Exa

• Semantic web search that retrieves relevant pages based on the meaning and context of a query.
• Search API with configurable retrieval modes for different quality, speed, and research requirements.
• Webpage content extraction that returns full text or selected highlights for AI applications.
• Deep Search for multi-step research with structured outputs and web-grounded citations.
• Exa Agent for asynchronous research tasks and structured information gathering.
• Structured data extraction that organizes retrieved information into fields specified by the user.
• Search indexes covering web pages, people, companies, and scholarly works.
• SERP and code-related search workflows for research, developer documentation, repositories, and changelogs.
• Monitors that run scheduled searches and deliver updates about new information through webhooks.
• Integrations through APIs, MCP, and developer tools for connecting Exa with AI agents and applications.

What Is Exa?

Exa is an AI-powered search and web data platform designed to help developers retrieve relevant information from the internet for AI applications. It provides search APIs, webpage content extraction, deep research capabilities, and structured data retrieval that can be integrated into AI agents, research tools, and software products.

Unlike traditional search systems that primarily match keywords, Exa emphasizes semantic retrieval, helping applications find content based on the meaning and context of a query. Developers can use its APIs to retrieve relevant sources, extract useful information, and supply grounded context to language models.

Semantic Web Search

Exa Search helps applications find relevant webpages using natural-language queries and semantic retrieval. Developers can configure search modes according to their needs, balancing retrieval quality, response speed, and the depth of research required.

This capability can support question-answering systems, AI assistants, research applications, and workflows that need relevant web sources rather than a simple list of keyword matches. Search results can be combined with extracted webpage content to give downstream AI models more useful context.

Webpage Content Extraction

The Contents API retrieves information from webpages for use in AI applications. Developers can request full page text or selected highlights, depending on whether their application needs comprehensive source material or concise passages relevant to a query.

Content extraction can reduce the work involved in building a custom retrieval pipeline. It is useful for research tools, document analysis, and AI applications that need to process information from multiple online sources.

Deep Search and AI Research

Exa provides Deep Search for multi-step research tasks that require more than a single search query. It can gather information across sources and return structured results with citations to support further analysis.

This capability can help research assistants investigate questions, compare information, and organize findings into a format that applications can process. Developers can use the resulting information to build research workflows while retaining access to source references for verification.

Exa Agent

Exa Agent supports asynchronous research and information-gathering tasks. It can use available search and data tools to collect information and produce structured outputs based on a requested task.

Developers can select effort settings to balance the depth of a task against its cost. Usage may include agent computation, search calls, and additional data-provider charges, depending on the configuration.

Structured Data Retrieval

Exa supports structured outputs that organize retrieved information into fields specified by the user. This is useful when applications need consistent records rather than unstructured webpage text.

For example, a research application may need to extract selected attributes from company pages, professional profiles, or other public sources. The resulting data can be passed into databases, analytics systems, or downstream AI workflows. Accuracy depends on the available source material and the fields requested.

People, Company, and Scholarly Search

In addition to its web index, Exa offers indexes for people, companies, and scholarly works. These capabilities can support professional research, company discovery, academic exploration, and other structured information tasks.

The available indexes help developers build more specialized search experiences without treating every research question as a general web search. Access and result coverage depend on the selected index and service configuration.

Search for Developers and Coding Agents

Exa supports search workflows for developer documentation, code repositories, and changelogs. These capabilities can help coding assistants retrieve current technical references and locate relevant examples when answering programming questions or assisting with software development.

By supplying relevant documentation and source material, Exa can help applications ground generated responses in information beyond a model’s training data. Developers should still verify retrieved instructions and ensure that referenced material applies to their software versions.

SERP and Search Monitoring

Exa supports search workflows for researching search results and monitoring information over time. Its Monitors feature can run searches on a schedule and deliver updates through webhooks when new information is identified.

These capabilities can help applications track changes, monitor selected topics, and detect newly available information. Potential uses include market research, research alerts, and automated monitoring systems.

Integrations and Developer Tools

Exa offers APIs, developer tools, and integrations for connecting its search capabilities with applications and AI agents. Its ecosystem includes Model Context Protocol (MCP) access and integrations that help developers connect search functionality to supported AI workflows.

These options allow teams to use Exa from their own software or through compatible agent environments. Integration capabilities and limits depend on the connected application and the user’s plan.

Use Cases

Exa can support a range of AI-powered research and information retrieval applications, including:

• AI assistants that need fresh web information to answer user questions.
• Research tools that gather and organize information from multiple sources.
• Developer assistants that retrieve documentation, repositories, and changelogs.
• Company and professional research using available structured indexes.
• Monitoring systems that identify new information on selected topics.
• Applications that extract webpage content and transform it into structured records.

Pricing and Plans

Exa offers a free Starter tier with $10 in monthly credits and a $10 onboarding bonus, according to its current pricing information. The free tier includes access to its endpoints, MCP server, selected integrations, and multiple data indexes. No payment method is required to start.

The Developer tier uses pay-as-you-go pricing. Search Lite starts at $4 per 1,000 requests for up to 10 results, while other search modes have different rates. Contents starts at $1 per 1,000 pages per content type, Deep Search starts at $12 per 1,000 requests, and Monitors starts at $15 per 1,000 requests.

Exa Agent uses usage-based pricing that varies with effort level and resource consumption. Enterprise plans offer custom arrangements for organizations requiring features such as tailored agreements, higher search limits, unified billing, and dedicated support. Prices and usage limits can change, so users should check the current pricing page before selecting a plan.

Who Can Benefit from Exa?

Exa is designed for developers, AI application builders, research teams, and businesses that need web search or structured online information within their software. It can be particularly useful for teams building AI agents that must retrieve current sources, research complex questions, or collect information at scale.

Its combination of search, content extraction, and research tools lets developers choose a workflow that matches their application’s needs, from retrieving a few relevant pages to running more involved research tasks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Exa used for?

Exa provides AI-focused web search, webpage content extraction, deep research, and structured data retrieval for applications and AI agents.

Does Exa have a free plan?

Yes. The Starter tier includes monthly credits and an onboarding bonus. Paid usage is available through a pay-as-you-go Developer tier and custom Enterprise plans.

Can Exa retrieve full webpage content?

Yes. Its Contents API can retrieve full page text or selected highlights, depending on the requested configuration.

Can Exa support AI agents?

Yes. Exa provides search APIs, Agent, Deep Search, MCP access, and integrations that can help developers connect web retrieval to AI-agent workflows.

Does Exa provide citations?

Exa’s research capabilities can return source references and web-grounded citations. Applications should preserve and display relevant sources so users can verify important claims.

How much does Exa cost?

Pricing depends on the endpoint and usage. Search Lite starts at $4 per 1,000 requests, Contents starts at $1 per 1,000 pages, and Deep Search starts at $12 per 1,000 requests.

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