diff --git a/docs/dev/engines/online/exaapi.rst b/docs/dev/engines/online/exaapi.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5b58bf7d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/dev/engines/online/exaapi.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+.. _exaapi engine:
+
+==============
+Exa API Engine
+==============
+
+.. automodule:: searx.engines.exaapi
+   :members:
diff --git a/searx/engines/exaapi.py b/searx/engines/exaapi.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..81092f117
--- /dev/null
+++ b/searx/engines/exaapi.py
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+"""Engine to search using the official `Exa Search API`_. Exa is a search engine for AI agents.
+
+.. _Exa Search API: https://exa.ai/docs/reference/search
+
+Configuration
+=============
+
+The engine has the following mandatory setting:
+
+- :py:obj:`api_key`
+
+You can obtain an API key from the `API Key section <https://dashboard.exa.ai/api-keys>`_ in the Exa dashboard.
+
+Optional settings are:
+
+- :py:obj:`results_per_page`
+- :py:obj:`search_type`
+- :py:obj:`content_mode`
+- :py:obj:`content_max_characters`
+
+.. code:: yaml
+
+  - name: exaapi
+    engine: exaapi
+    api_key: "..."
+    results_per_page: 10
+    search_type: auto
+    content_mode: highlights
+    inactive: false
+
+The API supports SafeSearch and region-aware results.
+"""
+
+import typing as t
+
+from dateutil import parser
+
+from searx.exceptions import SearxEngineAPIException
+from searx.result_types import EngineResults
+from searx.utils import html_to_text
+
+if t.TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from searx.extended_types import SXNG_Response
+    from searx.search.processors import OnlineParams
+
+
+SearchType = t.Literal["fast", "auto", "instant", "deep", "deep-lite", "deep-reasoning"]
+ContentMode = t.Literal["highlights", "text"]
+
+about = {
+    "website": "https://exa.ai",
+    "wikidata_id": None,
+    "official_api_documentation": "https://exa.ai/docs/reference/search",
+    "use_official_api": True,
+    "require_api_key": True,
+    "results": "JSON",
+}
+
+api_key: str = ""
+"""API key for Exa Search API (required)."""
+
+categories = ["general", "web"]
+safesearch = True
+
+base_url = "https://api.exa.ai/search"
+results_per_page: int = 10
+"""Maximum number of results per request. Value must be between 1 and 100, default is 10."""
+
+search_type: SearchType = "auto"
+"""Search type. Default is auto, see documentation for more information."""
+
+content_mode: ContentMode = "highlights"
+"""Content to request from the API: ``highlights`` (excerpts) or ``text`` (page text)."""
+
+content_max_characters: int = 500
+"""Maximum characters for the requested content."""
+
+
+def init(_):
+    if not api_key:
+        raise SearxEngineAPIException("No API key provided")
+    if not 1 <= results_per_page <= 100:
+        raise ValueError("results_per_page must be between 1 and 100")
+    if search_type not in t.get_args(SearchType):
+        raise ValueError(f"Unsupported search type: {search_type}")
+    if content_mode not in t.get_args(ContentMode):
+        raise ValueError(f"Unsupported content mode: {content_mode}")
+    if content_max_characters < 1:
+        raise ValueError("content_max_characters must be at least 1")
+
+
+def _contents_payload() -> dict[str, t.Any]:
+    if content_mode == "text":
+        return {"text": {"maxCharacters": content_max_characters, "stripLinks": True}}
+    return {"highlights": {"maxCharacters": content_max_characters}}
+
+
+def _extract_content(result: dict[str, t.Any]) -> str:
+    if content_mode == "text":
+        return html_to_text(result.get("text") or "")
+    return html_to_text(" ".join(result.get("highlights") or []))
+
+
+def request(query: str, params: "OnlineParams") -> None:
+    """Create the API request."""
+    body: dict[str, t.Any] = {
+        "query": query,
+        "type": search_type,
+        "numResults": results_per_page,
+        "contents": _contents_payload(),
+    }
+
+    # Apply SafeSearch if enabled
+    if params["safesearch"]:
+        body["moderation"] = True
+
+    # Apply region-aware results if specified
+    locale_parts = params["searxng_locale"].split("-")
+    region = locale_parts[-1]
+    if len(locale_parts) > 1:
+        body["userLocation"] = region.upper()
+
+    params["url"] = base_url
+    params["method"] = "POST"
+    params["headers"]["x-api-key"] = api_key
+    params["json"] = body
+
+
+def _extract_published_date(value: str | None):
+    """Extract and parse the published date from the API response.
+
+    Args:
+        value: Raw date string from the API
+
+    Returns:
+        Parsed datetime object or None if parsing fails
+    """
+    if not value:
+        return None
+    try:
+        return parser.parse(value)
+    except (parser.ParserError, TypeError, OverflowError):
+        return None
+
+
+def response(resp: "SXNG_Response") -> EngineResults:
+    """Process the API response and return results."""
+    res = EngineResults()
+
+    for result in resp.json().get("results", []):
+        url = result.get("url")
+        if not url:
+            continue
+
+        res.add(
+            res.types.MainResult(
+                url=url,
+                title=html_to_text(result.get("title") or url),
+                content=_extract_content(result),
+                thumbnail=result.get("image") or "",
+                publishedDate=_extract_published_date(result.get("publishedDate")),
+                author=result.get("author") or "",
+            )
+        )
+
+    return res
diff --git a/searx/settings.yml b/searx/settings.yml
index 0491bcc8e..b2c8cbcf3 100644
--- a/searx/settings.yml
+++ b/searx/settings.yml
@@ -3296,6 +3296,13 @@ engines:
   #   brave_category: goggles
   #   Goggles: # required! This should be a URL ending in .goggle
 
+  - name: exaapi
+    engine: exaapi
+    api_key: ""
+    search_type: auto
+    content_mode: highlights
+    inactive: true
+
   - name: lib.rs
     shortcut: lrs
     engine: lib_rs