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Exa tools
by
Stojoc Vladimir
· GitHub ↗
· v1.0.0
668
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Install in OpenClaw
/install exa-skill
Description
Use when tasks need Exa MCP for web or people research, or when preparing Exa MCP server configuration with a fixed tool set. Trigger for requests to run Exa...
README (SKILL.md)
\r \r
Exa MCP Skill\r
\r
Workflow\r
- Clarify the research goal, scope, and output format.\r
- Select one enabled tool using the guide below:
web_search_exa,web_search_advanced_exa,people_search_exa.\r - Prefer the hosted Exa MCP endpoint with fixed tools in the URL query.\r
- Return concise findings with links and explicit unknowns.\r
- On rate limits (
429), reduce query breadth or require an API key.\r \r
Tool Policy\r
- Enabled now:
web_search_exa,web_search_advanced_exa,people_search_exa.\r - Keep all other Exa tools disabled unless the user explicitly asks to expand.\r \r
Tool Selection Guide\r
- Use
web_search_exafor fast, broad discovery when the user asks general web research.\r Example intent: "Find the latest docs and announcements about X."\r - Use
web_search_advanced_exafor precision research when you must constrain by domains, freshness, depth, or richer query controls.\r Example intent: "Search only official docs and recent sources for X."\r - Use
people_search_exawhen the task is about identifying people, roles, background, or profile-style information.\r Example intent: "Find people working on X at company Y."\r \r
Selection Rules\r
- Start with
web_search_exawhen speed and coverage matter more than strict filtering.\r - Choose
web_search_advanced_exawhenweb_search_exareturns noisy or insufficiently targeted results.\r - Choose
people_search_exaonly for person-centric requests, not generic topic research.\r \r
Config Reference\r
- Read
references/exa-mcp-setup.mdfor URL templates and generic MCP snippets.\r
Usage Guidance
This skill appears to do what it says (run Exa MCP web/people searches) but has gaps you should resolve before trusting it: 1) The repo references an EXA_API_KEY but the skill metadata doesn't declare it — ask the publisher how the API key should be provided and stored. 2) The examples put the API key in the URL query string (exaApiKey=...), which risks leaking the key via logs or referrers; prefer header-based auth or a documented secure method. 3) The skill performs people-searches — consider privacy/consent and limit queries to what you are authorized to request. 4) There is no publisher homepage or provenance information; if you don't already trust mcp.exa.ai and the skill author, request more details (official docs, who maintains the endpoint). If you proceed, use a restricted API key with minimal scope, avoid reusing high-privilege credentials, and prefer that the skill declare required env vars explicitly.
Capability Analysis
Type: OpenClaw Skill
Name: exa-skill
Version: 1.0.0
The skill bundle is benign. It defines an AI agent skill for Exa web and people search, clearly outlining its purpose and allowed tools in `SKILL.md`. The `references/exa-mcp-setup.md` file specifies the use of an `EXA_API_KEY` via an environment variable for communication with `https://mcp.exa.ai`, which is a standard and expected practice for API integration. There is no evidence of malicious intent, data exfiltration, unauthorized execution, or prompt injection attempts against the agent within the provided files. The instructions even include a safeguard to keep other Exa tools disabled unless explicitly requested by the user.
Capability Assessment
Purpose & Capability
The SKILL.md and references describe using a hosted Exa MCP endpoint that requires an EXA_API_KEY, but the skill metadata does not declare any required environment variables or primary credential. That mismatch between what the skill says it needs (an API key) and what is declared is an incoherence worth flagging.
Instruction Scope
Instructions are narrowly scoped to picking one of three Exa tools and returning concise findings with links. They recommend preferring a hosted endpoint (https://mcp.exa.ai) and say to obtain an API key when rate-limited, but they do not instruct reading unrelated files or system credentials. The people-search capability can surface personal data — the instructions do not call out consent/PII handling.
Install Mechanism
No install spec and no code files — instruction-only skill. This minimizes on-disk execution risk.
Credentials
The references file contains URL templates that embed ${EXA_API_KEY} in a query parameter (https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?exaApiKey=${EXA_API_KEY}&tools=...), but requires.env is empty. Two issues: (1) the skill implicitly expects an API key but does not declare it, and (2) recommending the API key in a query string is insecure (keys in URLs can leak via logs/referrers). No other credentials are requested, which is proportionate if the EXA_API_KEY is the only missing item — but it should be declared and handled more safely.
Persistence & Privilege
always is false, the skill is user-invocable and can be called autonomously (platform default). There is no install step or config modification that would give it persistent elevated privileges.
How to Use
- Make sure OpenClaw is installed (local or Docker)
- Run the install command in chat:
/install exa-skill - After installation, invoke the skill by name or use
/exa-skill - Provide required inputs per the skill's parameter spec and get structured output
Version History
v1.0.0
- Initial release of exa-skill (version 1.0.0).
- Provides guidance on using Exa MCP for web and people research tasks.
- Details how to select between enabled tools: web_search_exa, web_search_advanced_exa, and people_search_exa.
- Includes policies on narrowing search, rate limits, and when to enable additional tools.
- Offers concise workflow and tool selection rules for efficient and targeted research.
Metadata
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Exa tools?
Use when tasks need Exa MCP for web or people research, or when preparing Exa MCP server configuration with a fixed tool set. Trigger for requests to run Exa... It is an AI Agent Skill for Claude Code / OpenClaw, with 668 downloads so far.
How do I install Exa tools?
Run "/install exa-skill" in the OpenClaw or Claude Code chat to install it in one step — no extra setup required.
Is Exa tools free?
Yes, Exa tools is completely free (open-source). You can download, install and use it at no cost.
Which platforms does Exa tools support?
Exa tools is cross-platform and runs anywhere OpenClaw / Claude Code is available (cross-platform).
Who created Exa tools?
It is built and maintained by Stojoc Vladimir (@tokyo-s); the current version is v1.0.0.
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