Perplexity MCP Server

Overview

The Perplexity MCP Server is a Node.js implementation of Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP) that enables Claude to interact with Perplexity's language models. This server provides a secure bridge between Claude and Perplexity AI's capabilities, allowing for enhanced AI interactions through tool use.

Available Tools

The server currently implements two main tools:

1. perplexity_chat

Advanced chat completion tool with full message history support.

{
  "name": "perplexity_chat",
  "description": "Generate a chat completion using Perplexity AI",
  "parameters": {
    "model": "string (optional) - One of: llama-3.1-sonar-small-128k-online, llama-3.1-sonar-large-128k-online, llama-3.1-sonar-huge-128k-online",
    "messages": "array of {role, content} objects - The conversation history",
    "temperature": "number (optional) - Sampling temperature between 0-2"
  }
}

2. perplexity_ask

Simplified single-query interface for quick questions.

{
  "name": "perplexity_ask",
  "description": "Send a simple query to Perplexity AI",
  "parameters": {
    "query": "string - The question or prompt to send",
    "model": "string (optional) - One of: llama-3.1-sonar-small-128k-online, llama-3.1-sonar-large-128k-online, llama-3.1-sonar-huge-128k-online"
  }
}

Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/perplexity-mcp-server.git
cd perplexity-mcp-server

Install dependencies:
```
npm install
```
Create .env file:
```
PERPLEXITY_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
```
Build the project:
```
npm run build
```

Claude Desktop Configuration

To add this server to Claude Desktop, update your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    //more servers...
    "perplexity": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["path\\to\\perplexity-mcp-server\\dist\\index.js"],
      "env": {
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "YOUR_PERPLEXITY_API_KEY"
      }
    }
    //more servers...
  }
}

The configuration file is typically located at:

Windows: %APPDATA%/Claude/config/claude_desktop_config.json
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/config/claude_desktop_config.json
Linux: ~/.config/Claude/config/claude_desktop_config.json

Development

Start the development server with automatic recompilation:

npm run dev

The server uses TypeScript and implements the MCP protocol using the @modelcontextprotocol/sdk package.

Architecture

Core Components

PerplexityServer Class
- Implements MCP server protocol
- Handles tool registration and execution
- Manages error handling and server lifecycle
Tools System
- Modular tool definitions
- Type-safe tool handlers
- Structured input validation

Technical Details

Built with TypeScript for type safety
Uses @modelcontextprotocol/sdk for MCP implementation
Communicates via stdio transport
Environment-based configuration

Error Handling

The server implements comprehensive error handling:

API error reporting
Invalid tool requests handling
Connection error management
Process signal handling

Dependencies

@modelcontextprotocol/sdk: ^1.0.3
dotenv: ^16.4.7
isomorphic-fetch: ^3.0.0

Contributing

Fork the repository
Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
Open a Pull Request

Security

API keys are managed through environment variables
Input validation for all tool parameters
Error messages are sanitized before output
Process isolation through MCP protocol

License

This project is licensed under the ISC License.

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions:

Server Not Found
- Verify the path in claude_desktop_config.json is correct
- Ensure the server is built (npm run build)
- Check if Node.js is in your PATH
Authentication Errors
- Verify your Perplexity API key in .env
- Check if the API key has the required permissions
Tool Execution Errors
- Verify the tool parameters match the schema
- Check network connectivity
- Review server logs for detailed error messages