dotfiles/pi/extensions/exa-tools/README.md

pi exa-tools scaffold

Global pi extension that adds Exa-backed retrieval tools.

Tools

• exa_search — general web/docs/reference search
• exa_code — coding context and open-source implementation examples

Mental model

• use exa_search for official docs, release notes, blog posts, issues, comparisons, and general web research
• use exa_code for library usage, framework patterns, API examples, and code-specific prior art

Credentials

The extension looks for credentials in this order:

1. EXA_API_KEY
2. ~/.config/secrets/exa-api-key
3. ~/.config/secrets/exa_api_key

If none are found, the tools throw a helpful error.

Note: the Exa account also needs available credits. A valid key with no remaining credits will still fail at request time.

Command

• /exa-tools — show credential status and available tools

Installation

This repo deploys the extension declaratively through Home Manager to:

~/.pi/agent/extensions/exa-tools

Example usage

General web research:

Use exa_search to find the official docs for Exa context search

Coding context:

Use exa_code to find examples of React hook state management patterns

Subagent usage:

The librarian subagent can use these tools once the extension is globally installed.