Perplexity MCP server

The Perplexity Ask MCP Server integrates the Sonar API with Claude, enabling real-time web-wide research capabilities. This server allows Claude to perform live web searches during conversations, significantly enhancing its ability to provide up-to-date information.

Installation Guide

Prerequisites

• Node.js and npm
• Docker (optional)
• Perplexity Sonar API key

Basic Setup

1. Clone the repository:

git clone [email protected]:ppl-ai/modelcontextprotocol.git

2. Navigate to the project directory and install dependencies:

cd modelcontextprotocol/perplexity-ask && npm install

Obtaining a Sonar API Key

1. Sign up for a Sonar API account at Perplexity's documentation site
2. Follow the setup instructions to generate your API key
3. Set the API key in your environment as PERPLEXITY_API_KEY

Configuration

Claude Desktop Configuration

1. Download Claude desktop from claude.ai/download
2. Configure Claude by editing the configuration file:

vim ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

3. Add the following configuration to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity-ask": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e",
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY",
        "mcp/perplexity-ask"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Alternative NPX Configuration

If you prefer using npx instead of Docker:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity-ask": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "server-perplexity-ask"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Docker Setup

Build the Docker image:

docker build -t mcp/perplexity-ask:latest -f Dockerfile .

Usage

Verifying Integration

1. Open Claude Desktop
2. Look for the hammer icon, which indicates available tools
3. Click on the hammer icon to see the tools exposed by the Perplexity Ask MCP Server
4. If you see the available tools, the integration is active and ready to use

Using the Perplexity Ask Feature

Once configured, you can use the integration similarly to how you would use the Perplexity web app. Claude can now perform live web searches during your conversations.

Customizing Search Parameters

To modify the search parameters:

1. Open the index.ts script in the project
2. Adjust the API call parameters according to the official API documentation

Cursor Integration

The Perplexity Ask MCP Server can also be integrated with Cursor:

1. Open Cursor settings
2. Navigate to the MCP directory
3. Click on "Add new global MCP server"
4. Insert the same MCP server configuration used for Claude

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

• Refer to the Claude MCP troubleshooting guide
• Contact Perplexity support at [email protected]
• File a bug report at the GitHub issues page

How to add this MCP server to Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > MCP and click "Add new global MCP server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "cursor-rules-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "cursor-rules-mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explictly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.