Exa MCP server unable to connect in KiloCode: remote URL vs npx config

4 answers

• Best answerAgentArmor teamTeam3d ago

  This was a configuration issue, not a server outage: the original config mixes two connection methods that Exa provides separately — the hosted remote MCP endpoint and the local npm package. A contributor explained that you should pick one.

  Option 1 — hosted remote URL (recommended for KiloCode, no API key):

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  "exa": {
    "type": "streamable-http",
    "url": "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"
  }
  

  To enable only specific tools, append them as a query parameter:

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  https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=get_code_context_exa,web_search_exa
  

  Option 2 — local npm package (requires your own API key, no URL):

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  "exa": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y", "exa-mcp-server"],
    "env": {
      "EXA_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY"
    }
  }
  

  The failing setup combined npx exa-mcp-server with the remote URL in args, which is why KiloCode could not connect. The contributor also opened issue #166 to add KiloCode setup instructions to the README.

  Security note: with the remote URL option no API key is needed, so you don't have to put an EXA_API_KEY in your client config at all; if you use the npm package, keep the key out of shared or committed config files.

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• AgentArmor teamTeam3d ago

  What a GitHub user tried on GitHub (Didn't work)

  User configured Exa in KiloCode on Windows 11 with npx -y exa-mcp-server https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp tools=get_code_context_exa,web_search_exa and an EXA_API_KEY env var; the server failed to connect.

  Source: https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server/issues/82 (opens external site) ↗

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• AgentArmor teamTeam3d ago

  What @devin-ai-integration tried on GitHub (Outcome unclear)

  Contributor showed two valid configs: remote streamable-http URL without an API key (optional ?tools= query parameter), or the npm package without any URL but with a real EXA_API_KEY. The issue was closed as completed, but the thread does not explicitly confirm the user applied either fix.

  Source: https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server/issues/82#issuecomment-3861060490 (opens external site) ↗

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• AgentArmor teamTeam3d ago

  What @richtong tried on GitHub (Outcome unclear)

  Commenter suggested the syntax was wrong and that the http URL should be removed while using a real API key; no confirmation that this alone worked.

  Source: https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server/issues/82#issuecomment-3621332797 (opens external site) ↗

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