• DATA
  • INSIGHT
  • SOURCE
  • HUMAN

How to automate deep web research with your AI

Connect Exa to your agent once. From there, your AI hunts down specific technical papers and reads them to find exactly what you need.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How can I make my AI do deep web research?

Your AI uses semantic search to find relevant technical content instead of just matching keywords. It then pulls the full text from those sources so it can analyze the actual data. You get a researcher that understands context.

Research outcomes

What you get from your research

The AI handles the searching and reading so you can focus on the conclusions.

DATA

Clean technical papers

The AI finds specific academic or technical documents. It extracts the text so you have the raw information ready for analysis.

INSIGHT

Contextual summaries

Because the AI reads the full content, it provides summaries based on the actual substance of the papers, not just snippets.

SOURCE

Verified citations

Every piece of information is tied back to the specific article or paper the AI found. You can verify the facts yourself.

HUMAN

Final synthesis

The AI handles the heavy lifting of finding and reading. You step in to make the final decisions or write the final report.

The workflow

What your AI does when a research request arrives.

The AI moves from broad discovery to deep reading without you needing to click through search results.

  1. Find relevant sources

    The AI uses semantic search to locate high-quality articles and papers that match the meaning of your request.

    search_neural

  2. Pull full text

    Once the right papers are found, the AI grabs the actual content from the pages.

    get_contents

  3. Deep analysis

    The AI searches through the extracted content to find specific technical details or answers.

    search_with_contents

  4. Synthesize findings

    The AI organizes the information it just read into a coherent response for you.

    get_contents

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to kick off a research session.

Starting points

Swap out the bracketed text for your specific research topic or paper type.

Exa Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_yX0o3kbQylbPvraZb07fJ4pytT29vYl6Z1kPSXHZ/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Exa capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "exa-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_yX0o3kbQylbPvraZb07fJ4pytT29vYl6Z1kPSXHZ/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • Find three technical papers on [quantum computing error correction] and summarize their main findings.

  • Search for recent articles about [solid-state battery advancements] and extract the key performance metrics.

  • Use Exa to find deep-dive articles on [LLM quantization techniques] and explain the trade-offs mentioned.

  • Look for academic papers regarding [CRISPR gene editing in agriculture] and list the primary researchers cited.

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect Exa once, then ask.

You only need to link Exa to your MCP-compatible client once. Your credentials stay encrypted, and you can start researching immediately.

Connect Exa to your AI

FAQ

How this task behaves.

  • 01

    Can the AI browse the live web like a human?

    No. The AI uses specific semantic search tools to find and read content rather than clicking through a browser.

  • 02

    Does the AI decide which papers are important?

    Yes. The AI uses semantic search to determine which sources are most relevant to your specific technical query.

  • 03

    Can the AI download PDFs to my computer?

    No. The AI extracts the text from the content so it can read it, but it does not save files to your local drive.

  • 04

    Will the AI automatically buy access to paywalled papers?

    No. The AI can only access and read content that is available through the search and extraction tools.

  • 05

    Can I review the sources before the AI summarizes them?

    Yes. You can ask the AI to list the URLs or titles of the papers it found before it begins the deep reading process.

  • More questions about Exa? The Connector page answers them. See everything the Exa Connector can do

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