> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://exa.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> The Exa API is served at https://api.exa.ai. Authenticate with `Authorization: Bearer $EXA_API_KEY` (or `x-api-key: $EXA_API_KEY`); create keys at https://dashboard.exa.ai/api-keys?utm_source=docs&utm_medium=docs&utm_campaign=markdown_instructions. Every way an agent can get access to Exa is described at https://exa.ai/auth.md.
> Prefer the official SDKs, `exa-py` (`pip install exa-py`) and `exa-js` (`npm install exa-js`); both read `EXA_API_KEY` from the environment.
> Tool-using agents can call Exa without writing code through the hosted MCP server at https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp, or install the Exa agent skill with `npx skills add exa-labs/agent-skills` (skill file: https://exa.ai/docs/skill.md).
> The OpenAPI specs at https://exa.ai/docs/exa-spec.yaml and https://exa.ai/docs/team-management-spec.yaml are the source of truth for request and response schemas.

# TrueFoundry

> Connect Exa to the TrueFoundry MCP Gateway for centralized access controls, tool management, and usage monitoring.

[TrueFoundry AI Gateway](https://truefoundry.com/ai-gateway) is an enterprise-grade proxy layer between your applications and LLM providers or MCP servers. It provides unified access to 1,000+ LLMs with centralized observability and governance.

TrueFoundry provides Exa as an official remote server in its [MCP Gateway](https://www.truefoundry.com/mcp-gateway). Connect the Exa MCP server to give your teams one managed endpoint for web search, content fetching, and agentic research.

![The Exa server in TrueFoundry's official remote MCP catalog](https://mintcdn.com/exa-52/FvOwo8C2yFgh2GuJ/images/integrations/truefoundry/catalog.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=FvOwo8C2yFgh2GuJ\&q=85\&s=add2e6b185410cfac99d0ed9fdf56a10)

Exa in the TrueFoundry official remote MCP server catalog

## Add Exa to TrueFoundry

1. Open **MCP Servers** in the TrueFoundry sidebar and select **Add new MCP Server**.
2. Select **Connect Official Remote MCP Servers**.

![TrueFoundry's Add MCP Server picker with Connect Official Remote MCP Servers selected](https://mintcdn.com/exa-52/FvOwo8C2yFgh2GuJ/images/integrations/truefoundry/add-official-remote.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=FvOwo8C2yFgh2GuJ\&q=85\&s=10d74f3a1f862de3a971bfe49df11ec2)

Choose the official remote MCP server catalog

3. Find **Exa** in the catalog and select **+ Add**.
4. Confirm the pre-filled server details:

| Field | Value |
| - | - |
| Name | `exa` |
| Description | Search Engine made for AIs by Exa |
| URL | `https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp` |
| Authentication | Optional. Without an Exa API key, the MCP server runs at a free rate limit and without the `agent_run` tool. |

5. Add the users or teams that should manage or use the server. Leave **Auth Data** off, then select **Update MCP Server**.

![Exa MCP server configuration form with its name, URL, collaborators, and authentication settings](https://mintcdn.com/exa-52/FvOwo8C2yFgh2GuJ/images/integrations/truefoundry/register-form.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=FvOwo8C2yFgh2GuJ\&q=85\&s=daa55b5af716a4bfad9dd61a54ab805c)

Configure the Exa server and its collaborators

> [!TIP]
>
> Open the **Tools** tab and confirm that Exa's search and content fetching tools are available. The agentic research tool appears once you add an Exa API key.

## Configure the Exa server

The pre-filled URL exposes Exa's default toolset. Change it only if you need to restrict the available tools or use your own API key.

### Choose which tools are available

Pass a comma-separated list of tool names in the `tools` query parameter:

```text theme={null}
https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_exa,web_fetch_exa,agent_tools
```

You can enter the URL in the server form or use **Apply using YAML**:

```yaml theme={null}
url: >-
  https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_exa,web_fetch_exa,agent_tools
name: exa
type: mcp-server/remote
description: Search Engine made for AIs by Exa
collaborators:
  - role_id: mcp-server-manager
    subject: user:you@your-company.com
```

> [!TIP]
>
> You can find available tool names in the [Exa MCP documentation](https://exa.ai/docs/get-started/exa-mcp.md).

### Use your Exa API key to bypass the free rate limit

If you reach the free rate limit, add your Exa API key to the server URL:

```text theme={null}
https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?exaApiKey=YOUR_API_KEY
```

> [card] [Get your Exa API key](https://dashboard.exa.ai/api-keys?utm_source=docs\&utm_medium=docs\&utm_campaign=get_key_card)
>
> Create a key in the dashboard. New accounts start with free credits.

## Connect an MCP client

Open the Exa server's **How To Use** tab and select your client. TrueFoundry generates the tenant-specific endpoint and ready-to-paste configuration for Cursor, Claude Code, VS Code, Windsurf, Codex, and other MCP clients.

![TrueFoundry's client-specific setup instructions for the Exa MCP server](https://mintcdn.com/exa-52/FvOwo8C2yFgh2GuJ/images/integrations/truefoundry/how-to-use.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=FvOwo8C2yFgh2GuJ\&q=85\&s=ec79070bbb5919f931ed52f8ae961183)

Copy the configuration for your MCP client

## Test a tool

Select **Try** beside an Exa tool, enter its inputs, then select **Execute Tool**. The playground displays the JSON response so you can verify the tool before using it in an agent.

![Testing an Exa tool in the TrueFoundry tool playground](https://mintcdn.com/exa-52/FvOwo8C2yFgh2GuJ/images/integrations/truefoundry/tool-playground.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=FvOwo8C2yFgh2GuJ\&q=85\&s=6cb86026c8ea245de4a9c701f4b51b8e)

Run an Exa tool in the TrueFoundry playground

## Manage and monitor tools

* Toggle individual tools to control what MCP clients can call
* Use **Tool Metrics** to review traffic, latency, and errors
* Export invocation traces to your observability stack through OpenTelemetry

![Exa tools available from the TrueFoundry MCP server](https://mintcdn.com/exa-52/FvOwo8C2yFgh2GuJ/images/integrations/truefoundry/tools-list.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=FvOwo8C2yFgh2GuJ\&q=85\&s=d0cef2a24127c7bfc0099876dee8f891)

Manage the Exa tools exposed to MCP clients

## Resources

> [card] [TrueFoundry setup guide](https://www.truefoundry.com/docs/ai-gateway/mcp/exa-mcp-server)
>
> Read TrueFoundry's guide to its Exa MCP server.

> [card] [Exa MCP documentation](https://exa.ai/docs/get-started/exa-mcp.md)
>
> Review Exa's tools, configuration, and usage examples.

> [card] [Exa MCP Server](https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server)
>
> View the server source and releases on GitHub.