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Bring the power of Exa’s semantic search directly into Google Sheets. Query the web, retrieve relevant results, and enrich your spreadsheets with up-to-date information—all without leaving your worksheet.

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Overview

Exa for Sheets is a Google Apps Script integration that enables you to:
  • Run semantic web searches directly from spreadsheet cells
  • Generate AI-powered answers with web citations
  • Retrieve and parse web content at scale
  • Find similar pages to reference URLs
  • Automate research and data collection workflows

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Installation

1

Open Google Sheets

Navigate to Google Sheets and open a new or existing spreadsheet.
2

Install Exa AI Add-on

  1. Go directly to the Exa AI add-on in the Google Workspace Marketplace
  2. Click Install and grant the necessary permissions
Alternatively, you can search manually:
  • Click Extensions → Add-ons → Get add-ons in the menu bar
  • Search for “Exa AI” in the Google Workspace Marketplace
3

Configure Your API Key

  1. After installation, you’ll see a new Exa AI menu in Google Sheets
  2. Click Extensions → Exa AI → Open Sidebar
  3. Get your API key from dashboard.exa.ai
  4. Paste your API key in the sidebar and click Save Key
4

Start Using Exa Functions

You’re all set! Start using Exa functions like =EXA_SEARCH(), =EXA_ANSWER(), and more in your spreadsheet cells.

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Using Exa in Sheets

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EXA_SEARCH - Search the Web

Search the web and return URLs: 
=EXA_SEARCH("latest developments in renewable energy", 5)
Parameters:
  • query (required, string): Your search query
  • numResults (optional, number): Number of results to return (1-10, default: 1)
  • searchType (optional, string): “auto”, “neural”, “keyword”, or “fast” (default: “auto”)
  • prefix (optional, string): Text to prepend to the query
  • suffix (optional, string): Text to append to the query
Returns: Vertical array of URLs that automatically spills into cells below

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EXA_ANSWER - Generate AI Answers

Generate AI-powered answers based on web search results: 
=EXA_ANSWER("What is quantum computing?", "", "", TRUE)
Parameters:
  • prompt (required, string): The main question or prompt
  • prefix (optional, string): Text to prepend to the prompt
  • suffix (optional, string): Text to append to the prompt
  • includeCitations (optional, boolean): If TRUE, includes source citations (default: FALSE)
Returns: String containing the answer with optional citations

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EXA_CONTENTS - Extract Content

Extract text content from a specified URL: 
=EXA_CONTENTS("https://example.com/article")
Parameters:
  • url (required, string): Full URL starting with http/https
Returns: String containing the main text content from the URL

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EXA_FINDSIMILAR - Find Similar Pages

Find URLs similar to a reference URL: 
=EXA_FINDSIMILAR("https://example.com", 5)
Parameters:
  • url (required, string): Reference URL to find similar content
  • numResults (optional, number): Number of results (1-10, default: 1)
  • includeDomainsStr (optional, string): Comma-separated domains to include
  • excludeDomainsStr (optional, string): Comma-separated domains to exclude
  • includeTextStr (optional, string): Phrase that must appear in results
  • excludeTextStr (optional, string): Phrase that must not appear in results
Returns: Vertical array of similar URLs

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Example Use Cases

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Market Research

Automatically gather competitor information and industry trends: 
=EXA_SEARCH("startup funding rounds in AI sector 2024", 10, "neural")

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Content Curation

Build reading lists and curate relevant articles: 
=EXA_FINDSIMILAR("https://example.com/best-practices", 5)

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Research Automation

Get AI-powered answers with citations for research: 
=EXA_ANSWER("What are the latest trends in renewable energy?", "", "", TRUE)

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Available Functions Reference

FunctionDescriptionReturns
=EXA_SEARCH(query, [numResults], [searchType], [prefix], [suffix])Search the web semanticallyArray of URLs
=EXA_ANSWER(prompt, [prefix], [suffix], [includeCitations])Generate AI-powered answersAnswer text
=EXA_CONTENTS(url)Extract content from URLText content
=EXA_FINDSIMILAR(url, [numResults], [includeDomains], [excludeDomains], [includeText], [excludeText])Find similar pagesArray of URLs
The Exa for Sheets sidebar provides additional functionality:

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API Key Management

  • Save and manage your Exa API key securely
  • Keys are stored in your Google account using UserProperties
  • View masked key display (first 4 + last 4 characters)
  • Remove keys when needed

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Batch Operations

  • Refresh Selected Cells: Update multiple Exa function results at once
  • Select a range of cells containing Exa functions
  • Click “Refresh Selected Cells” to re-execute all functions
  • Automatically handles spilled array values

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Built-in Documentation

  • Quick reference for all available functions
  • Parameter descriptions and types
  • Function signatures with examples

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Tips and Best Practices

Array Formulas: EXA_SEARCH and EXA_FINDSIMILAR return arrays that automatically spill into cells below. Make sure you have empty cells below your formula to avoid #SPILL! errors.
Batch Refresh: Use the sidebar’s batch refresh feature to update multiple cells at once instead of manually editing each formula.
Rate Limits: Be mindful of your API rate limits when running large batch operations. Each function call counts as one API request.
Search Types: Use “neural” for semantic similarity, “keyword” for exact matches, “fast” for quick keyword-based searches, or “auto” to let Exa choose the best approach automatically.

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Dynamic Queries with Concatenation

Build powerful dynamic queries by combining cell references with text using the & operator or CONCAT() function:

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Basic Concatenation

Combine text and cell values to create dynamic search queries: 
=EXA_SEARCH("latest news about " & A2, 5)
If cell A2 contains “artificial intelligence”, this searches for “latest news about artificial intelligence”.

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Multiple Cell References

Combine multiple cells to build complex queries: 
=EXA_SEARCH(A2 & " " & B2 & " in " & C2, 10, "neural")
Example: A2=“Tesla”, B2=“production numbers”, C2=“2024” → searches for “Tesla production numbers in 2024”

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Using CONCAT for Cleaner Formulas

For longer queries, use CONCAT() for better readability: 
=EXA_SEARCH(CONCAT("research papers about ", A2, " published after ", B2), 5)

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Dynamic Prefixes and Suffixes

Use the prefix and suffix parameters with cell references: 
=EXA_SEARCH(A2, 5, "neural", "Find information about: ", " site:edu")
This prepends and appends text to your query dynamically.

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Conditional Queries

Combine with IF() statements for conditional searches: 
=IF(A2<>"", EXA_SEARCH(CONCAT("latest ", A2, " trends"), 5), "Enter a topic")

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Example Use Cases

Research Tracker: 
Column A: Topic name
Column B: =EXA_SEARCH("latest research on " & A2 & " 2024", 3)
Competitor Analysis: 
Column A: Company name
Column B: Industry
Column C: =EXA_SEARCH(A2 & " " & B2 & " market analysis", 5, "neural")
Content Discovery: 
Column A: Seed URL
Column B: =EXA_FINDSIMILAR(A2, 10)
Column C: =EXA_CONTENTS(B2)

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Privacy & Security

  • API keys are stored securely using Google Apps Script’s UserProperties service
  • Keys are only accessible to your Google account
  • No data is stored outside your Google account and the Exa API
  • Privacy Policy

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Github Repository

Check out the GitHub repository.