set the EXA_API_KEY (from exa.ai) as an environment variable. You can also connect via Exa's hosted remote MCP endpoint; signing up gives you a key with a free allowance.
Is Exa MCP free?
The MCP server is open source and free; the search itself is powered by the Exa API, which grants a free allowance on signup and bills by usage beyond it. Personal trials and light integrations usually stay within the free tier.