---
slug: "exa-mcp"
name: "Exa MCP Server"
effect: "Gives agents Exa web search and page fetching as MCP tools, with optional multi-step research runs"
category: "mcp-server"
tier: "rising"
url: "https://exa.ai/docs/get-started/exa-mcp"
github: "exa-labs/exa-mcp-server"
pricing: "open-source"
license: "MIT"
tags: ["web-search", "web-fetch", "research", "hosted", "agent-skills"]
platforms: ["any-mcp-client", "claude-code", "codex", "cursor", "vscode", "gemini-cli", "windsurf", "zed", "claude-desktop"]
install_kind: "cli"
date_added: "2026-10-14"
rank: 42
rising_score: 21
stars: 5130
star_velocity: 7.5
velocity_basis: "since creation"
created_at: "2024-11-27T23:38:35Z"
pushed_at: "2026-10-07T22:45:09Z"
signals_status: "ok"
signals_fetched_at: "2026-10-15T05:02:41.811Z"
page: "https://agenttooldrop.com/tools/exa-mcp"
---

# Exa MCP Server

Gives agents Exa web search and page fetching as MCP tools, with optional multi-step research runs

Category: MCP servers. Tier: new and rising, rank 42 by new and rising score (21 of 100). Pricing: Open source. License: MIT.

Platforms: any-mcp-client, claude-code, codex, cursor, vscode, gemini-cli, windsurf, zed, claude-desktop.

## Why you would want it

Exa hosts the server at mcp.exa.ai/mcp and it works without an API key under rate limits, so setup is a URL or a plugin install. The default tools are web_search_exa, which returns clean content for search results, and web_fetch_exa, which reads pages as markdown; advanced search with domain and date filters and Exa Agent runs for multi-step research can be turned on with the tools URL parameter. The repo also ships search and exa-agent skills that load with plugin installs.

## Best for

- Coding agents that need current web results
- Multi-step research and list-building
- Improving built-in web search in Claude, ChatGPT or Codex

## Use it when

Your agent needs to search the web or read pages as clean markdown and you want a hosted server with nothing to install.

## Skip it if

You need more than light anonymous use: the keyless server is rate-limited, and Exa Agent requires OAuth or an Exa API key.

## Install

Install the Claude Code plugin:

```sh
claude plugin install exa@claude-plugins-official
```

Source: https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server#readme

## Live signals

Fetched 2026-10-15T05:02:41.811Z (status: ok).

- Repository: exa-labs/exa-mcp-server
- Repository created: 2024-11-27
- Stars: 5,130 (GitHub's count; it cannot be authenticated)
- Stars per day, since repo creation: 7.5 (an average over the repo's life, not a growth rate)
- Forks: 403
- Open issues and PRs: 18
- License (GitHub): MIT
- Last push: 2026-10-07
- Latest release: none

## Links

- Website: https://exa.ai/docs/get-started/exa-mcp
- GitHub: https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server
- Install instructions verified at: https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server#readme
- Source for this entry: https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server
- AgentToolDrop page: https://agenttooldrop.com/tools/exa-mcp
- Full catalog (JSON): https://agenttooldrop.com/tools.json