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

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

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

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README 

        
# Exa MCP Server 🔍

[![npm version](https://badge.fury.io/js/exa-mcp-server.svg)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/exa-mcp-server)

[![smithery badge](https://smithery.ai/badge/exa)](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. Available Tools & Tool Selection



The Exa MCP server includes the following tools:



- **web_search**: Performs real-time web searches with optimized results and content extraction.

- **research_paper_search**: Specialized search focused on academic papers and research content.

- **twitter_search**: Dedicated Twitter/X.com search that finds tweets, profiles, and conversations.

- **company_research**: Comprehensive company research tool that crawls company websites to gather detailed information about businesses.



You can choose which tools to enable by adding the `--tools` parameter to your Claude Desktop configuration:



#### Specify which tools to enable:



```json

{

  "mcpServers": {

    "exa": {

      "command": "npx",

      "args": [

        "/path/to/exa-mcp-server/build/index.js",

        "--tools=twitter_search"

      ],

      "env": {

        "EXA_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"

      }

    }

  }

}

```



For enabling multiple tools, use a comma-separated list:



```json

{

  "mcpServers": {

    "exa": {

      "command": "npx",

      "args": [

        "/path/to/exa-mcp-server/build/index.js",

        "--tools=web_search,research_paper_search,twitter_search,company_research"

      ],

      "env": {

        "EXA_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"

      }

    }

  }

}

```



If you don't specify any tools, all tools enabled by default will be used.



### 4. 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



## Using via NPX



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



```bash

# Run with all tools enabled by default

npx exa-mcp-server



# Enable specific tools only

npx exa-mcp-server --tools=web_search



# Enable multiple tools

npx exa-mcp-server --tools=web_search,research_paper_search



# List all available tools

npx exa-mcp-server --list-tools

```



## 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 Twitter for posts from @elonmusk about SpaceX.

```



```

Find tweets from @samaltman that were published in the last week about AI safety.

```



```

Research the company exa.ai and find information about their pricing and features.

```



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



## 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"

   ```



## 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