Claude Code Exa Search crawling_exa
How to: Claude Code Exa Search crawling_exa
Add Exa Search to Claude Code
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01
Run this in your project directory.
claude mcp add exa-mcp-server -e EXA_API_KEY=<EXA_API_KEY> -- npx -y exa-mcp-server-
02
Restart your session so the server is picked up.
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03
Ask for something crawling_exa does. Claude Code lists the server's tools on connect and calls crawling_exa itself — you do not invoke it by name.
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04
If nothing happens, check the server is running and that Exa Search's identifier in your config matches the one above exactly.
Adds it for this project only. Append --scope user to make it available everywhere. Claude Code docs
Set these first
Exa Search will not start until these are set, so crawling_exa never becomes available.
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EXA_API_KEY
Same tool, other clients
Mutating and Read-only are read off each tool's name, not its schema — a hint, not a guarantee. The registry stores tool names only; connect the server for its live schemas.