# How to integrate Exa MCP with Claude Agent SDK

```json
{
  "title": "How to integrate Exa MCP with Claude Agent SDK",
  "toolkit": "Exa",
  "toolkit_slug": "exa",
  "framework": "Claude Agent SDK",
  "framework_slug": "claude-agents-sdk",
  "url": "https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/claude-agents-sdk",
  "markdown_url": "https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/claude-agents-sdk.md",
  "updated_at": "2026-05-06T08:11:01.203Z"
}
```

## Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Exa to the Claude Agent SDK using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Exa agent that can summarize recent news articles on ai safety, find similar research papers to this url, create a webset for quarterly sales data through natural language commands.
This guide will help you understand how to give your Claude Agent SDK agent real control over a Exa account through Composio's Exa MCP server.
Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

## Also integrate Exa with

- [OpenAI Agents SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/open-ai-agents-sdk)
- [Claude Code](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/claude-code)
- [Claude Cowork](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/claude-cowork)
- [Codex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/codex)
- [OpenClaw](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/openclaw)
- [Hermes](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/hermes-agent)
- [CLI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/cli)
- [Google ADK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/google-adk)
- [LangChain](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/langchain)
- [Vercel AI SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/ai-sdk)
- [Mastra AI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/mastra-ai)
- [LlamaIndex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/llama-index)
- [CrewAI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/crew-ai)

## TL;DR

Here's what you'll learn:
- Get and set up your Claude/Anthropic and Composio API keys
- Install the necessary dependencies
- Initialize Composio and create a Tool Router session for Exa
- Configure an AI agent that can use Exa as a tool
- Run a live chat session where you can ask the agent to perform Exa operations

## What is Claude Agent SDK?

The Claude Agent SDK is Anthropic's official framework for building AI agents powered by Claude. It provides a streamlined interface for creating agents with MCP tool support and conversation management.
Key features include:
- Native MCP Support: Built-in support for Model Context Protocol servers
- Permission Modes: Control tool execution permissions
- Streaming Responses: Real-time response streaming for interactive applications
- Context Manager: Clean async context management for sessions

## What is the Exa MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Exa MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Exa account. It provides structured and secure access to your Exa data platform, so your agent can perform actions like extracting answers from web data, running semantic searches, managing imports, and automating monitoring across your datasets.
- Citation-backed question answering: Have your agent generate direct, source-cited answers or detailed summaries for your research questions using Exa’s advanced search.
- Semantic similarity search: Quickly find web pages or documents that are semantically related to a given URL, complete with highlights or summaries for context.
- Data import and webset management: Let your agent create, configure, or delete imports and websets to streamline data gathering and enrichment workflows.
- Automated data monitoring: Schedule and manage monitors for websets to keep your data fresh and up-to-date with minimal manual intervention.
- Event tracking and retrieval: Access a full history of system events or fetch details for specific events to stay on top of activity within your Exa environment.

