Perplexity API Platform MCP Server for Claude Desktop: Setup

What you can do with Perplexity API Platform in Claude Desktop

Pick it for Perplexity search, Sonar answers, deep research, and reasoning in a single MCP integration.

• Retrieve ranked web search results with metadata.
• Answer current-information questions using sonar-pro.

Before you start: Perplexity API Platform in Claude Desktop

• A Perplexity API key
• npm/npx tooling for the local command
• An MCP-compatible client
• Network access to the configured Perplexity API endpoint

Use the package named in the README rather than the older config_hint package. HTTP deployment is also documented. PERPLEXITY_TIMEOUT_MS adjusts timeouts, and npx -yq is suggested for clients affected by installation output.

Perplexity API Platform Claude Desktop configuration

1. Choose Claude Desktop configuration scope

   For Perplexity API Platform MCP Server, open macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json. Merge under mcpServers via Settings → Developer → Edit Config when available.

2. Add Perplexity API Platform MCP Server to Claude Desktop

   Use the modelcontextprotocol entry below in mcpServers. Keep Perplexity API Platform MCP Server's documented stdio connection fields and your other Claude Desktop entries.

3. Check Perplexity API Platform MCP Server in Claude Desktop

   Perplexity API Platform MCP Server: Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop; check developer diagnostics.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "modelcontextprotocol": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@perplexity-ai/mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "<Perplexity API key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Perplexity API Platform tools available to Claude Desktop

Perplexity API Platform's stored tool list documents 4 tools; compare it with Claude Desktop's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

perplexity_search

When Claude Desktop requests perplexity_search from Perplexity API Platform, review the action before approving it.

Return ranked web results and metadata from the Search API.

perplexity_ask

When Claude Desktop requests perplexity_ask from Perplexity API Platform, review the action before approving it.

Answer web-aware conversational questions using sonar-pro.

perplexity_research

When Claude Desktop requests perplexity_research from Perplexity API Platform, review the action before approving it.

perplexity_reason

When Claude Desktop requests perplexity_reason from Perplexity API Platform, review the action before approving it.

Perplexity API Platform: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting Perplexity API Platform in Claude Desktop

• Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop for Perplexity API Platform MCP Server. If npx @perplexity-ai/mcp-server (Node.js/npm) is missing, check the desktop process's PATH, which may differ from your terminal.
• In Claude Desktop's Perplexity API Platform MCP Server entry, check PERPLEXITY_API_KEY. Keep secrets out of shared screenshots and repositories.
• Perplexity API Platform MCP Server uses stdio here: Claude Desktop must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
• Known limitation: Requires a Perplexity API key and connectivity to the API.
• Known limitation: Long research requests can need higher timeout settings.
• Known limitation: Some strict clients need quieter npx output to initialize successfully.
• General Claude Desktop troubleshooting lives in the /clients/claude-desktop guide.

Frequently asked questions