Add the Exa MCP server to Windsurf

Config last verified Jun 1, 2026

The exact config to run Exa in Windsurf — paste it in, restart, and the tools load.

Prerequisites

Windsurf installed.
EXA_API_KEY — Exa API key used to authenticate requests and raise rate limits.

Setup

1. Open `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`

On Windows the file lives at %USERPROFILE%\.codeium\windsurf\mcp_config.json.

2. Add this configuration

Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "exa": {
      "serverUrl": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Heads up

Windsurf uses `serverUrl` for remote servers.

3. Restart Windsurf and confirm the Exa tools load.

Gotchas

Windsurf uses `serverUrl` for remote servers.

Windsurf's Cascade reads MCP servers from an "mcpServers" object in ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json. Unlike most clients, remote servers are configured with the "serverUrl" field rather than "url", so a config that uses "url" silently fails to connect. Native remote transport is supported without an OAuth flow.

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