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Perplexity API MCP

Perplexity

Streamable HTTP (remote); stdio (local)4 documented tools11

About Perplexity API MCP

Perplexity's official MCP server gives AI clients real-time web search, conversational search, deep research, and reasoning through hosted or local connections.

What you can use it for

  • Find current information with ranked web search
  • Ask quick web-grounded questions
  • Produce detailed cited research
  • Reason through complex decisions and analysis
Connection and setup
Hosting
Remote hosted or local
Transport
Streamable HTTP (remote); stdio (local)
Endpoint
https://api.perplexity.ai/mcp
Authentication
OAuth 2.1 or Bearer API key.

Requirements

  • Perplexity API organization able to pay for usage
  • For local setup, Node.js and API key
  • MCP client supporting Streamable HTTP for hosted setup or stdio for local

Setup steps

  1. Preferred remote: add https://api.perplexity.ai/mcp to a Streamable HTTP-capable client and complete Perplexity OAuth in the browser, choosing the API organization to bill.
  2. Alternatively generate an API key from the Perplexity API Portal and store it as a protected bearer header.
  3. For local stdio, set PERPLEXITY_API_KEY in the client launch environment and use npx -y @perplexity-ai/mcp-server.
  4. Restart/reload the client if using local configuration, then verify tools are listed; API calls are billed to the selected organization/key.
Tools 4

Current Perplexity docs list perplexity_search, perplexity_ask, perplexity_research, and perplexity_reason. Hosted and local implementations share the documented tool set; calls are billed to the connected API organization.

  • perplexity_search

    Search the web using the Perplexity Search API and return ranked results.

    01
  • perplexity_ask

    Answer conversational questions with live web research using the Agent API fast preset.

    02
  • perplexity_research

    Conduct deep research with citations using the Agent API high preset.

    03
  • perplexity_reason

    Handle advanced reasoning and problem solving using the Agent API medium preset.

    04
Limitations and notes
  • Tool usage is billed at standard API pricing to the selected API organization/key.
  • OAuth requires an API organization with billing access; a consumer account alone may not be sufficient.
  • Hosted and local options can differ in transport, authentication, release timing, and client behavior.
Original sources
  • official tool reference

    Official docs list perplexity_search, perplexity_ask, perplexity_research, and perplexity_reason for hosted and local variants.

  • official documentation

    Official docs list perplexity_search, perplexity_ask, perplexity_research, and perplexity_reason for hosted and local variants.

Documentation checked 2026-10-28T13:02:00.000Z. Connection has not been runtime tested.

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