Exa

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Exa, formerly known as Metaphor, positions itself as an answer engine, not a link engine. It uses a neural network architecture to transform user queries into semantic vectors, enabling it to find documents and data that are semantically close to the query, even if they do not contain exact keywords. This is especially useful for researchers, analysts, and developers who need to find specific types of information rather than just web pages. The key Websets feature, launched in 2025, allows for the creation and use of AI agent-curated datasets for ultra-precise search within a specific domain. Exa provides a powerful API that enables embedding its search capabilities into custom applications, building RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) systems, and automating data collection. This makes Exa not just a Google alternative, but a platform for building next-generation information systems.