Perplexity MCP Server Guide

Quick Start

1. Install Dependencies: npm install
2. Set API Key: Add to .env file or use environment variable:

   PERPLEXITY_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
   

3. Run Server: node server.js

Claude Desktop Configuration

Add to claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/absolute/path/to/perplexity-mcp/server.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "your_perplexity_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

NPM Global Installation

Run: npm install -g .

Then configure in Claude Desktop:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "perplexity-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "your_perplexity_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

NVM Users

If using NVM, you must use absolute paths to both node and the script:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity": {
      "command": "/Users/username/.nvm/versions/node/v16.x.x/bin/node",
      "args": [
        "/Users/username/path/to/perplexity-mcp/server.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "your_perplexity_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

• perplexity_ask: Send a single question to Perplexity
  • Default model: llama-3.1-sonar-small-128k-online
• perplexity_chat: Multi-turn conversation with Perplexity
  • Default model: mixtral-8x7b-instruct

Troubleshooting

• Check logs with cat ~/.claude/logs/perplexity.log
• Ensure your API key is valid and has not expired
• Validate your claude_desktop_config.json format
• Add verbose logging with the DEBUG=1 environment variable

Architecture

• Built with the MCP protocol
• Communication via stdio transport
• Lightweight proxy to Perplexity API