diff --git a/extensions/exa/src/exa-web-search-provider.runtime.ts b/extensions/exa/src/exa-web-search-provider.runtime.ts
index 954cfec07f5..fd908a94c82 100644
--- a/extensions/exa/src/exa-web-search-provider.runtime.ts
+++ b/extensions/exa/src/exa-web-search-provider.runtime.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { parseStrictPositiveInteger } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/number-runtime";
 import {
   buildSearchCacheKey,
   DEFAULT_SEARCH_COUNT,
@@ -171,11 +172,11 @@ function isErrorPayload(value: unknown): value is { error: string; message: stri
 }
 
 function resolveExaSearchCount(value: unknown, fallback: number): number {
-  const parsed = typeof value === "number" ? value : Number(value);
-  if (!Number.isFinite(parsed)) {
+  const parsed = parseStrictPositiveInteger(value);
+  if (parsed === undefined) {
     return fallback;
   }
-  return Math.max(1, Math.min(EXA_MAX_SEARCH_COUNT, Math.floor(parsed)));
+  return Math.min(EXA_MAX_SEARCH_COUNT, parsed);
 }
 
 function parseExaContents(
diff --git a/extensions/exa/src/exa-web-search-provider.test.ts b/extensions/exa/src/exa-web-search-provider.test.ts
index c6e7cc575c0..a7e61d05ae8 100644
--- a/extensions/exa/src/exa-web-search-provider.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/exa/src/exa-web-search-provider.test.ts
@@ -184,6 +184,10 @@ describe("exa web search provider", () => {
     ]);
     expect(testing.resolveExaSearchCount(80, 10)).toBe(80);
     expect(testing.resolveExaSearchCount(120, 10)).toBe(100);
+    expect(testing.resolveExaSearchCount("+05", 10)).toBe(5);
+    expect(testing.resolveExaSearchCount("0x10", 10)).toBe(10);
+    expect(testing.resolveExaSearchCount("1e2", 10)).toBe(10);
+    expect(testing.resolveExaSearchCount(1.5, 10)).toBe(10);
   });
 
   it("returns validation errors for conflicting time filters", async () => {