Perplexity MCP Server

An MCP server that provides web search capabilities using Perplexity's API.

Prerequisites

Node.js (v14 or higher)
A Perplexity API key (get one at https://www.perplexity.ai/settings/api)
Claude Desktop App

Installation

Installing via Smithery

To install Perplexity Server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @jaacob/perplexity-mcp --client claude

Manual Installation

Clone this repository:
git clone https://github.com/jaacob/perplexity-mcp cd perplexity-mcp
Install dependencies:
npm install
Build the server:
npm run build

Configuration

Get your Perplexity API key from https://www.perplexity.ai/settings/api
Add the server to Claude's config file at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity-server": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/absolute/path/to/perplexity-mcp/build/index.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here",
        "PERPLEXITY_MODEL": "sonar"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace /absolute/path/to with the actual path to where you cloned the repository.

Available Models

You can specify which model to use by setting the PERPLEXITY_MODEL environment variable. Available options:

sonar-reasoning-pro - Most capable model with enhanced reasoning
sonar-reasoning - Enhanced reasoning capabilities
sonar-pro - Faster response times
sonar - Default model (used if no model is specified)

For up-to-date model pricing and availability, visit: https://docs.perplexity.ai/guides/pricing

Usage

After configuring the server and restarting Claude, you can simply ask Claude to search for information. For example:

"What's the latest news about SpaceX?"
"Search for the best restaurants in Chicago"
"Find information about the history of jazz music"

Claude will automatically use the Perplexity search tool to find and return relevant information.

If for whatever reason it decides not to, you can force the issue by prepending your prompt with "Search the web".

Development

To modify the server:

Edit src/index.ts
Rebuild with npm run build
Restart Claude to load the changes

License

MIT

You must be authenticated.

security – no known vulnerabilities

license - permissive license

quality - confirmed to work

hybrid server

The server is able to function both locally and remotely, depending on the configuration or use case.

Tools

Facilitates web search capabilities using Perplexity's API, allowing users to retrieve search results through Claude's interface.

Related Resources

Reddit Discussion about this server

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