Exa Best Practices
- 2 installs
- 3 repo stars
- Updated April 10, 2026
- exa-labs/exa-cursor-plugin
Reference guide for the Exa search tools covering tool selection, citation standards, query optimization, and troubleshooting.
About
Explains when to use web_search_exa versus web_fetch_exa, how to cite sources, how to phrase queries, and how to fix common setup issues. A developer uses it as background context to improve search quality with the Exa MCP tools.
- Tool-selection table plus citation and query-quality tips
- Troubleshooting for missing tools and empty results
Exa Best Practices by the numbers
- 2 all-time installs (skills.sh)
- Ranked #13,958 of 16,546 AI & Agent Building skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
- Data as of Jul 24, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
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| Installs | 2 |
|---|---|
| repo stars | ★ 3 |
| Last updated | April 10, 2026 |
| Repository | exa-labs/exa-cursor-plugin ↗ |
What it does
Reference guide for the Exa search tools covering tool selection, citation standards, query optimization, and troubleshooting.
Files
Exa Best Practices
Tool Selection
| Need | Tool | When |
|---|---|---|
| Web search | web_search_exa | Current info, news, research, general questions, code examples |
| Read a URL | web_fetch_exa | Extract content from a known URL |
Citation Standards
When using Exa search results, always cite sources:
- Inline citations: Every fact or claim should reference its source
- Source URLs: Include the actual URL, not just the title
- Sources section: End responses with a list of all sources used
- Never fabricate URLs: Only cite URLs that appear in search results
Search Quality Tips
1. Natural language queries work better than keyword stuffing 2. Be specific — include dates, names, versions when relevant 3. Multiple queries with different phrasings improve coverage 4. Adjust result count to match the depth needed (3-5 quick, 10-20 deep)
Getting Started
1. Get your API key at https://dashboard.exa.ai/api-keys 2. Add the MCP server in Cursor Settings → MCP 3. Start searching with /exa-search or /exa-fetch
Troubleshooting
- Tools not available: Check if the Exa MCP server is installed. If
web_search_exaorweb_fetch_exaare not in your tool list, stop and request the user to: (1) run/exa-setupin Cursor to add the MCP server, and (2) go to Cursor Settings → Tools & MCP and make sure Exa is toggled on (green). - No results: Try rephrasing the query or broadening search terms
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