Perplexity Intelligent MCP Server
An intelligent Perplexity research MCP server for Claude Desktop with automatic model selection, multi-model synthesis, and persistent research history.
Features
- Intelligent Model Selection: Auto-picks the right Perplexity model based on your query
- Research History: Saves all research to
~/Documents/Perplexity Research/ - Multi-Model Synthesis: Combines multiple models for comprehensive research
- Search History: Search past research to avoid duplicate queries
- Built-in Citations: Every response includes sources and references
Quick Setup
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+ (download)
- Claude Desktop
- Perplexity API key (get one at perplexity.ai/settings/api)
Configure Claude Desktop
Open ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and add:
{
"mcpServers": {
"perplexity-research": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@familyitguy/perplexity-mcp"],
"env": {
"PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
}
}
}
}
Replace your-api-key-here with your Perplexity API key.
Restart Claude Desktop
Quit completely (Cmd+Q) and reopen. You're done!
Available Tools
research
Intelligent Perplexity search with auto-logging.
Use: "Research the current state of AI in healthcare"
deep_research
Multi-model synthesis for comprehensive research.
Use: "Do a deep research on renewable energy trends"
search_research
Search past research for existing findings.
Use: "Search my research for React performance"
list_research_threads
List all saved research threads.
read_research_thread
Read a specific past research thread.
list_models
Show available Perplexity models and when to use each.
Models
| Model | Best For |
|---|---|
| sonar | Simple factual lookups, current events |
| sonar-pro | Multi-source research, fact-checking |
| sonar-reasoning-pro | Why/how questions, complex analysis (default) |
| sonar-deep-research | Exhaustive research, comprehensive reports |
Research Storage
All research is automatically saved to:
~/Documents/Perplexity Research/
├── topic-name-2025-01-15.md
├── another-topic-2025-01-16.md
└── ...
You can browse your research history in Finder anytime.
Environment Variables
| Variable | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
PERPLEXITY_API_KEY | Your Perplexity API key | Required |
PERPLEXITY_RESEARCH_DIR | Custom research directory | ~/Documents/Perplexity Research/ |
License
MIT