Perplexity MCP Server
Perplexity API Platform MCP Server
Perplexity's official MCP server: web search, quick answers, reasoning and deep research through the Perplexity API
Install
claude mcp add --transport http perplexity https://api.perplexity.ai/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"Perplexity's hosted server.
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
The server adds four tools on top of the Perplexity API. perplexity_search returns ranked results with recency and domain filters. perplexity_ask, perplexity_reason and perplexity_research answer questions with live web search at different depths, from a short reply to a research run lasting several minutes with progress reporting. You can connect Perplexity's hosted server over HTTP, run it locally via npx, or host your own HTTP server in Docker.
Who it is for. For developers and analysts who need the agent to find current information on the web with sources.
Good fit when
- You need fresh data the model does not know
- You need a detailed write-up on a topic with sources
- The agent's built-in web search gives weak results
Not a fit when
- You have no paid Perplexity API key
- Queries contain confidential data that must not go to an external service
Example request
Find what changed in major LLM providers' API pricing over the last month and give linksLimitations
Requires a Perplexity API key; requests are billed. Research mode can run for several minutes; raise PERPLEXITY_TIMEOUT_MS on timeouts. API access from Russia without a VPN is unverified; proxy settings are available for corporate networks.
How to disable. Run claude mcp remove perplexity or delete the perplexity block from the MCP config. If installed as a plugin, remove the perplexity plugin via /plugin.
MCP
- Transport
- stdio, http
- Authentication
- API key
| Environment variables | |
|---|---|
| PERPLEXITY_API_KEY required, secret | Perplexity API key |
| PERPLEXITY_TIMEOUT_MS | Request timeout, 5 minutes by default |
| PERPLEXITY_BASE_URL | Custom API base URL |
| PERPLEXITY_PROXY secret | HTTPS proxy, may include username and password |
Security check
- Sends queries to an external paid API
- Stores a secret key in configuration
README in short
The README starts with the hosted server and a Claude Code command, then covers local setup for Claude Code, Codex and other clients, including as a plugin. There are sections on corporate proxies and self-hosted HTTP mode in Docker or Node.js. It lists the four tools and notes that legacy sonar model parameters are no longer used. MIT licensed.
FAQ
How does the hosted server differ from the local one?
The tools are the same. The hosted one needs no install or updates; local npx suits clients without remote server support.
The client fails when starting via npx
Some strict clients break on npx install output. The authors suggest npx -yq instead of npx -y.
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