Perplexity MCP server

This MCP server enables you to enhance Claude's capabilities with internet research via the Perplexity API. It allows Claude to access real-time information and provide source citations directly within your conversations.

Installation

Prerequisites

Before installing the Perplexity MCP server, ensure you have:

• Go 1.20 or later installed
• A Perplexity API key (obtain one from https://www.perplexity.ai/)
• The MCP Go framework installed

Building the Server

Run the following command to build the server binary:

# Build the server binary
./run.sh build

Integration with Claude Desktop

To connect the Perplexity MCP server with Claude Desktop, you need to modify your Claude Desktop configuration file:

On macOS: Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

On Windows: Edit %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Add the following configuration to the file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity": {
      "command": "/path/to/binary/perplexity-server",
      "env": {
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "your-perplexity-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Make sure to:

• Replace /path/to/binary/perplexity-server with the actual path to your compiled binary
• Replace your-perplexity-key with your actual Perplexity API key

Usage

Available Research Tool

The server provides a research tool that allows Claude to perform internet searches and return results with citations.

Parameters

The research tool accepts the following parameter:

• query (string): The research question or search query

Example Usage

To use the research capability in Claude, simply ask a question that requires up-to-date information. For example:

• "What's the latest research on quantum computing?"
• "Can you research the current situation regarding climate policies in Europe?"
• "Find recent information about advances in artificial intelligence"

Claude will use the Perplexity API through the MCP server to provide you with current information along with source citations.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

• Verify your Perplexity API key is correct and has sufficient quota
• Check that the path to the server binary in your Claude configuration is correct
• Ensure the MCP server is running properly when Claude attempts to use it
• Examine Claude's logs for any error messages related to the MCP connection

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.