# Research with Exa

Source: https://www.hyperagent.com/docs/guides/research-with-exa

> For AI agents: the documentation index is at https://www.hyperagent.com/llms.txt and the complete documentation in one file at https://www.hyperagent.com/llms-full.txt. Any docs page is also served as Markdown by appending `.md` to its URL.

Give your agent a research brief that produces useful sources, comparisons, and verified lists.

A useful research prompt describes the evidence you need, not just the topic. Start with one question, make the inclusion criteria clear, and ask the agent to show where its answer came from.

## Choose the research method [#choose-the-research-method]

* Open the agent's research controls and select **Exa** on **Search**, where available.
* Check that the needed method is enabled: **Search**, **Find Similar**, **Exa Research**, or **Exa Websets**.
* Use [Research](https://www.hyperagent.com/docs/tools/research) to compare the methods and their access boundaries.

| You need                                  | Ask for                                                  |
| ----------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| A specific fact or a few relevant pages   | A focused search and source reading                      |
| More pages like one good example          | Find Similar with a reference URL and selection criteria |
| A connected explanation from many sources | Exa Research with a question and report outline          |
| A repeatable list of matching entities    | Exa Websets with inclusion criteria and fields           |

Availability and the run's permissions still apply. A prompt cannot enable a missing tool.

## Define what counts as a useful result [#define-what-counts-as-a-useful-result]

Include four things in the brief:

* **Subject:** The question, entity, or kind of page you want.
* **Scope:** Relevant location, market, dates, and preferred sources.
* **Selection criteria:** What to include, exclude, or treat as uncertain.
* **Deliverable:** The fields or report sections, with links and dates.

Compare customer-support tools for a ten-person team. Prefer official pricing and help pages. Find shared-inbox support, onboarding requirements, and published pricing. Return a table with source links and the date checked. Separate advertised features from facts you could verify; mark missing information as unknown.

Keep the search subject separate from the desired table columns. This helps the agent search for relevant pages first, then extract the facts that matter.

## Match the prompt to the job [#match-the-prompt-to-the-job]

Use Exa Research to explain how small support teams handle after-hours triage. Prefer first-hand accounts and current product documentation. Cover the main approaches, tradeoffs, and unresolved questions. Cite the sources beside each finding; distinguish evidence from your interpretation.

Use Find Similar with this reference URL: \[paste a company URL]. Find organizations serving the same kind of customer. Explain the similarity, link each source, and exclude directories and duplicate domains.

Use Exa Websets to find independent customer-support consultancies serving small software businesses. Include only firms whose own sites describe that service. Return name, website, service evidence, and source URL. Exclude software vendors and directories; mark uncertain matches for review.

For time-sensitive work, ask the agent to check publication and update dates. Some specialized search categories restrict date or exclusion filters; describe the recency you need and have the agent verify dates in the returned sources rather than assuming every filter applies.

## Check and refine the result [#check-and-refine-the-result]

* Open the key sources. Does each one actually support the adjacent claim?
* Check whether prices, capabilities, and dates are current.
* Review missing fields, duplicates, and uncertain matches.
* Ask for a focused follow-up on the gaps while retaining verified work.

Keep the entries supported by an official service page. Remove directories and duplicates. For the remaining uncertain matches, look for direct service evidence and show me which ones still cannot be verified.

A cited answer is ready when its important claims are supported and its remaining uncertainty is visible. A long list of links alone is not a completed comparison.

## What's next [#whats-next]

[Research tools](https://www.hyperagent.com/docs/tools/research)



[Browser](https://www.hyperagent.com/docs/tools/browser)