# How to integrate Exa MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK

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

## Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Exa to the OpenAI Agents 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 OpenAI Agents 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

- [Claude Agent SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/claude-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 OpenAI 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 OpenAI Agents SDK?

The OpenAI Agents SDK is a lightweight framework for building AI agents that can use tools and maintain conversation state. It provides a simple interface for creating agents with hosted MCP tool support.
Key features include:
- Hosted MCP Tools: Connect to external services through hosted MCP endpoints
- SQLite Sessions: Persist conversation history across interactions
- Simple API: Clean interface with Agent, Runner, and tool configuration
- Streaming Support: Real-time response streaming for interactive applications

## 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 OpenAI API Key
- Primary know-how of OpenAI Agents SDK
- A live Exa project
- Some knowledge of Python or Typescript

### 1. Getting API Keys for OpenAI and Composio

OpenAI API Key
- Go to the [OpenAI dashboard](https://platform.openai.com/settings/organization/api-keys) and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models, or you can connect to another model provider.
- 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).
- Go to Settings and copy your API key.

### 2. Install dependencies

Install the Composio SDK and the OpenAI Agents SDK.
```python
pip install composio_openai_agents openai-agents python-dotenv
```

```typescript
npm install @composio/openai-agents @openai/agents dotenv
```

### 3. Set up environment variables

Create a .env file and add your OpenAI and Composio API keys.
```bash
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...your-api-key
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your-api-key
USER_ID=composio_user@gmail.com
```

### 4. Import dependencies

What's happening:
- You're importing all necessary libraries.
- The Composio and OpenAIAgentsProvider classes are imported to connect your OpenAI agent to Composio tools like Exa.
```python
import asyncio
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv

from composio import Composio
from composio_openai_agents import OpenAIAgentsProvider
from agents import Agent, Runner, HostedMCPTool, SQLiteSession
```

```typescript
import 'dotenv/config';
import { Composio } from '@composio/core';
import { OpenAIAgentsProvider } from '@composio/openai-agents';
import { Agent, hostedMcpTool, run, OpenAIConversationsSession } from '@openai/agents';
import * as readline from 'readline';
```

### 5. Set up the Composio instance

No description provided.
```python
load_dotenv()

api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
user_id = os.getenv("USER_ID")

if not api_key:
    raise RuntimeError("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set. Create a .env file with COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_key")

# Initialize Composio
composio = Composio(api_key=api_key, provider=OpenAIAgentsProvider())
```

```typescript
dotenv.config();

const composioApiKey = process.env.COMPOSIO_API_KEY;
const userId = process.env.USER_ID;

if (!composioApiKey) {
  throw new Error('COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set. Create a .env file with COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_key');
}
if (!userId) {
  throw new Error('USER_ID is not set');
}

// Initialize Composio
const composio = new Composio({
  apiKey: composioApiKey,
  provider: new OpenAIAgentsProvider(),
});
```

### 6. Create a Tool Router session

What is happening:
- You give the Tool Router the user id and the toolkits you want available. Here, it is only exa.
- The router checks the user's Exa connection and prepares the MCP endpoint.
- The returned session.mcp.url is the MCP URL that your agent will use to access Exa.
- This approach keeps things lightweight and lets the agent request Exa tools only when needed during the conversation.
```python
# Create a Exa Tool Router session
session = composio.create(
    user_id=user_id,
    toolkits=["exa"]
)

mcp_url = session.mcp.url
```

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

### 7. Configure the agent

No description provided.
```python
# Configure agent with MCP tool
agent = Agent(
    name="Assistant",
    model="gpt-5",
    instructions=(
        "You are a helpful assistant that can access Exa. "
        "Help users perform Exa operations through natural language."
    ),
    tools=[
        HostedMCPTool(
            tool_config={
                "type": "mcp",
                "server_label": "tool_router",
                "server_url": mcp_url,
                "headers": {"x-api-key": api_key},
                "require_approval": "never",
            }
        )
    ],
)
```

```typescript
// Configure agent with MCP tool
const agent = new Agent({
  name: 'Assistant',
  model: 'gpt-5',
  instructions:
    'You are a helpful assistant that can access Exa. Help users perform Exa operations through natural language.',
  tools: [
    hostedMcpTool({
      serverLabel: 'tool_router',
      serverUrl: mcpUrl,
      headers: { 'x-api-key': composioApiKey },
      requireApproval: 'never',
    }),
  ],
});
```

### 8. Start chat loop and handle conversation

No description provided.
```python
print("\nComposio Tool Router session created.")

chat_session = SQLiteSession("conversation_openai_toolrouter")

print("\nChat started. Type your requests below.")
print("Commands: 'exit', 'quit', or 'q' to end\n")

async def main():
    try:
        result = await Runner.run(
            agent,
            "What can you help me with?",
            session=chat_session
        )
        print(f"Assistant: {result.final_output}\n")
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}\n")

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

        result = await Runner.run(
            agent,
            user_input,
            session=chat_session
        )
        print(f"Assistant: {result.final_output}\n")

asyncio.run(main())
```

```typescript
// Keep conversation state across turns
const conversationSession = new OpenAIConversationsSession();

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

console.log('\nComposio Tool Router session created.');
console.log('\nChat started. Type your requests below.');
console.log("Commands: 'exit', 'quit', or 'q' to end\n");

try {
  const first = await run(agent, 'What can you help me with?', { session: conversationSession });
  console.log(`Assistant: ${first.finalOutput}\n`);
} catch (e) {
  console.error('Error:', e instanceof Error ? e.message : e, '\n');
}

rl.prompt();

rl.on('line', async (userInput) => {
  const text = userInput.trim();

  if (['exit', 'quit', 'q'].includes(text.toLowerCase())) {
    console.log('Goodbye!');
    rl.close();
    process.exit(0);
  }

  if (!text) {
    rl.prompt();
    return;
  }

  try {
    const result = await run(agent, text, { session: conversationSession });
    console.log(`\nAssistant: ${result.finalOutput}\n`);
  } catch (e) {
    console.error('Error:', e instanceof Error ? e.message : e, '\n');
  }

  rl.prompt();
});

rl.on('close', () => {
  console.log('\n👋 Session ended.');
  process.exit(0);
});
```

