Exa is a search API built for AI agents. It gives agents web data through one endpoint for real-time search, deep research and structured content.
The search endpoint queries an index of public web and private information, with configurable latency from 450 milliseconds to about 10 seconds. The Contents API returns full page text and token-efficient highlights for use in model context. The Agent API runs asynchronous deep research and returns structured outputs with citations.
It is aimed at developers building AI agents, coding tools and chatbots, and at enterprise teams that need reliable retrieval. The page shows coding agents searching docs, repositories and changelogs, sales teams enriching company and people data, and model training teams building retrieval systems.
Developers can get an API key from the dashboard and call the endpoints directly. Exa also offers an MCP server, a Claude connector and a ChatGPT plugin. The Monitors API runs searches at a set cadence and sends updates by webhook.
A Starter plan is free and includes $10 in credits each month, with no payment method required. The Developer plan is pay as you go, with Search from $4 per 1,000 requests and Agent runs from $0.012 to $1.00 per run depending on effort level. Enterprise plans are custom and add zero data retention, SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA support, a custom MSA and DPA, and SSO.
The page states that Exa is SOC 2 Type II audited, offers GDPR and CCPA handling, and says queries and results are not stored or used for training on enterprise plans with zero data retention.
