Exa.
Neural search API for agent retrieval and research workflows.
What it is.
Neural search built for agents. Where Bing and Google APIs return ranked links, Exa returns content chunked and ready for LLM consumption. Find-similar-pages is the distinguishing primitive — point Exa at a URL, get semantically similar results back. The default search layer for serious agent builders.
Where it fits.
Agent and research stacks where retrieval quality determines answer quality. Replaces Bing API as the default for builders post-2024. Particularly strong for competitive intelligence, market research, and any workflow where the agent needs fresh, high-signal web content.
- LLM-native content output — chunked and ready to consume
- Find-similar-to-URL primitive is unmatched
- Strong fresh-web coverage
- Higher per-query cost than Bing or Google APIs
- Smaller index footprint than incumbent search engines
Frequently asked.
Exa or Tavily?
Exa for semantic and find-similar workflows. Tavily for traditional search-API patterns with LLM-optimised summarisation. Many agent stacks use both, routed by query type.
How does Exa compare to Bing API?
Exa wins on content quality and LLM-readiness. Bing wins on raw coverage and price-per-query at high volume.
Can Exa search internal data?
No. Exa is web-only. Internal-data search territory belongs to Glean and equivalents.
