How do I install Exa?

Copy the http config for Cursor, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or VS Code on this page. It uses the publisher's install, not a PlugMCP proxy.

Does Exa need an API key?

No required environment variable is listed on this record.

Exa MCP server

Q: When was Exa last checked?

Last checked 2026-11-07. Exa MCP Server Connect AI agents to Exa for web search, content fetching, and multi-step research. Documentation · NPM Package · Get your API key

Power your agent

Add this server

The publisher's own URL. Not a PlugMCP endpoint.

Add to Cursor Add in Claude Add to VS Code Run on PlugMCP

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

Server URL

https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp

The Claude button above opens Claude with the name and URL filled in. You still confirm it there.

shClaude Code

1claude mcp add --transport http ai.exa-exa https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp

Run in a terminal.

jsonClaude Desktop

1{2  "mcpServers": {3    "ai.exa-exa": {4      "command": "npx",5      "args": [6        "-y",7        "mcp-remote",8        "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"9      ]10    }11  }12}

claude_desktop_config.json

Remote · HTTPPublisher installStep-by-step: add this in Claude

Remote URL or a command on your machine? How the two installs differ

Run on PlugMCP

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

A new server you create. It is not this listing's official endpoint. Use the publisher install when you want their URL and their credentials.

Launch

Server facts

Remote

Transport: http
Version: 3.4.1
License

Overview

About Exa

Exa MCP Server Connect AI agents to Exa for web search, content fetching, and multi-step research. Documentation · NPM Package · Get your API key

Tools

No tool list yet. Remote servers get one after the first health check.

FAQ

Connect to Exa's hosted MCP server:

https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp

Or use a plugin when your client supports one.

Agent Plugin

This repository is an Agent Plugin. Install it with any compatible client.

Claude

Install from the Claude Plugin Marketplace, or run:

claude plugin install exa@claude-plugins-official

Codex / ChatGPT

Install via Plugins in ChatGPT, or run:

codex mcp add exa --url https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp

Other MCP Clients

Most clients can be configured manually with the standard mcpServers shape:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "exa": {
      "type": "streamable-http",
      "url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp",
    }
  }
}

Exa MCP works with most other clients, point them at https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp.

Client	Where to add it
Kiro	Use the Kiro power, or add manually to `~/.kiro/settings/mcp.json`
LM Studio	Add to LM Studio, or add manually to `mcp.json`
Replit	Add to Replit
Grok Build	`/marketplace` → install Exa, then `/mcp` to sign in
Gemini CLI	Add manually to `~/.gemini/settings.json`
OpenCode	Add manually to `opencode.json`
Windsurf	Add manually to `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`
Google Antigravity	Add manually to `mcp_config.json`
Zed	Add manually to `settings.json` under `context_servers`
Warp	Settings → Agents → MCP servers
v0 by Vercel	Settings → MCP connections

Available Tools

Default Tools

Tool	Description
`web_search_exa`	Search the web for any topic and get clean, ready-to-use content
`web_fetch_exa`	Read a webpage's full content as clean markdown from one or more URLs

Optional Tools (enable via the `tools` parameter)

Tool	Description
`agent_run`	Run an Exa Agent for multi-step research, list-building, enrichment, and structured output
`web_search_advanced_exa`	Advanced search with filters, domains, dates, highlights, summaries, and subpage crawling

Enable tools by appending them to the MCP URL (this will replace the defaults, so include all you want):

https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_advanced_exa
https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_exa,web_fetch_exa,agent_run

Exa Agent requires authentication (OAuth or an API key).

Agent Skills

Skills live in skills/ and load with Agent Plugin / Claude plugin installs.

Skill	Path	Use when
`search`	`skills/search/`	Deep research, lead gen, competitive analysis, multi-step web investigation
`exa-agent`	`skills/exa-agent/`	Exa Agent runs, enrichment, structured output, Connect providers

Invoke from your client's skill UI (or /skill-name where supported). MCP-only setups still get the tools; skills add orchestration on top.

Authentication

The hosted MCP server works anonymously with rate limits. For higher limits and access to Exa Agent, use either OAuth or an API key.

OAuth is preferred: most clients prompt you to sign in to Exa. To force the login flow (useful for shared connectors and plugins), use https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?login or https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp/oauth.

If you prefer, you can get an API key from the dashboard and pass it on the URL as ?exaApiKey=…. You can also send it as a Authorization: Bearer … header or an x-api-key header.

Built with ❤️ by Exa

Exa

Add this server

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

Server facts

About Exa

Tools

Questions

How do I install Exa?

Does Exa need an API key?

What transport does Exa use?

When was Exa last checked?

Documentation

Agent Plugin

Claude

Codex / ChatGPT

Other MCP Clients

Available Tools

Default Tools

Optional Tools (enable via the `tools` parameter)

Agent Skills

Authentication

Add this server

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

Server facts

About Exa

Tools

Questions

How do I install Exa?

Does Exa need an API key?

What transport does Exa use?

When was Exa last checked?

Documentation

Agent Plugin

Claude

Codex / ChatGPT

Other MCP Clients

Available Tools

Default Tools

Optional Tools (enable via the tools parameter)

Agent Skills

Authentication

Optional Tools (enable via the `tools` parameter)