perplexity mcp server

Local 2025-09-01 00:44:09 0
Developer Tools @laodev1/perplexity-mcp-server

A Node.js implementation that enables Claude to interact with Perplexity AI's language models through Anthropic's Model Context Protocol, providing tools for advanced chat completions and quick queries.

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

  1. Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/perplexity-mcp-server.git
cd perplexity-mcp-server
  1. Install dependencies:
npm install
  1. Create .env file:
PERPLEXITY_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
  1. 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": ["pathtoperplexity-mcp-serverdistindex.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

  1. PerplexityServer Class

  2. Implements MCP server protocol

  3. Handles tool registration and execution

  4. Manages error handling and server lifecycle

  5. Tools System

  6. Modular tool definitions
  7. Type-safe tool handlers
  8. 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

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
  3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
  4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
  5. 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:

  1. Server Not Found

  2. Verify the path in claude_desktop_config.json is correct

  3. Ensure the server is built (npm run build)

  4. Check if Node.js is in your PATH

  5. Authentication Errors

  6. Verify your Perplexity API key in .env

  7. Check if the API key has the required permissions

  8. Tool Execution Errors

  9. Verify the tool parameters match the schema
  10. Check network connectivity
  11. Review server logs for detailed error messages
[
  {
    "description": "Generate a chat completion using Perplexity AI",
    "inputSchema": {
      "properties": {
        "messages": {
          "description": "Array of messages in the conversation",
          "items": {
            "properties": {
              "content": {
                "type": "string"
              },
              "role": {
                "enum": [
                  "system",
                  "user",
                  "assistant"
                ],
                "type": "string"
              }
            },
            "required": [
              "role",
              "content"
            ],
            "type": "object"
          },
          "type": "array"
        },
        "model": {
          "description": "The model to use for completion",
          "enum": [
            "mixtral-8x7b-instruct",
            "codellama-34b-instruct",
            "sonar-small-chat",
            "sonar-small-online"
          ],
          "type": "string"
        },
        "temperature": {
          "description": "Sampling temperature (0-2)",
          "maximum": 2,
          "minimum": 0,
          "type": "number"
        }
      },
      "required": [
        "messages"
      ],
      "type": "object"
    },
    "name": "perplexity_chat"
  },
  {
    "description": "Send a simple query to Perplexity AI",
    "inputSchema": {
      "properties": {
        "model": {
          "description": "The model to use for completion",
          "enum": [
            "llama-3.1-sonar-small-128k-online",
            "llama-3.1-sonar-large-128k-online",
            "llama-3.1-sonar-huge-128k-online"
          ],
          "type": "string"
        },
        "query": {
          "description": "The question or prompt to send",
          "type": "string"
        }
      },
      "required": [
        "query"
      ],
      "type": "object"
    },
    "name": "perplexity_ask"
  }
]