## Supported Tools

| Tool slug | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `EXA_ANSWER` | Generate an answer | Generates a direct, citation-backed answer to a clear natural language question or topic using exa's search, adept at both specific answers and detailed summaries for open-ended queries. |
| `EXA_CREATE_IMPORT` | Create Import | Tool to create a new import to upload data into a webset. use when you need to initialize an import before uploading the data file. |
| `EXA_CREATE_MONITOR` | Create a Monitor | Tool to create a new monitor. use when you need to schedule automated updates for a webset without manual runs. |
| `EXA_CREATE_WEBSET` | Create Webset | Tool to create a new webset with search, import, and enrichment setup. use when you need to configure and seed a webset in one call. |
| `EXA_DELETE_IMPORT` | Delete import | Tool to delete an existing import. use when you need to permanently remove an import by its id. |
| `EXA_DELETE_WEBSET` | Delete webset | Tool to delete a webset. use after confirming the webset id to permanently remove the webset and all its items. |
| `EXA_FIND_SIMILAR` | Find similar | Finds web pages semantically similar to a given url using embeddings-based search, optionally retrieving full text, highlights, or summaries for results. |
| `EXA_GET_CONTENTS_ACTION` | Get contents from URLs or document IDs | Retrieves configurable text and highlights from a list of exa document ids or publicly accessible urls. |
| `EXA_GET_EVENT` | Get Event | Tool to get details of a specific event by its id. use when you have an event id and need its full details. |
| `EXA_LIST_EVENTS` | List events | Tool to list all events that have occurred in the system. use when you need to paginate through the event history. |
| `EXA_LIST_IMPORTS` | List imports | Tool to list all imports for the webset. use when you need to paginate through and monitor import jobs. |
| `EXA_LIST_WEBHOOKS` | List webhooks | Tool to list all webhooks for websets. use when you need to view existing webhooks and paginate through results. |
| `EXA_SEARCH` | Search | Performs a web search using the exa engine, useful for queries requiring advanced filtering, specific content categories, or ai-optimized prompting. |
| `EXA_UPDATE_IMPORT` | Update import | Tool to update an import configuration by id. use when you need to modify an import's title or metadata. |

## Supported Triggers

None listed.

## Creating MCP Server - Stand-alone vs Composio SDK

The Exa MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent to Exa. It provides structured and secure access so your agent can perform Exa operations on your behalf through a secure, permission-based interface.
With Composio's managed implementation, you don't have to create your own developer app. For production, if you're building an end product, we recommend using your own credentials. The managed server helps you prototype fast and go from 0-1 faster.

## Step-by-step Guide

### 1. Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:
- Composio API Key and Claude/Anthropic API Key
- Primary know-how of Claude Agents SDK
- A Exa account
- Some knowledge of Python

### 1. Getting API Keys for Claude/Anthropic and Composio

Claude/Anthropic API Key
- Go to the [Anthropic Console](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/organization/api-keys) and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models.
- Keep the API key safe.
Composio API Key
- Log in to the [Composio dashboard](https://dashboard.composio.dev?utm_source=toolkits&utm_medium=framework_docs).
- Navigate to your API settings and generate a new API key.
- Store this key securely as you'll need it for authentication.

### 2. Install dependencies

No description provided.
```python
pip install composio-anthropic claude-agent-sdk python-dotenv
```

```typescript
npm install @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk @composio/core dotenv
```

### 3. Set up environment variables

Create a .env file in your project root.
What's happening:
- COMPOSIO_API_KEY authenticates with Composio
- USER_ID identifies the user for session management
- ANTHROPIC_API_KEY authenticates with Anthropic/Claude
```bash
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_composio_api_key_here
USER_ID=your_user_id_here
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_anthropic_api_key_here
```

### 4. Import dependencies

No description provided.
```python
import asyncio
from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeSDKClient, ClaudeAgentOptions
import os
from composio import Composio
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()
```

```typescript
import 'dotenv/config';
import readline from 'node:readline';
import { Composio } from '@composio/core';
import { query, type Options } from "@anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk";

dotenv.config();
```

### 5. Create a Composio instance and Tool Router session

No description provided.
```python
async def chat_with_remote_mcp():
    api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
    if not api_key:
        raise RuntimeError("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set")

    composio = Composio(api_key=api_key)

    # Create Tool Router session for Exa
    mcp_server = composio.create(
        user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"),
        toolkits=["exa"]
    )

    url = mcp_server.mcp.url

    if not url:
        raise ValueError("Session URL not found")
```

```typescript
async function chat() {
  const { COMPOSIO_API_KEY, USER_ID } = process.env;
  if (!COMPOSIO_API_KEY || !USER_ID) {
    throw new Error('COMPOSIO_API_KEY and USER_ID required in .env');
  }

  const composio = new Composio({ apiKey: COMPOSIO_API_KEY });

  // Create Tool Router session for Exa
  const session = await composio.create(USER_ID, {
    toolkits: ['exa'],
  });
  const mcpUrl = session?.mcp.url;
```

