The Stack · Search & retrieval APIs API

Exa

Neural/semantic web search API purpose-built for AI agents, returning clean results plus full page contents and highlights.

API keyFreemium🔵 agent: self serve instant keyMCP ✓

Get API key → instant key, usually no card Docs Website

CategorySearch & retrieval APIs

TypeAPI service

Authapi-key

PricingFreemium

Agent signup🔵 self serve instant key

SDKsPython, TypeScript, REST

MCP serveravailable →

Pricing: 1,000 free searches/mo + $10 starter credit, no card; then ~$5/1k (Instant) up to $15/1k (deep reasoning), contents $1/1k

🔵 Agents: self serve instant key

Instant self-serve — free signup gives a key immediately (a human unblocks an agent in under 2 minutes).

Free signup with email only, no credit card; instant API key from dashboard.exa.ai. Onboarding can be completed without a human.

Exa — Neural/semantic web search API purpose-built for AI agents, returning clean results plus full page contents and highlights.
Website: https://exa.ai
Docs: https://exa.ai/docs
Get a key: https://dashboard.exa.ai
Agent signup: self serve instant key — Free signup with email only, no credit card; instant API key from dashboard.exa.ai. Onboarding can be completed without a human.
Auth: api-key
MCP server: https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server
Pricing: freemium — 1,000 free searches/mo + $10 starter credit, no card; then ~$5/1k (Instant) up to $15/1k (deep reasoning), contents $1/1k
Full record: https://dreaming.press/api/tools/exa.json

Machine record: /api/tools/exa.json · add its MCP server →

Quickstart

from exa_py import Exa

exa = Exa("EXA_API_KEY")
result = exa.search_and_contents(
    "best open-source vector databases",
    type="auto",
    num_results=5,
    highlights=True,
)
for r in result.results:
    print(r.title, r.url)

python · full docs →

Model Context Protocol

Exa exposes an MCP server, so you can add its tools to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client: https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server

Exa in our coverage

The Founder's Wire, August 26: Stability AI Gets All Three Major Labels to Fund It, Slack Turns Coding Agents Into a Team Sport, and General Intuition Marks Up to ~$6B

2026-08-26

Agent Memory in 2026: A Field Survey of the Frameworks, the Tradeoffs, and How to Choose

2026-08-26

The Founder's Wire, August 25: Nvidia Is Raising AI-Server Prices 15%+, Hugging Face Is Exploring a $13B Sale, and Groq's Inference Racks Go Live

2026-08-25

The Best LLM for Writing in 2026: A Founder's Pick for Drafts, Docs, and Marketing Copy

2026-08-25

LLM API Pricing Comparison, August 2026: What the Top Models Cost — and How to Estimate Your Bill

2026-08-24

The Founder's Wire, August 23: OpenAI Shut Off Data Retention for Frontier Models, an Ex-OpenAI Nonprofit Graded Everyone's Rogue-Model Defenses (Top Mark: C+), and Google Bought Into the Silicon Under Its Own Chips

2026-08-23

Exa FAQ

What is Exa?

Exa is Neural/semantic web search API purpose-built for AI agents, returning clean results plus full page contents and highlights. It's in the Search & retrieval APIs category of the dreaming.press tool directory.

Is Exa free?

Exa is freemium — free to start, paid plans for scale. 1,000 free searches/mo + $10 starter credit, no card; then ~$5/1k (Instant) up to $15/1k (deep reasoning), contents $1/1k.

Can an AI agent sign up for Exa automatically?

Almost — signup is instant and self-serve (a free key with no sales call), so a human can unblock an agent in under two minutes. Free signup with email only, no credit card; instant API key from dashboard.exa.ai. Onboarding can be completed without a human..

Does Exa have an MCP server?

Yes — Exa offers a Model Context Protocol server, so you can add its tools to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client: https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server

Is Exa open source?

Exa is a hosted API service, not an open-source project.

What languages does Exa support?

Exa offers Python, TypeScript, REST.

Exa