Perplexity API Platform MCP Server for VS Code: Setup

What you can do with Perplexity API Platform in VS Code

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

• Retrieve ranked web search results with metadata.
• Produce detailed research through sonar-deep-research.

Before you start: Perplexity API Platform in VS Code

• 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 VS Code configuration

1. Choose VS Code configuration scope

   For Perplexity API Platform MCP Server, open Workspace: .vscode/mcp.json. Merge into servers; preserve existing inputs.

2. Add Perplexity API Platform MCP Server to VS Code

   Use the modelcontextprotocol entry below in servers. Keep Perplexity API Platform MCP Server's documented stdio connection fields and your other VS Code entries.

3. Check Perplexity API Platform MCP Server in VS Code

   Perplexity API Platform MCP Server: Start in VS Code’s MCP controls; inspect output and trust prompts.

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

Perplexity API Platform tools available to VS Code

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

perplexity_search

Look for perplexity_search among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting Perplexity API Platform through the MCP controls.

Return ranked web results and metadata from the Search API.

perplexity_ask

Look for perplexity_ask among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting Perplexity API Platform through the MCP controls.

perplexity_research

Look for perplexity_research among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting Perplexity API Platform through the MCP controls.

Run detailed research with sonar-deep-research.

perplexity_reason

Look for perplexity_reason among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting Perplexity API Platform through the MCP controls.

Perplexity API Platform: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting Perplexity API Platform in VS Code

• Make npx @perplexity-ai/mcp-server (Node.js/npm) available in the workspace, container, or remote environment hosting Perplexity API Platform MCP Server. Start through VS Code's MCP controls; inspect output and trust prompts.
• For Perplexity API Platform MCP Server, keep PERPLEXITY_API_KEY out of version control; VS Code documents input variables and secret handling.
• Perplexity API Platform MCP Server uses stdio here: VS Code 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 VS Code troubleshooting lives in the /clients/vscode guide.

Frequently asked questions