Exa MCP, Exa's official web search server
Lets Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor search the live web and read any page. Works with no account and no API key.
This is Exa's official server. It lets your assistant search the web and read the pages it finds. Search and page reading work without an account at a free rate limit, and a free Exa account adds $10 of credit each month. Everything you ask is sent to Exa, and web pages can carry hidden instructions, so read what your assistant does with the results.
Good for
- People who want their assistant to look things up online with sources
- Developers who want current docs and web pages inside Claude Code, Cursor or Codex
- Researchers who need to read a known page as clean text
- Anyone who wants web search without creating an API key first
Works in
10 supported · 4 should work
Tap an app to see how to set it up and any known problems.
Exa's docs cover it: install the Exa plugin, then start a new session.
Known problems
- Fixed
Exa Agent tool rejected by strict schema checks, failing every request that included it
Reported Sep 2026 · GitHub
- Fixed
Plugin stayed on an old cached version and missed a tool its research skill needed
Workaround: Fixed in plugin 3.4.2; reinstall or update the plugin to refresh the cache.
Reported Jul 2026 · GitHub
Exa's docs cover it: add Exa as a connector and authorize. Docs advise the connector over manual config. exa.ai
Exa's docs cover it: install from the Cursor marketplace or add the URL to your mcp.json. exa.ai
Exa's docs cover it: use the one-click install, or add an http server in .vscode/mcp.json. exa.ai
Exa's docs cover it: add the URL as serverUrl in your Windsurf MCP config. exa.ai
Exa's README covers it: add the server URL with codex mcp add, or install the ChatGPT/Codex plugin. GitHub
Exa's docs cover it: add the URL as httpUrl in ~/.gemini/settings.json. exa.ai
Exa's docs cover it: install the Exa plugin from ChatGPT, then start a new chat. exa.ai
Exa's docs cover it: add the URL under context_servers in Zed's settings.json. exa.ai
Exa's docs cover it: add it under mcp in opencode.json as a remote server. exa.ai
Supports local MCP servers.
Supports local MCP servers.
Supports local MCP servers.
Supports hosted MCP servers.
Install Exa MCP
Claude Code
- 1
Copy this prompt.
Add the Exa MCP server to Claude Code. Run this command: claude plugin install exa@claude-plugins-official Then check that it loaded and tell me if I need to sign in or restart.
- 2
Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.
The hosted server works without an account for web search and page fetch, at a free rate limit. If you hit a 429, sign in or add an API key. The agent_run tool needs sign-in or a key. To force the sign-in flow, use https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?login. Keyless use needs a direct IPv4 connection; IPv6 or proxied requests get a 403. Setting ?tools= replaces the default tool list, so name every tool you want, for example https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_exa,web_fetch_exa,web_search_advanced_exa,agent_run. The plugin bundles the server plus search and exa-agent skills; start a new session after installing.
From the vendor's docs. Source.
Tools
Searches the web and returns clean, ready-to-use content
Runs a web search for any topic and returns the page content in a clean form your assistant can use directly. Use it for current facts or sources.
Try: “Search the web for recent benchmarks of open-source vector databases”
Network ·
web_search_exaReads the full content of one or more web pages
Fetches the full text of the URLs you give it and returns it as clean markdown. Use it when you already have a link and want your assistant to read the page.
Try: “Read https://example.com/pricing and summarize the plans”
Network ·
web_fetch_exaSearches the web with filters for domains, dates and more
An optional tool, switched on through the server URL, that adds filters for domains and dates, plus highlights, summaries and subpage crawling. Use it when a plain search is too broad.
Try: “Search only arxiv.org for papers on retrieval from the last 3 months”
Network ·
web_search_advanced_exaRuns a multi-step research job and returns structured results
An optional tool, switched on through the server URL, that starts an Exa Agent for multi-step research, list building and enrichment with structured output. It needs sign-in or an API key. Use it for larger research jobs.
Try: “Build a list of 20 seed-stage fintech startups in Berlin with their websites”
Network ·
agent_run
Read from the source code
Pros and cons
Good
- Search and page fetch work with no account or API key
- A free account adds $10 of credit each month with no card
- Official server, run by Exa, with nothing to host
- Reads any page as clean text, not raw HTML
- Works in Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and more
- Read-only: it cannot change your files or accounts
Watch out
- No published numeric limit on the keyless tier; a 429 means sign in or add a key
- Keyless access fails with 403 on IPv6, proxies and cloud hosts, and in some blocked regions
- Every query goes to Exa, a US provider
- Heavier use is billed per request after the free credit
- The old separate code search tool is deprecated
Permissions
low risk · 3 things to watch
Low risk
It only reads the public web, but pages it returns can contain instructions meant to steer your assistant. Keep your approval prompts on for actions that follow a search, and keep your API key out of the server address.
What it can do
- Read your data
- Create and change things
- Delete things
- Read-only modeHow to turn it on
Watch out for
Web pages can carry hidden instructions
Search and fetch pass text from any website to your assistant. Exa cleans fetched content, but results are not yet flagged as untrusted, so check what your assistant does with them. github.com
An API key in the URL can leak
Putting the key in the address saves it in config files, logs and history. Sign in with your Exa account or send the key as a header instead. github.com
Your searches and URLs go to Exa
Every search and every page you fetch is sent to Exa's hosted service. When you are signed in, your Exa account is billed for usage. exa.ai
Security advisories
No published security advisories as of Nov 1, 2026.
