{ "schema": "varexis-public-evidence-record/0.3", "generated_at_utc": "2026-10-14T00:29:51.399Z", "record_id": "VXI-EXT-TOOL-TRUST-EXA-01-v1", "record_kind": "external_reference", "title": "Exa MCP: Free search access and billable research tools", "system": "Exa MCP", "evidence_family": "agent_tool_trust_review", "index_status": "PUBLIC_SAFE_SOURCE_REVIEW", "evidence_state": "PRIMARY_DOCUMENTATION_REVIEW_ONLY", "canonical_question": "Can adding Exa authentication expose billable research beyond keyless search?", "near_questions": [ "Can Exa MCP work without an API key?", "Does Exa OAuth enable paid research tools?", "Is an Exa agent research run billed by usage?", "Does an explicit Exa tool list replace default tools?", "Which Exa team is charged for a research run?", "Can I connect Exa for search without approving open-ended research?", "What data is sent in an Exa research task?", "Does a successful Exa result establish complete coverage?", "How should I record an Exa research budget boundary?", "What should I recheck after adding Exa credentials?", "Can I save the Exa tool-selection evidence?", "When should an agent ask before extending web research?" ], "supported_claims": [ { "claim": "Exa documents keyless rate-limited access and authenticated modes. The authenticated default tool set includes a usage-billed research operation, while explicit tool selection replaces the defaults. Check the exposed tools and spending authority after connecting credentials; a successful search does not authorize a broader research run.", "reliance": "DOCUMENTED_CAPABILITY_ONLY" } ], "not_demonstrated_claims": [ "Verified buyer configuration or effective access rights", "Independent execution, completeness or security testing", "Vendor certification, legal compliance or guaranteed suitability" ], "public_summary": "Exa documents keyless rate-limited access and authenticated modes. The authenticated default tool set includes a usage-billed research operation, while explicit tool selection replaces the defaults. Check the exposed tools and spending authority after connecting credentials; a successful search does not authorize a broader research run.", "related_record_ids": [ "VXI-EXT-TOOL-TRUST-APIFY-01-v1", "VXI-EXT-TOOL-TRUST-FIRECRAWL-01-v1", "VXI-EXT-TOOL-TRUST-TAVILY-01-v1", "VXI-EXT-TOOL-TRUST-BRAVE-SEARCH-01-v1" ], "source_review": { "source_type": "official_external_documentation", "source_title": "Exa MCP search and authenticated research billing", "source_url": "https://exa.ai/docs/get-started/exa-mcp", "checked_on": "2026-10-14", "candidate_record_id": "VXI-EXT-TOOL-TRUST-EXA-01-v1", "candidate_record_sha256": "2ef931c21dba7fc2082b52be2968be93b6e7ef998ca4add7ec0d2e139769713d", "method": "Primary documentation reviewed for the published bounded statement.", "deployment_tested_by_varexis": false, "revalidation": "The delivered snapshot preserves the review date shown. Recheck current primary documentation and deployment context before relying on present applicability; payment does not trigger fresh research." }, "answer_policy": { "classification": "DOCUMENTED_WITH_DEPLOYMENT_BOUNDARY", "bounded_answer": "Exa documents keyless rate-limited access and authenticated modes. The authenticated default tool set includes a usage-billed research operation, while explicit tool selection replaces the defaults. Check the exposed tools and spending authority after connecting credentials; a successful search does not authorize a broader research run.", "required_buyer_context": "Authentication mode, Exa team, selected tool list, research scope and approved spending.", "missing_evidence": "A broader claim needs evidence matching the intended use. Payment does not upgrade the evidence state." }, "private_boundary": "Raw logs, thresholds, private paths, source code, protected mechanisms and reconstruction-level details are excluded from public and paid delivery.", "trust_profile": { "schema": "varexis-agent-tool-trust/1", "identity": { "tool": "Exa MCP", "variant": "Official hosted keyless and authenticated MCP" }, "review_status": "documentation_review_only", "checked_on": "2026-10-14", "version_scope": "Dated rolling documentation snapshot; no installed or hosted runtime version independently verified.", "plan_scope": "Buyer plan, entitlement and effective configuration are not verified.", "findings": [ { "field": "operator", "label": "Publisher and operator", "status": "documented", "statement": "Exa operates the hosted MCP service.", "source_ids": [ "exa-main" ] }, { "field": "purpose", "label": "Purpose", "status": "documented", "statement": "Search