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https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server

Claude can perform Web Search | Exa with MCP (Model Context Protocol)
https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server

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Claude can perform Web Search | Exa with MCP (Model Context Protocol)

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# 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](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 🛠️

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. Claude Desktop Configuration

Configure Claude Desktop to recognize the Exa MCP server:

You can also find claude_desktop_config.json inside the settings of Claude Desktop app

or

#### 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%\Claude\claude_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](https://dashboard.exa.ai/api-keys).

### 2. 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](https://modelcontextprotocol.io)

## 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