Skip to content

Working with clients? Stay ahead of what they ask for.

OfficialSearch

Perplexity MCP

by Perplexity (ppl-ai)

The official MCP server for the Perplexity API. Sonar search and reasoning models exposed to AI agents through MCP. 2,144 GitHub stars and 5 commits on main in the last 30 days.

★ 2,144·3 listed tools·Released DEC 2024·MIT
npx -y server-perplexity-ask
Share:

“Official Perplexity Sonar API exposed as an MCP server. Three tools cover search, research, and reasoning. 2,144 stars and 5 commits on main in the last 30 days.”

Reviewed by M. Nouriel · MAY 2026

INSTALL THIS SERVER

Requires authenticationPERPLEXITY_API_KEY environment variable. Obtain at https://www.perplexity.ai/settings/api.
{ "mcpServers": { "perplexity": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "-y", "server-perplexity-ask" ], "env": { "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "YOUR_PERPLEXITY_API_KEY" } } } }
PrereqSet PERPLEXITY_API_KEY from https://www.perplexity.ai/settings/api. NPM: `server-perplexity-ask`. Path: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS).
{ "mcpServers": { "perplexity": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "-y", "server-perplexity-ask" ], "env": { "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "YOUR_PERPLEXITY_API_KEY" } } } }
{ "mcpServers": { "perplexity": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "-y", "server-perplexity-ask" ], "env": { "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "YOUR_PERPLEXITY_API_KEY" } } } }
{ "mcpServers": { "perplexity": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "-y", "server-perplexity-ask" ], "env": { "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "YOUR_PERPLEXITY_API_KEY" } } } }
{ "mcpServers": { "perplexity": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "-y", "server-perplexity-ask" ], "env": { "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "YOUR_PERPLEXITY_API_KEY" } } } }

3 SELECTED TOOLS

perplexity_ask
Run a Sonar query and return cited results
Read
perplexity_research
Run an extended Sonar reasoning query for in-depth research
Read
perplexity_reason
Run a Sonar reasoning model for chain-of-thought-style answers
Read

OUR ASSESSMENT

ppl-ai/modelcontextprotocol is the official MCP server published by Perplexity. Three tools wrap the Sonar API: perplexity_ask (search), perplexity_research (extended reasoning), perplexity_reason (chain-of-thought). The repo is referenced from docs.perplexity.ai/guides/mcp-server.

Strengths
  • 2,144 GitHub stars, top of the search category.
  • Official Perplexity maintenance with first-party API documentation.
  • Three tools cover the full Sonar surface: search, research, reasoning.
  • MIT license.
  • 5 commits on main in the last 30 days.
Weaknesses
  • Sonar API is a paid product; expect per-query cost when agents use it at scale.
  • API key carries quota; agents that loop on perplexity_research can burn credits quickly.
  • No streaming tool surface; long reasoning queries return as a single response.
Security Notes

PERPLEXITY_API_KEY is account-scoped. Set per-key spend limits in the Perplexity dashboard before connecting to long-running agent workflows.

Best For

Agents that need cited web search and source-grounded reasoning; teams already paying for Sonar Pro; research workflows that benefit from chain-of-thought reasoning before action.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Language
typescript
Transport
stdio
Clients
Claude DesktopClaude CodeCursorVS CodeWindsurf
License
MIT
GitHub
npm
server-perplexity-ask
Last Release
server-perplexity-ask (npm latest)MAY 5, 2026
First Released
DEC 15, 2024

RECORDED ADOPTION METRICS

Saved directory snapshots. Record last checked MAY 5, 2026. The review date above does not refresh these figures.

// GitHub Stars
2,144

// Recorded note2,144 stars on the ppl-ai/modelcontextprotocol official repo. 5 commits on main in the last 30 days.

// Popularity Rank
#1
Recorded directory rank · #1 in Search

// Recorded notePairs with Brave Search, Exa, Tavily, DuckDuckGo, Wikipedia in the search category. Perplexity covers cited web search plus reasoning, complementing Brave (raw web), Exa (semantic), and Wikipedia (reference).

SOURCES & RECORDED CHECKS

These are the directory listings and check details held in this record. Client compatibility, directory listings and installation testing are separate signals. Recorded client names describe the scope of a check; they do not establish a security assessment or a recurring test schedule.

01
Discovered
Source not recorded
First indexed MAY 5, 2026
02
Directory listings
5 directories
PulseMCP, MCP.so, Glama, Smithery, Official MCP Registry
03
Recorded client testing
Claude Desktop, Cursor, Claude Code
Check current setup against the provider documentation
04
Record last checked
MAY 5, 2026
Record date; functional retest scope may differ
// How other directories see it

The same server, 5 different lenses. We reconcile these signals into our editorial score, which is why our number sometimes diverges from a directory-aggregate star count.

SourceTheir ratingTheir star countTheir downloadsLast synced
AutomationSwitch This page4.5editorial2,144—MAY 5, 2026
PulseMCP— unratedunavailableunavailableMAY 5, 2026
MCP.so— unratedunavailableunavailableMAY 5, 2026
Glama— unratedunavailableunavailableMAY 5, 2026
Smithery— unratedunavailableunavailableMAY 5, 2026
Official MCP Registry— unratedunavailableunavailableMAY 5, 2026

// Counts are directory-reported; we don't adjust them. Discrepancies usually come from different snapshot times or star-caching.

// Get in touch

DISCUSS YOUR
MCP REQUIREMENTS.

Evaluating a server, scoping an internal deployment, or working out whether MCP is the right fit at all. Start the conversation and we will point you at the right piece of the ecosystem.

Discuss Your MCP Requirements →