Exa MCP Server

# Exa MCP Server 🔍 [](https://www.npmjs.com/package/exa-mcp-server) [](https://smithery.ai/server/exa) A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server lets AI assistants like Claude use the Exa AI Search API for web searches. This setup allows AI models to get real-time web information in a safe and controlled way. Demo video https://www.loom.com/share/ac676f29664e4c6cb33a2f0a63772038?sid=0e72619f-5bfc-415d-a705-63d326373f60 ## What is MCP? 🤔 The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a system that lets AI apps, like Claude Desktop, connect to external tools and data sources. It gives a clear and safe way for AI assistants to work with local services and APIs while keeping the user in control. ## What does this server do? 🚀 The Exa MCP server: - Enables AI assistants to perform web searches using Exa's powerful search API - Provides structured search results including titles, URLs, and content snippets - Caches recent searches as resources for reference - Handles rate limiting and error cases gracefully - Supports real-time web crawling for fresh content ## Prerequisites 📋 Before you begin, ensure you have: - [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) (v18 or higher) - [Claude Desktop](https://claude.ai/download) installed - An [Exa API key](https://dashboard.exa.ai/api-keys) - Git installed You can verify your Node.js installation by running: ```bash node --version # Should show v18.0.0 or higher ``` ## Installation 🛠️ ### NPM Installation ```bash npm install -g exa-mcp-server ``` ### Using Smithery To install the Exa MCP server for Claude Desktop automatically via [Smithery](https://smithery.ai/server/exa): ```bash npx -y @smithery/cli install exa --client claude ``` ### Manual Installation 1. Clone the repository: ```bash git clone https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server.git cd exa-mcp-server ``` 2. Install dependencies: ```bash npm install ``` 3. Build the project: ```bash npm run build ``` 4. Create a global link (this makes the server executable from anywhere): ```bash npm link ``` ## Configuration ⚙️ ### 1. Configure Claude Desktop to recognize the Exa MCP server You can find claude_desktop_config.json inside the settings of Claude Desktop app: Open the Claude Desktop app and enable Developer Mode from the top-left menu bar. Once enabled, open Settings (also from the top-left menu bar) and navigate to the Developer Option, where you'll find the Edit Config button. Clicking it will open the claude_desktop_config.json file, allowing you to make the necessary edits. OR (if you want to open claude_desktop_config.json from terminal) #### For macOS: 1. Open your Claude Desktop configuration: ```bash code ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json ``` #### For Windows: 1. Open your Claude Desktop configuration: ```powershell code %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json ``` ### 2. Add the Exa server configuration: ```json { "mcpServers": { "exa": { "command": "npx", "args": ["/path/to/exa-mcp-server/build/index.js"], "env": { "EXA_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here" } } } } ``` Replace `your-api-key-here` with your actual Exa API key from [dashboard.exa.ai/api-keys](https://dashboard.exa.ai/api-keys). ### 3. Restart Claude Desktop For the changes to take effect: 1. Completely quit Claude Desktop (not just close the window) 2. Start Claude Desktop again 3. Look for the 🔌 icon to verify the Exa server is connected ## Usage 🎯 Once configured, you can ask Claude to perform web searches. Here are some example prompts: ``` Can you search for recent developments in quantum computing? ``` ``` Search for and summarize the latest news about artificial intelligence startups in new york. ``` ``` Find and analyze recent research papers about climate change solutions. ``` ``` Search for today's breaking news about tech. ``` ``` Search for the top 10 AI research papers from 2023, and only use live crawling as a fallback. ``` ``` Search for electric vehicles and return 3 results, always using live crawling. ``` The server will: 1. Process the search request 2. Query the Exa API with optimal settings (including live crawling) 3. Return formatted results to Claude 4. Cache the search for future reference ## Features ✨ * **Simplified Web Search Tool**: Enables Claude to search the web with just a query parameter * **Customizable Search Parameters**: Control the number of results and live crawling strategy * **Automatic Live Crawling**: Uses real-time crawling based on specified strategy * **Preset Optimal Parameters**: Uses best defaults for result count and character limits * **Search Caching**: Saves recent searches as resources for reference * **Error Handling**: Gracefully handles API errors and rate limits * **Type Safety**: Full TypeScript implementation with Zod validation * **MCP Compliance**: Fully implements the latest MCP protocol specification ## Testing with MCP Inspector 🔍 You can test the server directly using the MCP Inspector: ```bash npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node ./build/index.js ``` This opens an interactive interface where you can explore the server's capabilities, execute search queries, and view cached search results. ## Troubleshooting 🔧 ### Common Issues 1. **Server Not Found** * Verify the npm link is correctly set up * Check Claude Desktop configuration syntax * Ensure Node.js is properly installed 2. **API Key Issues** * Confirm your EXA_API_KEY is valid * Check the EXA_API_KEY is correctly set in the Claude Desktop config * Verify no spaces or quotes around the API key 3. **Connection Issues** * Restart Claude Desktop completely * Check Claude Desktop logs: ```bash # macOS tail -n 20 -f ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log # Windows type "%APPDATA%\Claude\logs\mcp*.log" ``` ### Getting Help If you encounter issues, review the [MCP Documentation](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) or visit the [GitHub discussions](https://github.com/orgs/modelcontextprotocol/discussions) for community support. ## Acknowledgments 🙏 * [Exa AI](https://exa.ai) for their powerful search API * [Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) for the MCP specification * [Anthropic](https://anthropic.com) for Claude Desktop