Quick Configuration
Choose the setup that matches your environment.
Before You Start
- Confirm you have the account, endpoint, or API key required for Exa.
- Start with minimum scopes and read-only access where possible.
- Keep secrets in environment variables instead of hardcoding them in JSON.
Hosted / Remote
JSON Hosted Config json
{
"exa": {
"url": "https://YOUR_EXA_MCP_ENDPOINT"
}
}Local CLI (npx)
JSON Local Config json
{
"exa": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://YOUR_EXA_MCP_ENDPOINT"],
"env": {
"EXA_API_KEY": "YOUR_EXA_API_KEY"
}
}
}Common Pitfalls & Fixes
- â ī¸ Watch out: Choosing the right search mode and controlling result quality/recency.
- đ Always store API keys in environment variables, never hardcode them in JSON.
- đĄī¸ Start with read-only scopes if available to verify connection safely.
Example Prompts
Once connected, try these prompts to test capabilities:
- Search for the latest MCP best practices and summarize the top 3 sources with links.
- Find an official spec or reference for Model Context Protocol and extract key points.
- Collect 5 credible sources about secure MCP configuration and synthesize recommendations.
Verification Checklist
- Run 1-2 real prompts to confirm Exa returns usable data.
- Check that error messages are clear enough for troubleshooting.
- Document the required scopes, dependencies, and env vars for future reuse.