> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://exa.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> The Exa API is served at https://api.exa.ai. Authenticate with `Authorization: Bearer $EXA_API_KEY` (or `x-api-key: $EXA_API_KEY`); create keys at https://dashboard.exa.ai/api-keys?utm_source=docs&utm_medium=docs&utm_campaign=markdown_instructions. Every way an agent can get access to Exa is described at https://exa.ai/auth.md.
> Prefer the official SDKs, `exa-py` (`pip install exa-py`) and `exa-js` (`npm install exa-js`); both read `EXA_API_KEY` from the environment.
> Tool-using agents can call Exa without writing code through the hosted MCP server at https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp, or install the Exa agent skill with `npx skills add exa-labs/agent-skills` (skill file: https://exa.ai/docs/skill.md).
> The OpenAPI specs at https://exa.ai/docs/exa-spec.yaml and https://exa.ai/docs/team-management-spec.yaml are the source of truth for request and response schemas.

# Pricing

> Pay-as-you-go rates for Exa Search, Contents, Answer, Monitors, and the Agent API

***

Exa is pay-as-you-go. There is no subscription and no minimum spend: you load credits and are charged per request, at the rates below.

> [!TIP]
>
> **Start for free.** The Free Tier gives you \$10 in credits (up to 2,500 Lite searches) the day you sign up, and your free balance resets to \$10 on the first of every month. No payment method required. Complete onboarding in the dashboard and your first team earns a one-time \$10 bonus. Get an API key and start building.
>
> **Scaling up?** For high volume, custom indexes, higher rate limits, SLAs, or Zero Data Retention, [talk to us](https://exa.ai/contact/sales) about an [Enterprise plan](#enterprise) with volume discounts.

> [card] [Get your Exa API key](https://dashboard.exa.ai/api-keys?utm_source=docs\&utm_medium=docs\&utm_campaign=get_key_card)
>
> Create a key in the dashboard. New accounts start with free credits.

## Products

> [card] [Search](https://exa.ai/docs/search/quickstart.md)
>
> From **\$4** / 1k requests
>
> Real-time search with token-efficient page contents.

> [card] [Deep Search](https://exa.ai/docs/search/deep-search.md)
>
> **\$12–15** / 1k requests
>
> Multi-step research with structured outputs and citations.

> [card] [Contents](https://exa.ai/docs/contents/quickstart.md)
>
> **\$1** / 1k pages
>
> Full page text, highlights, and summaries for known URLs.

> [card] [Answer](https://exa.ai/docs/reference/answer.md)
>
> **\$5** / 1k requests
>
> An LLM answer to a question, with citations.

> [card] [Monitors](https://exa.ai/docs/monitors/quickstart.md)
>
> **\$15** / 1k requests
>
> Scheduled searches that surface new events on the web.

> [card] [Agent](https://exa.ai/docs/agent/quickstart.md)
>
> **\$0.012–\$1.00** / fixed-effort run, or usage-based
>
> Async deep research, list building, and enrichment.

## Search, Contents, Answer, and Monitors

Each endpoint has a base price per request that includes up to 10 results. Additional results and Exa-generated page summaries are billed on top.

| Endpoint | Base price (up to 10 results) | Each result above 10 | AI page summaries |
| - | - | - | - |
| `/search` (`lite`) | \$4 / 1k requests | \$1 / 1k results | — |
| `/search` (`instant`) | \$4 / 1k requests | \$1 / 1k results | \$1 / 1k pages |
| `/search` (`auto`, `fast`) | \$7 / 1k requests | \$1 / 1k results | \$1 / 1k pages |
| `/answer` | \$5 / 1k requests | — | — |
| `/monitors` | \$15 / 1k requests | \$1 / 1k results | \$1 / 1k pages |
| `/contents` | \$1 / 1k pages, per content type | — | \$1 / 1k pages |

`instant` and `fast` are [legacy search types](https://exa.ai/docs/search/quickstart.md#legacy-search-types) and keep these prices.

