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
python
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
code
{library} {feature} {version} 2024 2025
Examples:
code
FastAPI Pydantic v2 model_validator 2024 2025 Next.js 14 app router server components React useOptimistic hook 2024
Migration Between Versions
code
{library} v{old} to v{new} migration
{library} {version} breaking changes
{library} upgrade guide {version}
Code Examples
python
get_code_context_exa("{library} {pattern} implementation example")
get_code_context_exa("{library} {use_case} tutorial")
Security/Auth Patterns
code
{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:
markdown
## 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:
bash
claude mcp add exa -s user \ -e EXA_API_KEY=your-key \ -- npx -y @anthropic-labs/exa-mcp-server
See Also
- •
external-docs/— Full grounding skill with patterns - •
warp-grep/— Codebase search - •
cass-search/— Past session search