Perplexity API Platform MCP Server

Single-tool MCP server for Perplexity chat completions via a configurable API endpoint (default: OpenRouter).

Available Tools

perplexity_ask

General-purpose conversational AI using the default perplexity/sonar model. Override the API endpoint with API_ENDPOINT and model with MODEL.

Configuration

Get Your API Key

1. Get your Perplexity API Key from the API Portal
2. Replace your_key_here in the configurations below with your API key
3. (Optional) Set API endpoint: API_ENDPOINT=https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions
4. (Optional) Set model: MODEL=perplexity/sonar
5. (Optional) Set timeout: PERPLEXITY_TIMEOUT_MS=600000 (default: 5 minutes)
6. (Optional) Set log level: PERPLEXITY_LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG|INFO|WARN|ERROR (default: ERROR)

Claude Code

claude mcp add perplexity-ask --env PERPLEXITY_API_KEY="your_key_here" -- npx -y @zhangyu1818/server-perplexity-ask

Or install via plugin:

export PERPLEXITY_API_KEY="your_key_here"
claude
# Then run: /plugin marketplace add perplexityai/modelcontextprotocol
# Then run: /plugin install perplexity

Cursor, Claude Desktop & Windsurf

We recommend using the one-click install badge at the top of this README for Cursor.

For manual setup, all these clients use the same mcpServers format:

| Client | Config File | |--------|-------------| | Cursor | ~/.cursor/mcp.json | | Claude Desktop | claude_desktop_config.json | | Windsurf | ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json |

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity-ask": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@zhangyu1818/server-perplexity-ask"],
      "env": {
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

VS Code

We recommend using the one-click install badge at the top of this README for VS Code, or for manual setup, add to .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "perplexity-ask": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@zhangyu1818/server-perplexity-ask"],
      "env": {
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Codex

codex mcp add perplexity-ask --env PERPLEXITY_API_KEY="your_key_here" -- npx -y @zhangyu1818/server-perplexity-ask

Other MCP Clients

Most clients can be manually configured to use the mcpServers wrapper in their configuration file (like Cursor). If your client doesn't work, check its documentation for the correct wrapper format.

Proxy Setup (For Corporate Networks)

If you are running this server at work—especially behind a company firewall or proxy—you may need to tell the program how to send its internet traffic through your network's proxy. Follow these steps:

1. Get your proxy details

• Ask your IT department for your HTTPS proxy address and port.
• You may also need a username and password.

2. Set the proxy environment variable

The easiest and most reliable way for Perplexity MCP is to use PERPLEXITY_PROXY. For example:

export PERPLEXITY_PROXY=https://your-proxy-host:8080

If your proxy needs a username and password, use:

export PERPLEXITY_PROXY=https://username:password@your-proxy-host:8080

3. Alternate: Standard environment variables

If you'd rather use the standard variables, we support HTTPS_PROXY and HTTP_PROXY.

[!NOTE] The server checks proxy settings in this order: PERPLEXITY_PROXY → HTTPS_PROXY → HTTP_PROXY. If none are set, it connects directly to the internet. URLs must include https://. Typical ports are 8080, 3128, and 80.

HTTP Server Deployment

For cloud or shared deployments, run the server in HTTP mode.

Environment Variables

| Variable | Description | Default | |----------|-------------|---------| | PERPLEXITY_API_KEY | Your Perplexity API key | Required | | API_ENDPOINT | Chat completions API endpoint | https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions | | MODEL | Model name to request | perplexity/sonar | | PORT | HTTP server port | 8080 | | BIND_ADDRESS | Network interface to bind to | 0.0.0.0 | | ALLOWED_ORIGINS | CORS origins (comma-separated) | * |

Docker

docker build -t perplexity-mcp-server .
docker run -p 8080:8080 -e PERPLEXITY_API_KEY=your_key_here perplexity-mcp-server

Node.js

export PERPLEXITY_API_KEY=your_key_here
npm install && npm run build && npm run start:http

The server will be accessible at http://localhost:8080/mcp

Troubleshooting

• API Key Issues: Ensure PERPLEXITY_API_KEY is set correctly
• Connection Errors: Check your internet connection and API key validity
• Tool Not Found: Make sure the package is installed and the command path is correct
• Timeout Errors: For very long research queries, set PERPLEXITY_TIMEOUT_MS to a higher value
• Proxy Issues: Verify your PERPLEXITY_PROXY or HTTPS_PROXY setup and ensure your API endpoint isn't blocked by your firewall.
• EOF / Initialize Errors: Some strict MCP clients fail because npx writes installation messages to stdout. Use npx -yq instead of npx -y to suppress this output.

For support, visit community.perplexity.ai or file an issue.