name	exa-search
description	Web and code search with Exa MCP. Use for current documentation, API references, code examples, latest library info, or when the user mentions "exa", "web search", "docs", or "current API".

Exa (MCP Server)

Real-time web and code search for current documentation and examples.

When This Applies

Signal	Action
Need current API docs	Use Exa
Library/framework documentation	Use Exa
Code examples from GitHub	`get_code_context_exa`
Latest versions/deprecations	Use Exa
Deep research	`deep_search_exa`

Available Tools

web_search_exa        # Real-time web search
get_code_context_exa  # Search GitHub, docs, StackOverflow
deep_search_exa       # Deep research with query expansion
crawling              # Extract content from specific URLs

Query Patterns

Current Documentation

{library} {feature} {version} 2024 2025

Examples:

FastAPI Pydantic v2 model_validator 2024 2025
Next.js 14 app router server components
React useOptimistic hook 2024

Migration Between Versions

{library} v{old} to v{new} migration
{library} {version} breaking changes
{library} upgrade guide {version}

Code Examples

get_code_context_exa("{library} {pattern} implementation example")
get_code_context_exa("{library} {use_case} tutorial")

Security/Auth Patterns

{auth_method} best practices 2024
{library} authentication {pattern} security
OAuth PKCE {language} 2024

When to Use Exa

Use Case	Use Exa?
Current API documentation	YES
Latest library changes	YES
Code examples	YES
Security best practices	YES
Deprecation notices	YES

When NOT to Use Exa

Use Case	Use Instead
Information in codebase	Warp-Grep or Grep
Past session content	CASS
Historical context	cass-memory (`cm`)
Task information	Beads (`bd`, `bv`)

Query Strengthening

If initial query returns poor results:

Add version: "React 19 useOptimistic" vs "React useOptimistic"
Add year: "FastAPI middleware 2024" vs "FastAPI middleware"
Add "official": "Next.js official docs app router"
Be more specific: "Prisma findMany where clause" vs "Prisma queries"

Verification Checklist

After grounding with Exa:

Check	Pass If
Source	Official docs or reputable repo
Freshness	Updated within 12 months
Version	Matches your dependency
Completeness	Full import + usage pattern
Status	Not deprecated

Recording Results

Track grounding status in your work:

## Grounding Status
| Pattern | Query | Source | Status |
|---------|-------|--------|--------|
| `@model_validator` | "Pydantic v2 2024" | docs.pydantic.dev | ✅ Verified |
| `useOptimistic` | "React 19 2024" | react.dev | ✅ Verified |

Status values:

✅ Verified — Matches current docs
⚠️ Changed — API changed, updated approach
❌ Deprecated — Found alternative
❓ Unverified — Couldn't confirm, flagged

Requirements

Requires Exa API key configured:

claude mcp add exa -s user \
  -e EXA_API_KEY=your-key \
  -- npx -y @anthropic-labs/exa-mcp-server

exa-search

Install Skill

SKILL.md