Exa

🚀 Using Exa MCP Server 🔍

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants (such as Claude) to use Exa's powerful web search API. This setup allows AI models to access real-time web information in a secure and controlled manner.

Demo Video loom.com

🚀 Quick Start

This Exa MCP server allows AI assistants to perform web searches using Exa's search API. After the server is set up, Claude Desktop can communicate with it via the MCP protocol. You can use the following command in Claude for searching:

{
  "command": "search",
  "query": "Your search term"
}

✨ Features

• Simplified Web Search Tool: Enables Claude to directly conduct web searches using query parameters.
• Customizable Search Parameters: Allows control over the number of results and real-time crawling strategies.
• Automatic Real-time Crawling: Performs real-time crawling according to specified strategies.
• Preset Optimal Parameters: Uses default values for optimal results.
• Search Caching: Saves recent searches for reference.
• Error Handling: Gracefully handles API errors and rate limits.
• Type Safety: Fully implemented in TypeScript with Zod validation.
• MCP Compliance: Fully adheres to the latest MCP protocol specifications.

📦 Installation

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

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

Steps

1. Clone this repository:

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

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Configure environment variables:

   • Create a .env file and add the following content:

     EXA_API_KEY=Your Exa API key
     

4. Start the server:

   npm start
   

📚 Documentation

What is MCP? 🤔

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a system that allows AI applications (such as Claude Desktop) to connect to external tools and services. It provides a clear and secure way for AI assistants to interact with local services and APIs while keeping users 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 excerpts.
• Caches recent searches for reference.
• Handles rate limits and error situations.
• Supports real-time web crawling to obtain the latest content.

💻 Usage Examples

Basic Usage

After the server is started, Claude Desktop can communicate with it via the MCP protocol. You can use the following command in Claude for searching:

{
  "command": "search",
  "query": "Your search term"
}

The server will process the request and return structured search results.

Advanced Usage

You can use the MCP inspector to directly test the server:

npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node ./build/index.js

This will open an interactive interface where you can explore the server's features, execute search queries, and view cached search results.

🔧 Technical Details

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Server not found

   • Confirm that the npm link is set up correctly.
   • Check the syntax of the Claude Desktop configuration.
   • Ensure that Node.js is installed correctly.

2. API key issues

   • Confirm that your EXA_API_KEY is valid.
   • Check if the API key is set up correctly in Claude Desktop.
   • Ensure that there are no spaces or quotes in the API key.

3. Connection issues

   • Restart Claude Desktop completely.

   • Check the Claude Desktop logs:

     # macOS
     tail -n 20 -f ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log
     
     # Windows
     type "%APPDATA%\Claude\logs\mcp*.log"
     

Getting Help

If you encounter problems, please refer to the MCP documentation or visit the GitHub discussions for community support.

📄 License

Acknowledgments

• Exa AI for providing the powerful search API.
• Model Context Protocol for the MCP specifications.
• Anthropic for providing Claude Desktop.