### 6. Configure Claude Agent with MCP

No description provided.
```python
# Configure remote MCP server for Claude
options = ClaudeAgentOptions(
    permission_mode="bypassPermissions",
    mcp_servers={
        "composio": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": url,
            "headers": {
                "x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
            }
        }
    },
    system_prompt="You are a helpful assistant with access to Exa tools via Composio.",
    max_turns=10
)
```

```typescript
const options: Options = {
  permissionMode: 'bypassPermissions',
  mcpServers: {
    composio: {
      type: 'http',
      url: mcpUrl,
      headers: { 'x-api-key': COMPOSIO_API_KEY }
    }
  },
  systemPrompt: 'You are a helpful assistant with access to Exa tools via Composio.',
  maxTurns: 10,
};
```

### 7. Create client and start chat loop

No description provided.
```python
# Create client with context manager
async with ClaudeSDKClient(options=options) as client:
    print("\nChat started. Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end.\n")

    # Main chat loop
    while True:
        user_input = input("You: ").strip()
        if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit"}:
            print("Goodbye!")
            break

        # Send query
        await client.query(user_input)

        # Receive and print response
        print("Claude: ", end="", flush=True)
        async for message in client.receive_response():
            if hasattr(message, "content"):
                for block in message.content:
                    if hasattr(block, "text"):
                        print(block.text, end="", flush=True)
        print()
```

```typescript
const rl = readline.createInterface({
    input: process.stdin,
    output: process.stdout,
    prompt: 'You: '
  });

  console.log('\nChat started. Type "exit" to quit.\n');

  let isProcessing = false;

  async function ask(prompt: string) {
    isProcessing = true;
    rl.pause();

    process.stdout.write('Claude is thinking...');
    const stream = query({ prompt, options });

    let firstChunk = true;
    for await (const msg of stream) {
      const content = (msg as any).message?.content || (msg as any).content;
      if (Array.isArray(content)) {
        for (const block of content) {
          if (block.type === 'text' && block.text) {
            if (firstChunk) {
              process.stdout.write('\r\x1b[K');
              process.stdout.write('Claude: ');
              firstChunk = false;
            }
            process.stdout.write(block.text);
          }
        }
      }
    }
    process.stdout.write('\n\n');

    isProcessing = false;
    rl.resume();
    rl.prompt();
  }

  rl.on('line', async (line) => {
    if (isProcessing) return;

    const input = line.trim();
    if (input === 'exit') {
      rl.close();
      process.exit(0);
    }
    if (input) await ask(input);
    else rl.prompt();
  });

  await ask('What can you help me with?');
}
```

### 8. Run the application

No description provided.
```python
if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(chat_with_remote_mcp())
```

```typescript
try {
  await chat();
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
  process.exit(1);
}
```

