# Perplexity MCP Server [Official] [Health: Active]

**Category:** 🔎 Search & Data Extraction  
**Repository:** https://github.com/perplexityai/modelcontextprotocol  
**GitHub Stars:** 2620  
**npm Downloads (last month):** 114404  
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**Directory Page:** https://allmcps.com/mcp/perplexity-mcp-server

## Description
Perplexity's official MCP server for the Perplexity API Platform. Adds web search (perplexity_search), quick answers (perplexity_ask), deep research (perplexity_research) and reasoning (perplexity_reason) to MCP clients, using your PERPLEXITY_API_KEY.

## Claude Desktop Quick Installation
Install path detected from listing signals. Uses `npx` (confidence: high):

```json
"mcpServers": {
  "perplexity-mcp-server": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y","@perplexity-ai/mcp-server"],
    "env": {
      "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "",
      "PERPLEXITY_TIMEOUT_MS": "",
      "PERPLEXITY_BASE_URL": "",
      "PERPLEXITY_LOG_LEVEL": "",
      "PERPLEXITY_PROXY": "",
      "HTTPS_PROXY": "",
      "HTTP_PROXY": "",
      "PORT": ""
    }
  }
}
```

**Requires environment variables:** `PERPLEXITY_API_KEY`, `PERPLEXITY_TIMEOUT_MS`, `PERPLEXITY_BASE_URL`, `PERPLEXITY_LOG_LEVEL`, `PERPLEXITY_PROXY`, `HTTPS_PROXY`, `HTTP_PROXY`, `PORT` — the values above are empty placeholders; fill in real credentials before running (see the repository for what each one is for).

## Documentation

## What Perplexity MCP Server does

Perplexity MCP Server gives MCP-compatible assistants access to the Perplexity API Platform. Its tools cover direct web search, conversational questions, deeper research, and reasoning:

- `perplexity_search` queries the Perplexity Search API and returns ranked results with available publication and update dates.
- `perplexity_ask` handles general questions with real-time web search through the Agent API's fast preset.
- `perplexity_research` supports deeper, more comprehensive research tasks.
- `perplexity_reason` provides reasoning through the Perplexity platform.

The server belongs in workflows where an assistant needs current web information rather than relying only on its model knowledge.

## How it works

Perplexity hosts a remote MCP endpoint at `https://api.perplexity.ai/mcp`. Clients that support remote MCP servers can connect over Streamable HTTP and send the API key in an Authorization header. This route uses the same tools as the local installation and avoids installing or updating a local package.

For local use, an MCP client starts `@perplexity-ai/mcp-server` through `npx`. The process reads `PERPLEXITY_API_KEY` and calls the Perplexity API. The server can also run in self-hosted HTTP mode, where it serves MCP at `/mcp`, by building the project and starting its HTTP entry point or by running the supplied Docker image.

Search requests can use a recency filter, restrict results to specified domains, or select Fast Search with `search_type: "fast"` for lower latency and cost.

## Setup and configuration

Create a Perplexity API key in the Perplexity API Portal, then choose a connection method. Cursor, VS Code, Claude Code, Codex, Claude Desktop, Kiro, and Windsurf are shown with configuration paths or commands. Local MCP configurations use the `mcpServers` structure and start the package with `npx -y @perplexity-ai/mcp-server`.

The required setting is `PERPLEXITY_API_KEY`. Optional settings include:

- `PERPLEXITY_TIMEOUT_MS` for request timeouts; the default is five minutes.
- `PERPLEXITY_BASE_URL` for a custom API base URL.
- `PERPLEXITY_LOG_LEVEL` with `DEBUG`, `INFO`, `WARN`, or `ERROR`.
- `PERPLEXITY_PROXY`, followed by `HTTPS_PROXY` and `HTTP_PROXY` as fallbacks, for network proxies.

Self-hosted HTTP deployments additionally support `PORT`, `BIND_ADDRESS`, `ALLOWED_ORIGINS`, and `ALLOWED_HOSTS`. The default HTTP port is `8080`, and the default bind address is loopback. Docker can expose the service on port 8080.

## Tools and capabilities

`perplexity_search` is intended for ranked, direct search results and supports recency and domain filters. `perplexity_ask` is suited to quick, general-purpose questions backed by live search. `perplexity_research` is the option for broader research tasks, while `perplexity_reason` is intended for reasoning requests. Together, these tools let an MCP client select between retrieval, quick answers, research, and reasoning.

## Limitations and notes

Using the hosted endpoint requires an MCP client with remote-server support; clients without it can use the local process instead. API access requires a valid Perplexity API key. When self-hosting HTTP mode, binding to `0.0.0.0` exposes the service on all interfaces, so configure allowed origins and hosts for the deployment. Proxy URLs must use the `https://` scheme. API usage, latency, and costs depend on the selected Perplexity API capabilities, including Fast Search.

_Full upstream README: https://allmcps.com/mcp/perplexity-mcp-server/readme_