perplexity-web-api-mcp

Overview

This MCP server enables developers to integrate Perplexity AI's powerful search, research, and reasoning capabilities directly into their AI applications. It supports multiple authentication modes including full authentication with session tokens and a tokenless mode for basic functionality. The server is built in Rust and offers multiple installation options including direct npm installation, Docker, and configuration for various AI clients like Claude Desktop, Cursor, and VS Code. It exposes four main tools: perplexity_search (web links only), perplexity_ask (comprehensive answers), perplexity_reason (advanced reasoning), and perplexity_research (in-depth analysis).

Try asking AI

After installing, here are 6 things you can ask your AI assistant:

• perplexity_search

  Quick web search returning links, titles, and snippets

  Try:Find recent articles about artificial intelligenceTry:Search for information about climate change solutions
• perplexity_ask

  Ask Perplexity AI a question and get a comprehensive answer with citations

  Try:Explain the theory of relativity in simple termsTry:What are the main causes of the 2008 financial crisis?
• perplexity_reason

  Advanced reasoning and problem-solving with step-by-step analysis

  Try:Help me decide between two career optionsTry:Solve this logical puzzle: if all men are mortal...
• perplexity_research

  Deep, comprehensive research using sonar-deep-research model

  Try:Research the history of artificial intelligenceTry:Conduct a comprehensive analysis of renewable energy sources

Comparable tools

Installation

npm install -g perplexity-web-api-mcp

docker run -d -p 8080:8080 -e PERPLEXITY_SESSION_TOKEN="your-token" mishamyrt/perplexity-web-api-mcp

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "perplexity-web-api-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "PERPLEXITY_SESSION_TOKEN": "your-session-token",
        "PERPLEXITY_CSRF_TOKEN": "your-csrf-token"
      }
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Do I need a Perplexity Pro subscription to use this MCP server?

No, you can use either a free Perplexity account or a Pro subscription. The server uses your existing account through session tokens, so you don't need to pay for API access separately.

How do I get the authentication tokens?

Log in to perplexity.ai in your browser, open Developer Tools (F12), go to Application → Cookies → https://www.perplexity.ai, and copy the values of __Secure-next-auth.session-token and next-auth.csrf-token.

What's the difference between tokenless mode and authenticated mode?

In tokenless mode, only perplexity_search and perplexity_ask (with turbo model) are available. Authenticated mode grants access to perplexity_research, perplexity_reason, model selection, and file attachments.

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