## Agent

Set a fixed `effort` on [Agent](https://exa.ai/docs/agent/quickstart.md) for a predictable per-request price. `auto` is the default metered mode; [`ultra`](https://exa.ai/docs/agent/agent-ultra) is also metered and uses the same usage rates:

| Effort | Price |
| - | - |
| `minimal` | \$0.012 / request |
| `low` | \$0.025 / request |
| `medium` | \$0.10 / request |
| `high` | \$0.50 / request |
| `xhigh` | \$1.00 / request |

Metered runs bill actual usage up to their per-run cap. `auto` defaults to a \$5 cap; `ultra` defaults to a \$20 cap:

| Usage component | Price |
| - | - |
| Agent Compute Units | \$0.10 / ACU |
| Search tool calls | \$0.005 / search |
| Email contact enrichment | \$0.02 / email |
| Phone contact enrichment | \$0.07 / phone number |

### Connect providers

Runs that use [Exa Connect](https://exa.ai/docs/agent/connect/overview.md) data sources
additionally bill each provider call — for example
[Fiber.ai](https://exa.ai/docs/agent/connect/fiber.md#pricing) at \$0.02 per credit and
[Baselayer](https://exa.ai/docs/agent/connect/baselayer.md#pricing) at \$0.10–\$4.00 per
order depending on the operation. See
[Connect pricing](https://exa.ai/docs/agent/connect/overview.md#pricing) for all
provider rates.

## Deep Search

Set with `type` on [`/search`](https://exa.ai/docs/search/deep-search). Additional results and AI page summaries cost the same as standard search.

| Type | Base price (up to 10 results) | Latency | Best for |
| - | - | - | - |
| `deep-lite` | \$12 / 1k requests | \~4 seconds | Lightweight synthesis |
| `deep` | \$12 / 1k requests | 4–15 seconds | Multi-step reasoning with structured outputs |
| `deep-reasoning` | \$15 / 1k requests | 12–40 seconds | Harder research tasks |

`deep-reasoning` is a [legacy search type](https://exa.ai/docs/search/quickstart.md#legacy-search-types) and keeps this price.

## Enterprise

For high volume, custom datasets, and stricter security requirements.

> [card] Powerful search
>
> Up to 1,000 results per search, requests above 25 results, custom rate limits (QPS), tailored moderation, and custom indexes.

> [card] Enterprise support
>
> SLAs and MSAs, 1:1 onboarding and support, and [Zero Data Retention](https://exa.ai/docs/admin/security/zero-data-retention.md).

> [card] Custom pricing
>
> Volume discounts and postpaid invoice billing.

> [card] [Talk to us](https://exa.ai/contact/sales)
>
> Get a quote for enterprise volume and terms

## Cost glossary

> [accordion] Request
>
> One API call to an endpoint. Prices are quoted per 1,000 requests, so a \$7 / 1k rate is \$0.007 per call.

> [accordion] Result
>
> One search result returned in a response. The base price covers the first 10 results in a request; every result above 10 adds \$1 / 1k results. Requesting `numResults: 20` therefore costs the base price plus 10 additional results.

> [accordion] Page and content type
>
> A page is one URL that Exa returns content for. A content type is one view of that page: `text`, `highlights`, or `summary`. `/contents` bills each content type separately, so one page with `text` and `highlights` counts as two.

> [accordion] AI page summary
>
> An Exa-generated summary of a page, produced by an extra LLM call on our side. Billed at \$1 / 1k pages on any endpoint that returns one.

> [accordion] Agent Compute Unit (ACU)
>
> The unit of model computation an Agent run consumes, reported as `usage.agentComputeUnits`. Longer runs, larger `input.data`, and more reasoning steps consume more ACUs.

> [accordion] Effort
>
> The Agent parameter that trades cost and latency against thoroughness. `auto` bills by consumption (ACUs plus tool calls) up to a default \$5 cap; `ultra` uses the same usage rates up to a default \$20 cap. Fixed efforts bill a flat price per request. See [Agent effort modes](https://exa.ai/docs/agent/quickstart.md#effort).

> [accordion] Contact enrichment
>
> An Agent lookup that returns an email address or phone number for a person or company. Billed per contact found, on top of the run's other costs.

> [accordion] Credits
>
> Prepaid dollar balance on your account. Usage draws down credits at the rates above.

> [card] [Billing](https://exa.ai/docs/admin/billing.md)
>
> Add credits, set up auto recharge, and find your invoices