How do I install the Exa Search skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add plurigrid/exa-search in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Exa Search safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Exa Search?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Exa Search free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Exa Search?

plurigrid (@plurigrid) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Exa Search by plurigrid — Agent Skill

Name: Exa Search
Author: plurigrid

Exa Search

Use Exa for semantic/neural web search. Exa understands context and returns high-quality results. Use this skill when you need to search the web for documentation, research, or any information that requires understanding meaning rather than just keyword matching. NEVER substitute web_search for Exa - they serve completely different purposes.

plurigrid 407efb2 2 files · 2.8 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Exa Semantic Search

Exa provides neural/semantic search via MCP. Use it for high-quality web search that understands context.

When to Use Exa

Searching for documentation or technical information
Research requiring semantic understanding
Finding information where exact keywords are unknown
Company research and LinkedIn searches
Deep research tasks

When NOT to Use Exa

Never use web_search as a substitute - it's basic keyword matching only
If Exa fails, troubleshoot Exa - don't fall back to web_search

Available Tools

The Exa MCP server provides these tools:

web_search_exa - Semantic web search
crawling_exa - Crawl and extract web content
company_research_exa - Research companies
linkedin_search_exa - Search LinkedIn profiles
deep_researcher_start - Start deep research task
deep_researcher_check - Check deep research status

Configuration

Exa is configured as a remote HTTP MCP in ~/.mcp.json:

{
  "exa": {
    "type": "http",
    "url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_exa,crawling_exa,company_research_exa,linkedin_search_exa,deep_researcher_start,deep_researcher_check"
  }
}

Usage Examples

Basic Search

Use the Exa MCP tools directly when semantic search is needed.

Deep Research

Start with deep_researcher_start for complex topics
Poll with deep_researcher_check until complete
Get comprehensive, synthesized results

Critical Rules

NEVER replace Exa with web_search - they are fundamentally different
NEVER use web_search in Task sub-agents as a substitute for Exa
If Exa fails, troubleshoot Exa - do not substitute

---name: exa-searchdescription: Use Exa for semantic/neural web search. Exa understands context and returns high-quality results. Use this skill when you need to search the web for documentation, research, or any information that requires understanding meaning rather than just keyword matching. NEVER substitute web_search for Exa - they serve completely different purposes.---# Exa Semantic SearchExa provides neural/semantic search via MCP. Use it for high-quality web search that understands context.## When to Use Exa- Searching for documentation or technical information- Research requiring semantic understanding- Finding information where exact keywords are unknown- Company research and LinkedIn searches- Deep research tasks## When NOT to Use Exa- Never use `web_search` as a substitute - it's basic keyword matching only- If Exa fails, troubleshoot Exa - don't fall back to `web_search`## Available ToolsThe Exa MCP server provides these tools:- `web_search_exa` - Semantic web search- `crawling_exa` - Crawl and extract web content- `company_research_exa` - Research companies- `linkedin_search_exa` - Search LinkedIn profiles- `deep_researcher_start` - Start deep research task- `deep_researcher_check` - Check deep research status## ConfigurationExa is configured as a remote HTTP MCP in `~/.mcp.json`:```json{ "exa": { "type": "http", "url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_exa,crawling_exa,company_research_exa,linkedin_search_exa,deep_researcher_start,deep_researcher_check" }}```## Usage Examples### Basic SearchUse the Exa MCP tools directly when semantic search is needed.### Deep Research1. Start with `deep_researcher_start` for complex topics2. Poll with `deep_researcher_check` until complete3. Get comprehensive, synthesized results## Critical Rules1. **NEVER replace Exa with web_search** - they are fundamentally different2. **NEVER use web_search in Task sub-agents** as a substitute for Exa3. If Exa fails, troubleshoot Exa - do not substitute

Frequently asked questions