Exa MCP Server

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
• Handles rate limiting and error cases gracefully

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• Node.js (v18 or higher)
• Claude Desktop installed
• An Exa API key
• Git installed

You can verify your Node.js installation by running:

node --version  # Should show v18.0.0 or higher

Installation

NPM Installation

npm install -g exa-mcp-server

Using Smithery

To install the Exa MCP server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install exa --client claude

Manual Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server.git
cd exa-mcp-server

2. Install dependencies:

npm install --save axios dotenv

3. Build the project:

npm run build

4. Create a global link (this makes the server executable from anywhere):

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:

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

For Windows:

1. Open your Claude Desktop configuration:

code %APPDATA%Claudeclaude_desktop_config.json

2. Add the Exa server configuration:

{
  "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.

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.

The server will:

1. Process the search request

2. Query the Exa API

3. Return formatted results to Claude

4. Cache the search for future reference

Features

• Web Search Tool: Enables Claude to search the web using natural language queries

• Error Handling: Gracefully handles API errors and rate limits

• Type Safety: Full TypeScript implementation with proper type checking

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 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:

     # macOS
     tail -n 20 -f ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log
     

Getting Help

If you encounter issues review the MCP Documentation

Acknowledgments

• Exa AI for their powerful search API

• Model Context Protocol for the MCP specification

• Anthropic for Claude Desktop