# Perplexica MCP Server
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[](https://www.python.org/downloads/)
[](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for interacting with local Perplexica instances. This server provides tools to perform AI-powered searches using your local Perplexica installation.
## Features
- **Search**: Perform AI-powered searches with various focus modes
- **Streaming Support**: Get real-time streaming responses
- **Multiple Focus Modes**: Support for web search, academic search, writing assistant, and more
- **Customizable Models**: Configure chat and embedding models
- **Conversation History**: Maintain context across searches
## Installation
### From Source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/armand0e/perplexica-mcp.git
cd perplexica-mcp
pip install -e .
```
### From Git (Direct Install)
```bash
pip install git+https://github.com/armand0e/perplexica-mcp.git
```
## Configuration
The server connects to a local Perplexica instance. By default, it expects Perplexica to be running on `http://localhost:3000`.
You can configure the base URL by setting the `PERPLEXICA_BASE_URL` environment variable:
```bash
export PERPLEXICA_BASE_URL=http://localhost:3001
```
## Usage
### With Claude Desktop
Add this to your Claude Desktop configuration:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"perplexica": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["-m", "perplexica_mcp"],
"env": {
"PERPLEXICA_BASE_URL": "http://localhost:3000"
}
}
}
}
```
### Available Tools
- `perplexica_search`: Perform AI-powered searches with various focus modes
- `perplexica_get_models`: Get available chat and embedding models
## Focus Modes
- `webSearch`: General web search
- `academicSearch`: Academic and research-focused search
- `writingAssistant`: Writing and content creation assistance
- `wolframAlphaSearch`: Mathematical and computational queries
- `youtubeSearch`: YouTube video search
- `redditSearch`: Reddit discussion search
## Requirements
- Python 3.8+
- A running Perplexica instance (see [Perplexica GitHub](https://github.com/ItzCrazyKns/Perplexica))