## Complete Code

```python
import asyncio
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv

from composio import Composio
from composio_openai_agents import OpenAIAgentsProvider
from agents import Agent, Runner, HostedMCPTool, SQLiteSession

load_dotenv()

api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
user_id = os.getenv("USER_ID")

if not api_key:
    raise RuntimeError("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set. Create a .env file with COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_key")

# Initialize Composio
composio = Composio(api_key=api_key, provider=OpenAIAgentsProvider())

# Create Tool Router session
session = composio.create(
    user_id=user_id,
    toolkits=["exa"]
)
mcp_url = session.mcp.url

# Configure agent with MCP tool
agent = Agent(
    name="Assistant",
    model="gpt-5",
    instructions=(
        "You are a helpful assistant that can access Exa. "
        "Help users perform Exa operations through natural language."
    ),
    tools=[
        HostedMCPTool(
            tool_config={
                "type": "mcp",
                "server_label": "tool_router",
                "server_url": mcp_url,
                "headers": {"x-api-key": api_key},
                "require_approval": "never",
            }
        )
    ],
)

print("\nComposio Tool Router session created.")

chat_session = SQLiteSession("conversation_openai_toolrouter")

print("\nChat started. Type your requests below.")
print("Commands: 'exit', 'quit', or 'q' to end\n")

async def main():
    try:
        result = await Runner.run(
            agent,
            "What can you help me with?",
            session=chat_session
        )
        print(f"Assistant: {result.final_output}\n")
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}\n")

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

        result = await Runner.run(
            agent,
            user_input,
            session=chat_session
        )
        print(f"Assistant: {result.final_output}\n")

asyncio.run(main())
```

```typescript
import 'dotenv/config';
import { Composio } from '@composio/core';
import { OpenAIAgentsProvider } from '@composio/openai-agents';
import { Agent, hostedMcpTool, run, OpenAIConversationsSession } from '@openai/agents';
import * as readline from 'readline';

const composioApiKey = process.env.COMPOSIO_API_KEY;
const userId = process.env.USER_ID;

if (!composioApiKey) {
  throw new Error('COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set. Create a .env file with COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_key');
}
if (!userId) {
  throw new Error('USER_ID is not set');
}

// Initialize Composio
const composio = new Composio({
  apiKey: composioApiKey,
  provider: new OpenAIAgentsProvider(),
});

async function main() {
  // Create Tool Router session
  const session = await composio.create(userId as string, {
    toolkits: ['exa'],
  });
  const mcpUrl = session.mcp.url;

  // Configure agent with MCP tool
  const agent = new Agent({
    name: 'Assistant',
    model: 'gpt-5',
    instructions:
      'You are a helpful assistant that can access Exa. Help users perform Exa operations through natural language.',
    tools: [
      hostedMcpTool({
        serverLabel: 'tool_router',
        serverUrl: mcpUrl,
        headers: { 'x-api-key': composioApiKey },
        requireApproval: 'never',
      }),
    ],
  });

  // Keep conversation state across turns
  const conversationSession = new OpenAIConversationsSession();

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

  console.log('\nComposio Tool Router session created.');
  console.log('\nChat started. Type your requests below.');
  console.log("Commands: 'exit', 'quit', or 'q' to end\n");

  try {
    const first = await run(agent, 'What can you help me with?', { session: conversationSession });
    console.log(`Assistant: ${first.finalOutput}\n`);
  } catch (e) {
    console.error('Error:', e instanceof Error ? e.message : e, '\n');
  }

  rl.prompt();

  rl.on('line', async (userInput) => {
    const text = userInput.trim();

    if (['exit', 'quit', 'q'].includes(text.toLowerCase())) {
      console.log('Goodbye!');
      rl.close();
      process.exit(0);
    }

    if (!text) {
      rl.prompt();
      return;
    }

    try {
      const result = await run(agent, text, { session: conversationSession });
      console.log(`\nAssistant: ${result.finalOutput}\n`);
    } catch (e) {
      console.error('Error:', e instanceof Error ? e.message : e, '\n');
    }

    rl.prompt();
  });

  rl.on('close', () => {
    console.log('\nSession ended.');
    process.exit(0);
  });
}

main().catch((err) => {
  console.error('Fatal error:', err);
  process.exit(1);
});
```

## Conclusion

This was a starter code for integrating Exa MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK to build a functional AI agent that can interact with Exa.
Key features:
- Hosted MCP tool integration through Composio's Tool Router
- SQLite session persistence for conversation history
- Simple async chat loop for interactive testing
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

- [Claude Agent SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/exa/framework/claude-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

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- [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 OpenAI Agents SDK?

Yes, you can. OpenAI Agents 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.

---
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