## Complete Code

```python
import asyncio
from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeSDKClient, ClaudeAgentOptions
import os
from composio import Composio
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

async def chat_with_remote_mcp():
    api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
    if not api_key:
        raise RuntimeError("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set")

    composio = Composio(api_key=api_key)

    # Create Tool Router session for Exa
    mcp_server = composio.create(
        user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"),
        toolkits=["exa"]
    )

    url = mcp_server.mcp.url

    if not url:
        raise ValueError("Session URL not found")

    # Configure remote MCP server for Claude
    options = ClaudeAgentOptions(
        permission_mode="bypassPermissions",
        mcp_servers={
            "composio": {
                "type": "http",
                "url": url,
                "headers": {
                    "x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
                }
            }
        },
        system_prompt="You are a helpful assistant with access to Exa tools via Composio.",
        max_turns=10
    )

    # Create client with context manager
    async with ClaudeSDKClient(options=options) as client:
        print("\nChat started. Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end.\n")

        # Main chat loop
        while True:
            user_input = input("You: ").strip()
            if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit"}:
                print("Goodbye!")
                break

            # Send query
            await client.query(user_input)

            # Receive and print response
            print("Claude: ", end="", flush=True)
            async for message in client.receive_response():
                if hasattr(message, "content"):
                    for block in message.content:
                        if hasattr(block, "text"):
                            print(block.text, end="", flush=True)
            print()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(chat_with_remote_mcp())
```

```typescript
import 'dotenv/config';
import readline from 'node:readline';
import { Composio } from '@composio/core';
import { query, type Options } from "@anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk";

async function chat() {
  const { COMPOSIO_API_KEY, USER_ID } = process.env;
  if (!COMPOSIO_API_KEY || !USER_ID) {
    throw new Error('COMPOSIO_API_KEY and USER_ID required in .env');
  }

  const composio = new Composio({ apiKey: COMPOSIO_API_KEY });
  const session = await composio.create(USER_ID, {
    toolkits: ['exa']
  });
  const mcp_url = session?.mcp.url;

  const options: Options = {
    permissionMode: 'bypassPermissions',
    mcpServers: {
      composio: {
        type: 'http',
        url: mcp_url,
        headers: { 'x-api-key': COMPOSIO_API_KEY }
      }
    },
    systemPrompt: 'You are a helpful assistant with access to Exa tools via Composio.',
    maxTurns: 10,
  };

  const rl = readline.createInterface({
    input: process.stdin,
    output: process.stdout,
    prompt: 'You: '
  });

  console.log('\nChat started. Type "exit" to quit.\n');

  let isProcessing = false;

  async function ask(prompt: string) {
    isProcessing = true;
    rl.pause();

    process.stdout.write('Claude is thinking...');
    const stream = query({ prompt, options });

    let firstChunk = true;
    for await (const msg of stream) {
      const content = (msg as any).message?.content || (msg as any).content;
      if (Array.isArray(content)) {
        for (const block of content) {
          if (block.type === 'text' && block.text) {
            if (firstChunk) {
              process.stdout.write('\r\x1b[K');
              process.stdout.write('Claude: ');
              firstChunk = false;
            }
            process.stdout.write(block.text);
          }
        }
      }
    }
    process.stdout.write('\n\n');

    isProcessing = false;
    rl.resume();
    rl.prompt();
  }

  rl.on('line', async (line) => {
    if (isProcessing) return;

    const input = line.trim();
    if (input === 'exit') {
      rl.close();
      process.exit(0);
    }
    if (input) await ask(input);
    else rl.prompt();
  });

  await ask('What can you help me with?');
}

try {
  await chat();
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
  process.exit(1);
}
```

## Conclusion

You've successfully built a Claude Agent SDK agent that can interact with Exa through Composio's Tool Router.
Key features:
- Native MCP support through Claude's agent framework
- Streaming responses for real-time interaction
- Permission bypass for smooth automated workflows
You can extend this by adding more toolkits, implementing custom business logic, or building a web interface around the agent.

## How to build Exa MCP Agent with another framework

- [OpenAI Agents SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/open-ai-agents-sdk)
- [Claude Code](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/claude-code)
- [Claude Cowork](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/claude-cowork)
- [Codex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/codex)
- [OpenClaw](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/openclaw)
- [Hermes](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/hermes-agent)
- [CLI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/cli)
- [Google ADK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/google-adk)
- [LangChain](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/langchain)
- [Vercel AI SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/ai-sdk)
- [Mastra AI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/mastra-ai)
- [LlamaIndex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/llama-index)
- [CrewAI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/crew-ai)