and fetch web content, with authenticated research capabilities.", "source_ids": [ "exa-main" ] }, { "field": "reads", "label": "Read capability", "status": "documented", "statement": "Web search, page content and structured research outputs.", "source_ids": [ "exa-main" ] }, { "field": "writes", "label": "Write capability", "status": "review_inference", "statement": "Research execution can consume billable usage; no business-system write capability is established here.", "source_ids": [ "exa-main" ] }, { "field": "auth", "label": "Authentication", "status": "documented", "statement": "Keyless access, OAuth or API-key authentication.", "source_ids": [ "exa-main" ] }, { "field": "permissions", "label": "Permission surface", "status": "documented", "statement": "Authenticated defaults and explicit tool selections expose different capabilities.", "source_ids": [ "exa-main" ] }, { "field": "egress", "label": "Data leaving the environment", "status": "review_inference", "statement": "Queries and research inputs go to Exa and results return to the client.", "source_ids": [ "exa-main" ] }, { "field": "failures", "label": "Failure modes to consider", "status": "review_inference", "statement": "Adding authentication can introduce an unapproved spending path.", "source_ids": [ "exa-main" ] }, { "field": "unknown", "label": "Unknowns and applicability", "status": "unknown", "statement": "Actual team, credits, task cost and result completeness are unverified.", "source_ids": [] }, { "field": "gate", "label": "Suggested refusal or clarification condition", "status": "varexis_review_policy", "statement": "Require an agreed research scope and budget before usage-billed execution.", "source_ids": [] } ], "evidence_sources": [ { "source_id": "exa-main", "url": "https://exa.ai/docs/get-started/exa-mcp", "final_url": "https://exa.ai/docs/get-started/exa-mcp", "title": "Exa MCP search and authenticated research billing", "checked_on": "2026-10-14", "sha256": "9ac23ab6beef03ca96eeec3c3b9672996e1a26a8c5e4ada10138a4281c7222e1", "bytes": 823913 } ], "observed_tool_execution": false, "policy_basis": "Suggested VAREXIS review gates; apply the buyer's authorized task and policy. These conditions do not execute or enforce controls.", "commercial_reliance_boundary": "A source-linked review aid, not a vendor certification, security clearance or deployment assessment. Unknown does not mean false or unsafe.", "paid_value": { "decision_context": "Preserve the tool and spending boundary chosen before an authenticated research task.", "free": "Complete review, practical questions, sources and limitations; may be saved locally.", "single_request": "Existing server-saved version-bound route snapshot for later authenticated retrieval.", "evidence_receipt": "The same snapshot plus the existing unsigned delivery receipt.", "excluded": [ "Fresh vendor research", "Continuous monitoring or change alerts", "Testing the buyer configuration", "Private evidence or vendor certification" ], "integrity": "Hashes identify content versions; they do not prove truth or provide a signature." }, "revalidation": { "trigger": "Recheck when permissions, deployment, authentication, source guidance or intended use changes; a purchase does not trigger revalidation.", "specific_watch": "Recheck default tools, account billing and explicit tool selection." }, "change_history": [ { "version": 1, "date": "2026-10-14", "change": "Initial documentation review; no earlier vendor assessment claimed." } ] }, "paid_access_note": "The full published answer and boundaries are free. Paid access saves the selected route and source versions, with an unsigned receipt when purchased. Preview coverage before paying. Fresh research, bespoke assessment and protected evidence are excluded.", "service_route": { "request_guide": "/varexis-index/request.html", "request_workflow": "/varexis-index/request-workflow.json", "service_id": "single_request", "service_routes_url": "/varexis-index/service-routes.json", "payment_required": true, "availability_endpoint": "/api/index/capabilities", "operational_status": "AUTOMATIC_SERVICE_CAPABILITIES_GATED", "checkout_url": "/index-access" }, "authority_boundary": "VAREXIS-INDEX informs evidence reliance. It does not provide advice, certification, deployment authority, security assurance, production approval, or guarantee.", "human_page": "/varexis-index/catalog.html#exa-mcp-research-billing-trust", "machine_readable_record": "/varexis-index/records/exa-mcp-research-billing-trust.json" }