Technical details
| Turning on read-only | Every tool only reads the public web, and nothing writes to your files or accounts. To limit what the server offers, list only the search and fetch tools in the tools URL parameter. |
|---|---|
| Talks to | mcp.exa.ai |
Alternatives
Use Exa when you want web search and page reading with no setup. Pick Brave Search for its own independent index, Perplexity for written answers with citations, or Firecrawl when scraping matters most.
| Server | Official | Runs | Sign-in | Weekly downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| For Exa | ||||
| ExaThis page | Official | HostedLocal | None or account | – |
| Other tools for the same job | ||||
| Brave Search | Official | Local | API key | 31.6K/wk |
| Tavily | Official | HostedLocal | No sign-in | – |
| FirecrawlFor Firecrawl | Official | HostedLocal | None or API key | 190.7K/wk |
| PerplexityFor Perplexity | Official | – | API key or OAuth | 126/wk |
What people say
People like the free, keyless start and dislike the 403 errors from cloud hosts and some regions.
What people like
- The free tier works with no key for search and page fetch
- Developers use it as their search tool across several coding apps
- A workable search option for models without good built-in web search
Common complaints
- Some think a skill plus command line does the same job with less context use
- Keyless access returns 403 from cloud hosts and some regions, so those need a key or sign-in
- Sign-up failed for some users with QQ email addresses
In their words
“Exa even has a pretty good MCP and free tier. Using it directly for a while now”artdigitalHacker NewsMay 2026
“I've had generally good experiences with Exa, I use it as an MCP in all my various coding tools and use the API whenever I build an AI thing that needs search.”scratchyoneHacker NewsJul 2026
“For applications where I am not concerned about my queries being passed through a US provider, I have had success with exa”traceroute66Hacker NewsMar 2026
“Exa's MCP server is stateless, just a REST wrapper. A skill + CLI would do the same job with way less context cost.”arthurjean
2 more quotesFewer quotes
“Workers reach us over a shared IPv6 address, and our keyless tier needs IPv4. Authenticated requests are allowed. Send your Exa API key as an x-api-key header (or use OAuth) and the Worker should connect.”keskuGitHub issueSep 2026
“Same issue. I switched to using Tavily, and registration works fine there.”yinhx3
Questions
Is the Exa MCP server free?
Yes. Search and page fetch work without an account at a free rate limit. A free Exa account adds $10 of credit each month (up to 2,500 Lite searches) with no card needed, and after that you pay per request.
What is the Exa MCP server URL?
https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp. Use it as a plain address for keyless access.
Do I need an Exa API key?
No, not for the hosted server's search and fetch. You need to sign in or use a key for higher limits, for the local npm package, or when you connect over IPv6 or a proxy.
How much does Exa cost after the free credit?
Search costs $4 per 1,000 requests for lite or instant, and $7 per 1,000 for auto or fast. Deep search is $12 to $15 per 1,000, and page contents are $1 per 1,000 pages. There is no separate price for the MCP server.
Is it safe?
It only reads the public web and cannot change your files or accounts. The risk is that a web page can hide instructions for your assistant, so check what it does with search results. Your queries are also sent to Exa.
Which tools are on by default?
Web search and page fetch, when you connect without signing in. Advanced search is opt-in: add a tools parameter to the URL, such as https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_exa,web_fetch_exa,web_search_advanced_exa. It replaces the defaults, so list every tool you want.
Does it still have code search?
Not as a separate tool. The old code search tool is deprecated, and Exa says to use regular web search instead.
Why do I get HTTP 403 from mcp.exa.ai?
Keyless access needs a direct IPv4 connection, so cloud hosts on IPv6 and proxies get 403. Sign in or send an API key as an x-api-key header. Some regions are blocked for compliance reasons, and self-hosting does not help there.
What does a 429 error mean?
You hit the keyless rate limit. Sign in with your Exa account or add an API key for higher limits.
Can I run it on my own computer?
Yes. Use the local package from the install box with your API key set. For apps that cannot connect to a hosted server, you can bridge the hosted address with npx -y mcp-remote https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp.
Examples
Look up current information with source pages included
Use Exa to find the three most recent announcements about the MCP spec and summarize each with its link.
Read a known page as clean markdown
Fetch https://exa.ai/pricing with Exa and list the search prices per 1,000 requests.
Search one site within a date range (advanced search enabled)
Search only github.com for posts from the last 30 days about streamable HTTP MCP servers.
Information
updated Nov 2, 2026
- Publisher
- Exa (official)
- Package
exa-mcp-server- Registry
- npm
- Endpoint
https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp- Transport
- Streamable HTTP, stdio
- Auth
- OAuth
- Version
- 3.4.1
- Last commit
- Oct 30, 2026
- Listed in
- Official MCP registry
WebsiteExa MCP docsGitHubnpmOfficial MCP RegistryExa pricingIssues
Other Exa MCP servers
Sources
Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from. Issues, quotes and findings above link to their own source.
Show all 18Hide
- Exa MCP docs · exa.ai
- exa-mcp-server · github.com
- Exa pricing · exa.ai
- Issue 458 · github.com
- Issue 334 · github.com
- Issue 414 · github.com
- Issue 445 · github.com
- Issue 447 · github.com
- Issue 396 · github.com
- Hacker News · news.ycombinator.com
- Hacker News · news.ycombinator.com
- Hacker News · news.ycombinator.com
- Hacker News · news.ycombinator.com
- Issue 426 · github.com
- Brave Search API · brave.com
- Tavily MCP · docs.tavily.com
- Firecrawl MCP · docs.firecrawl.dev
- Perplexity MCP · docs.perplexity.ai