Perplexity Web Search MCP Server

@nachoal

About Perplexity Web Search MCP Server

A perplexity MCP server

Config

Add this server to your MCP-compatible client using the configuration below.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity-mcp-nachoal": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": [
        "server.py"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Tools

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Overview

What is Perplexity Web Search MCP Server?

Perplexity Web Search MCP Server is a simple MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides web search functionality using the Perplexity API. It allows Claude or other MCP-compatible AI assistants to search the web and get up‑to‑date information with sources and citations.

How to use Perplexity Web Search MCP Server?

Install dependencies (pip install -e . or uv pip install -e .), set the PERPLEXITY_API_KEY environment variable (or place it in a .env file), then run python server.py. For testing, execute python test_server.py "your query" --recency month. Finally, configure your Claude Desktop client by adding the server to its claude_desktop_config.json with the correct command and path.

Key features of Perplexity Web Search MCP Server

Search the web with Perplexity’s powerful search capabilities
Get comprehensive results with sources and citations
Filter results by time period: day, week, month, year
Includes a ready‑to‑use prompt template for web searches
Supports loading API key from environment variable or .env file

Use cases of Perplexity Web Search MCP Server

Search the web for the latest news about a topic
Find information published within a specific time window
Obtain recent research papers on technical subjects
Summarize search results with source verification inside an AI assistant

FAQ from Perplexity Web Search MCP Server

What API key is required?

You need a Perplexity API key, which you can generate at Perplexity API Settings after creating an account.

How do I filter search results by time period?

Use the recency parameter in the search_web tool or the --recency flag in the test script. Accepted values are day, week, month (default), and year.

How can I test the server without running the full MCP setup?

Run the included test script: python test_server.py "your query here" --recency month. It will output results directly to the console.

What runtime dependencies are required?

The server requires Python and the packages installed via pip install -e . (or with uv). There is no additional runtime beyond the Perplexity API key.

How do I configure the server for use with Claude Desktop?

Edit your Claude Desktop configuration file (macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json; Windows: %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json) and add the server definition with the command set to python and args pointing to the full path of server.py. Also set the PERPLEXITY_API_KEY in the env field.

Frequently asked questions

What API key is required?

You need a Perplexity API key, which you can generate at [Perplexity API Settings](https://www.perplexity.ai/settings/api) after creating an account.

How do I filter search results by time period?

Use the `recency` parameter in the `search_web` tool or the `--recency` flag in the test script. Accepted values are `day`, `week`, `month` (default), and `year`.

How can I test the server without running the full MCP setup?

Run the included test script: `python test_server.py "your query here" --recency month`. It will output results directly to the console.

What runtime dependencies are required?

The server requires Python and the packages installed via `pip install -e .` (or with `uv`). There is no additional runtime beyond the Perplexity API key.

How do I configure the server for use with Claude Desktop?

Edit your Claude Desktop configuration file (macOS: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`; Windows: `%APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`) and add the server definition with the `command` set to `python` and `args` pointing to the full path of `server.py`. Also set the `PERPLEXITY_API_KEY` in the `env` field.

Comments

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