## Related Toolkits

- [Firecrawl](https://composio.dev/toolkits/firecrawl) - Firecrawl automates large-scale web crawling and data extraction. It helps organizations efficiently gather, index, and analyze content from online sources.
- [Tavily](https://composio.dev/toolkits/tavily) - Tavily offers powerful search and data retrieval from documents, databases, and the web. It helps teams locate and filter information instantly, saving hours on research.
- [Serpapi](https://composio.dev/toolkits/serpapi) - SerpApi is a real-time API for structured search engine results. It lets you automate SERP data collection, parsing, and analysis for SEO and research.
- [Peopledatalabs](https://composio.dev/toolkits/peopledatalabs) - Peopledatalabs delivers B2B data enrichment and identity resolution APIs. Supercharge your apps with accurate, up-to-date business and contact data.
- [Snowflake](https://composio.dev/toolkits/snowflake) - Snowflake is a cloud data warehouse built for elastic scaling, secure data sharing, and fast SQL analytics across major clouds.
- [Posthog](https://composio.dev/toolkits/posthog) - PostHog is an open-source analytics platform for tracking user interactions and product metrics. It helps teams refine features, analyze funnels, and reduce churn with actionable insights.
- [Amplitude](https://composio.dev/toolkits/amplitude) - Amplitude is a digital analytics platform for product and behavioral data insights. It helps teams analyze user journeys and make data-driven decisions quickly.
- [Bright Data MCP](https://composio.dev/toolkits/brightdata_mcp) - Bright Data MCP is an AI-powered web scraping and data collection platform. Instantly access public web data in real time with advanced scraping tools.
- [Browseai](https://composio.dev/toolkits/browseai) - Browseai is a web automation and data extraction platform that turns any website into an API. It's perfect for monitoring websites and retrieving structured data without manual scraping.
- [ClickHouse](https://composio.dev/toolkits/clickhouse) - ClickHouse is an open-source, column-oriented database for real-time analytics and big data processing using SQL. Its lightning-fast query performance makes it ideal for handling large datasets and delivering instant insights.
- [Coinmarketcal](https://composio.dev/toolkits/coinmarketcal) - CoinMarketCal is a community-powered crypto calendar for upcoming events, announcements, and releases. It helps traders track market-moving developments and stay ahead in the crypto space.
- [Control d](https://composio.dev/toolkits/control_d) - Control d is a customizable DNS filtering and traffic redirection platform. It helps you manage internet access, enforce policies, and monitor usage across devices and networks.
- [Databox](https://composio.dev/toolkits/databox) - Databox is a business analytics platform that connects your data from any tool and device. It helps you track KPIs, build dashboards, and discover actionable insights.
- [Databricks](https://composio.dev/toolkits/databricks) - Databricks is a unified analytics platform for big data and AI on the lakehouse architecture. It empowers data teams to collaborate, analyze, and build scalable solutions efficiently.
- [Datagma](https://composio.dev/toolkits/datagma) - Datagma delivers data intelligence and analytics for business growth and market discovery. Get actionable market insights and track competitors to inform your strategy.
- [Delighted](https://composio.dev/toolkits/delighted) - Delighted is a customer feedback platform based on the Net Promoter System®. It helps you quickly gather, track, and act on customer sentiment.
- [Dovetail](https://composio.dev/toolkits/dovetail) - Dovetail is a research analysis platform for transcript review and insight generation. It helps teams code interviews, analyze feedback, and create actionable research summaries.
- [Dub](https://composio.dev/toolkits/dub) - Dub is a short link management platform with analytics and API access. Use it to easily create, manage, and track branded short links for your business.
- [Elasticsearch](https://composio.dev/toolkits/elasticsearch) - Elasticsearch is a distributed, RESTful search and analytics engine for all types of data. It delivers fast, scalable search and powerful analytics across massive datasets.
- [Fireflies](https://composio.dev/toolkits/fireflies) - Fireflies.ai is an AI-powered meeting assistant that records, transcribes, and analyzes voice conversations. It helps teams capture call notes automatically and search or summarize meetings effortlessly.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Exa MCP?

With a standalone Exa MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Exa tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Exa and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

### Can I use Tool Router MCP with Claude Agent SDK?

Yes, you can. Claude Agent SDK fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Exa tools.

### Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Exa while using Tool Router?

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Exa scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

### How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Exa data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

---
[See all toolkits](https://composio.dev/toolkits) · [Composio docs](https://docs.composio.dev/llms.txt)