Which integrations are available for this server?

Searches billions of GitHub repositories to find relevant code snippets, examples, and documentation from open source libraries and programming frameworks. Provides code context and documentation for Vercel AI SDK usage patterns and syntax examples.

How do I use Exa MCP Server?

1. Click on "Install Server". 2. Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state. 3. In the chat, type @ followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@Exa MCP Server search for how to implement authentication in Next.js 14" That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed. Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.

This is a fork of https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server.

Exa MCP Server 🔍

Install in Cursor Install in VS Code npm version

Exa Code: fast, efficient web context for coding agents

Vibe coding should never have a bad vibe. exa-code is a huge step towards coding agents that never hallucinate.

When your coding agent makes a search query, exa-code searches over billions of Github repos, docs pages, Stackoverflow posts, and more, to find the perfect, token-efficient context that the agent needs to code correctly. It's powered by the Exa search engine.

Examples of queries you can make with exa-code:

use Exa search in python and make sure content is always livecrawled
use correct syntax for vercel ai sdk to call gpt-5 nano asking it how are you
how to set up a reproducible Nix Rust development environment

✨ Works with Cursor and Claude Code! Use the HTTP-based configuration format:

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

You can enable specific tool(s) using the tools parameter (if multiple, then with a comma-separated list):

https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_exa,get_code_context_exa

Or enable all tools:

https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_exa,deep_search_exa,get_code_context_exa,crawling_exa,company_research_exa,linkedin_search_exa,deep_researcher_start,deep_researcher_check

You may include your exa api key in the url like this:

https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?exaApiKey=YOUREXAKEY

Note: By default, only web_search_exa and get_code_context_exa are enabled. Add other tools as needed using the tools parameter.

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects AI assistants like Claude to Exa AI's search capabilities, including web search, research tools, and our new code search feature.

Remote Exa MCP 🌐

Connect directly to Exa's hosted MCP server (instead of running it locally).

Remote Exa MCP URL

https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp

Claude Desktop Configuration for Remote MCP

Add this to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

{ "mcpServers": { "exa": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp" ] } } }

Cursor and Claude Code Configuration for Remote MCP

For Cursor and Claude Code, use this HTTP-based configuration format:

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

Codex Configuration for Remote MCP

Open your Codex configuration file:

code ~/.codex/config.toml

Add this configuration:

[mcp_servers.exa] command = "npx" args = ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"] 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.

Claude Code Plugin

The easiest way to get started with Exa in Claude Code, using plugins:

# Add the Exa marketplace /plugin marketplace add exa-labs/exa-mcp-server # Install the plugin /plugin install exa-mcp-server

Then set your API key:

export EXA_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"

Get your API key from dashboard.exa.ai/api-keys.

NPM Installation

npm install -g exa-mcp-server

Using Claude Code

claude mcp add exa -e EXA_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY -- npx -y exa-mcp-server

Using Exa MCP through Smithery

To install the Exa MCP server via Smithery, head over to:

smithery.ai/server/exa

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:

Open your Claude Desktop configuration:

code ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

For Windows:

Open your Claude Desktop configuration:

code %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add the Exa server configuration:

{ "mcpServers": { "exa": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "exa-mcp-server"], "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.

3. Available Tools & Tool Selection

The Exa MCP server includes powerful tools for developers and researchers:

🌐 Tools

get_code_context_exa: Search and get relevant code snippets, examples, and documentation from open source libraries, GitHub repositories, and programming frameworks. Perfect for finding up-to-date code documentation, implementation examples, API usage patterns, and best practices from real codebases.
web_search_exa: Performs real-time web searches with optimized results and content extraction.
deep_search_exa: Deep web search with smart query expansion and high-quality summaries for each result.
company_research: Comprehensive company research tool that crawls company websites to gather detailed information about businesses.
crawling: Extracts content from specific URLs, useful for reading articles, PDFs, or any web page when you have the exact URL.
linkedin_search: Search LinkedIn for companies and people using Exa AI. Simply include company names, person names, or specific LinkedIn URLs in your query.
deep_researcher_start: Start a smart AI researcher for complex questions. The AI will search the web, read many sources, and think deeply about your question to create a detailed research report.
deep_researcher_check: Check if your research is ready and get the results. Use this after starting a research task to see if it's done and get your comprehensive report.

Note: By default, only web_search_exa and get_code_context_exa are enabled. You can enable additional tools using the tools= parameter (see examples below).

💻 Setup for Code Search Only (Recommended for Developers)

{ "mcpServers": { "exa": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "-y", "exa-mcp-server", "tools=get_code_context_exa" ], "env": { "EXA_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here" } } } }

Enable All Tools:

You can either enable all tools or any specfic tools. Use a comma-separated list to enable the tools you need:

{ "mcpServers": { "exa": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "-y", "exa-mcp-server", "tools=get_code_context_exa,web_search_exa,deep_search_exa,company_research_exa,crawling_exa,linkedin_search_exa,deep_researcher_start,deep_researcher_check" ], "env": { "EXA_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here" } } } }

Using via NPX

If you prefer to run the server directly, you can use npx:

# Run with default tools only (web_search_exa and get_code_context_exa) npx exa-mcp-server # Enable specific tools only npx exa-mcp-server tools=web_search_exa # All tools npx exa-mcp-server tools=web_search_exa,deep_search_exa,get_code_context_exa,crawling_exa,company_research_exa,linkedin_search_exa,deep_researcher_start,deep_researcher_check

Built with ❤️ by team Exa

Exa MCP Server