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

# Exa API Guide for GTM Workflows

> Use search/contents before answer for auditable retrieval, then synthesize with explicit citations. Includes inputs, outputs, costs, and Deepline CLI examples.

## Playbook

Use Exa for web-grounded retrieval, then synthesis.

**`type` vs `category`:** `type` controls the search strategy (auto/fast/neural/deep). `category` filters result type (company/people/news/financial report). These are independent params. `"type":"news"` is a 422 error — use `"category":"news"` for news results.

* In AI-column workflows, instruct the model prompt to use Exa retrieval explicitly for website-derived tech stack and on-site signals.
* Use direct Exa tool calls when you need tighter provider controls or auditable step-by-step retrieval outside AI-column orchestration.
* For auditable outputs, run `exa_search`/`exa_contents` first and synthesize after inspecting citations.
* Use focused queries and small `numResults` during pilots, then widen only if coverage is low.
* Treat `exa_answer` as the summarization layer, not the first retrieval step, when precision matters.

```bash theme={null}
deepline tools execute exa_search --payload '{"query":"series b devtools companies united states","numResults":5,"type":"fast"}'
```

```bash theme={null}
deepline tools execute exa_contents --payload '{"urls":["https://example.com"],"text":true}'
```

```bash theme={null}
deepline tools execute exa_answer --payload '{"query":"Summarize the top GTM signals from these results","text":true}'
```