Web & SearchMCP RegistrynpmD · 30

Perplexity API Platform MCP server

ai.perplexity · Updated 2mo ago

Real-time web search, reasoning, and research through Perplexity's API

At a glance

Perplexity API Platform is an MCP server in the Web & Search category. It runs locally over stdio via `npx -y @perplexity-ai/mcp-server`, and declares no required credentials. It scores D (30/100) on the MCP Skills Hub health score as of Oct 28, 2026.

One-click install

VS Code VS Code Insiders Cursor

Opens your editor and pre-fills the config. Your editor will ask before adding it.

How to install Perplexity API Platform in your AI client

Setup for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex, Windsurf, Cline and VS Code — copy-paste ready.

How to install Perplexity API Platform in Claude CodeAnthropic's agentic CLI

Add the server

bash

claude mcp add perplexity -- npx -y @perplexity-ai/mcp-server

2
Verify it's connected
bash
```
claude mcp list
```
Sharing it with your team?
Add `--scope project` to write it to .mcp.json in the repository root, which you can commit (with the secrets left as environment variables).
Use it in a session
Ask Claude to use the tools this server exposes. It discovers them automatically.

How to install Perplexity API Platform in Claude DesktopDesktop app (MCP config)

Open your MCP config
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json · Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Add this server

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@perplexity-ai/mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop
The tools appear under the 🔌 menu once the app reloads.

How to install Perplexity API Platform in CursorAI-first code editor

Create / edit .cursor/mcp.json in your project

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@perplexity-ai/mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Enable it
Cursor Settings → MCP → toggle the server on. Tools become available to the Composer/Agent.

How to install Perplexity API Platform in Codex CLIOpenAI coding agent

Add to ~/.codex/config.toml

toml

[mcp_servers.perplexity]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "@perplexity-ai/mcp-server"]

Run Codex
Codex loads MCP servers from config.toml on startup and exposes their tools to the agent.

How to install Perplexity API Platform in WindsurfCodeium's agentic IDE

Edit ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@perplexity-ai/mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Reload
Windsurf → Cascade → refresh MCP servers. Cascade can now call the tools.

How to install Perplexity API Platform in ClineVS Code autonomous agent

Open Cline → MCP Servers → Configure
Adds to cline_mcp_settings.json.

Add the server

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@perplexity-ai/mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

How to install Perplexity API Platform in VS CodeCopilot / MCP support

Create .vscode/mcp.json

json

{
  "servers": {
    "perplexity": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@perplexity-ai/mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Start it
VS Code shows a ▶ Start action above the server entry. Agent mode (Copilot Chat) can then use the tools.

What tools does Perplexity API Platform expose?

This server runs as a local package. We only query remote servers for their tool list — asking this one would mean executing it, so its tools are listed in the documentation below.

What the code can do

Read from the published package source — never executed. Parsed 6 of 6 source files.

This server can make network requests and read your environment variables.

How it was published

Published by a verified CI identity (github trusted publishing) rather than a personal token.
Has a provenance attestation tying this artifact to the commit it was built from.
3 npm maintainers · last published by GitHub Actions.

Maintainer of this package and think something here is wrong? Tell us and we'll correct it.

Before you install

Signals gathered from the source repo and package registry — not a safety verdict.

What it can reach

Runs code on your machine — Executes as a local process with your user's permissions, including filesystem access.
Downloads at launch — The package is fetched from its registry each run unless you pin a version.

No source repository — This registry entry does not link to a public repo, so its code cannot be reviewed before you install it.

Client compatibility

Claude Code: NativeClaude Desktop: NativeCursor: NativeCodex CLI: NativeWindsurf: NativeCline: NativeVS Code: Native

Health score

D · 30

Maintenance, adoption, transparency and packaging — not a safety audit. How this is calculated

Maintenance30%not measurable
No commit history available.
Adoption20%not measurable
No usage data available.
Transparency20%0%
0/4: ✗ public source repo, ✗ declared license, ✗ documentation, ✗ discoverable tool list.
Provenance15%0%
No source repository to trace the code back to.
Packaging15%100%
Publishes a pinned version (1.2.1).

Alternatives to Perplexity API Platform

Maintain Perplexity API Platform? Add a badge to your README

Shows its health grade, and links readers to install steps for every client.

markdown

[![Perplexity API Platform on MCP Skills Hub](https://mcp-skills-hub.vercel.app/badge/ai-perplexity-mcp-server)](https://mcp-skills-hub.vercel.app/mcps/ai-perplexity-mcp-server)

Catalog data refreshed Oct 28, 2026. Something wrong? Report it.