Perplexity Ask MCP Server

What is Perplexity Ask MCP Server?

It is the official MCP server implementation for the Perplexity API Platform, providing AI assistants with real-time web search, reasoning, and research capabilities through Sonar models and the Search API. It is designed for developers integrating Perplexity into MCP-compatible clients such as Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and others.

How to use Perplexity Ask MCP Server?

Install the npm package @perplexity-ai/mcp-server and run it via npx -y in stdio mode, or deploy as an HTTP server using Docker or Node.js. Set the PERPLEXITY_API_KEY environment variable to your API key from the Perplexity API Portal. Configure clients by adding a mcpServers entry in their respective config files (e.g., ~/.cursor/mcp.json for Cursor). Optional environment variables include PERPLEXITY_TIMEOUT_MS, PERPLEXITY_BASE_URL, PERPLEXITY_LOG_LEVEL, and PERPLEXITY_PROXY for proxy support.

Key features of Perplexity Ask MCP Server

• perplexity_search: Direct web search via the Search API with ranked results and metadata.
• perplexity_ask: Conversational AI with real-time web search using the sonar-pro model.
• perplexity_research: Deep, comprehensive research using the sonar-deep-research model.
• perplexity_reason: Advanced reasoning and problem-solving with the sonar-reasoning-pro model.
• Optional strip_thinking parameter for perplexity_reason and perplexity_research to remove thinking tags.
• Support for proxy configuration via PERPLEXITY_PROXY or standard HTTPS_PROXY/HTTP_PROXY environment variables.
• HTTP deployment mode with configurable port, CORS origins, and allowed hosts.

Use cases of Perplexity Ask MCP Server

• Performing quick web searches within an AI assistant to retrieve current information.
• Answering everyday questions with conversational AI that includes real-time search context.
• Generating thorough research reports and deep analysis on complex topics.
• Solving intricate analytical tasks requiring advanced reasoning and multi-step problem-solving.

FAQ from Perplexity Ask MCP Server

Why am I getting an API key error?

Ensure the PERPLEXITY_API_KEY environment variable is set to a valid API key from the Perplexity API Portal.

What should I do if a tool