Perplexity
Connect Perplexity to get cited answers from the live web, run deep research, search pages, and batch up large research jobs.
Nothing has to be typed into PopMCP. You click Authorize with Perplexity, sign in, choose the API organization to bill and approve PopMCP. There is no developer app or callback URL to set up. Under More options you can paste an API key instead of signing in, and add the Enterprise Analytics and audit log keys.
Paid plan required before this connector works
No one reviews you, but the API runs on credits bought in advance. A Perplexity subscription and API credits are separate things, so check the API organization has credits before you connect.
- Typical wait
- None. Credits are available as soon as you buy them.
- Cost
- Pay as you go, from Perplexity's pricing page. As a guide, 1,000 Search API requests cost $5 and Agent API runs bill per token and per tool call. PopMCP adds nothing to this.
- Blocked until approved
- Asking, research, search, embeddings and batches. Keys are blocked when credits run out. Connecting and listing models still work, so you can set up first.
- Works meanwhile
- Connect Perplexity in PopMCP and list the models. Both are free.
Where to apply: No application. Sign in at console.perplexity.ai, open Billing, add a card and buy credits. Turning on auto top-up stops keys being blocked later.
- Calls cost money on a read-only connection too, because they change nothing in your account but do spend credits.
- New accounts are on usage tier 0, with one Agent API request a second. Limits rise as you buy more credits, and you keep the tier.
- The Analytics API and Audit API need Perplexity Enterprise and keys of their own. They do not use API credits.
- The Orchestrator API is in private preview, so those tools answer 403 until Perplexity lets your account in.
- Setup time
- 2 min
- Auth
- OAuth authorization
- API base URL
- https://api.perplexity.ai
Before you begin
- A Perplexity account with an API organization, which you create in the API portal at console.perplexity.ai
- To sign in: you must be an admin of that API organization
- API credits on that organization, because every question and search is billed to them. Credits are bought in advance on the Billing page
- Pop-up blockers must allow the Perplexity sign-in window to open
- Only if the AI should change anything: an owner or admin in PopMCP to allow write actions
Get your credentials
Make sure your API organization has credits
Open the API portal and sign in. If you have never used the API, fill in your organization's details under Settings, then open Billing, add a card and buy some credits. Questions and searches are billed to these credits, and keys stop working when they run out. Turning on auto top-up avoids that. If your organization already has credits, skip this step.
Billing
Credits are bought in advance and used by API calls.
- Remaining
- $50.00
- Auto top-up
- On
Start the connection from PopMCP
Open the Perplexity connector in PopMCP and click Authorize with Perplexity. There are no fields to fill in: no API key, no developer app and nothing to register.
Sign in, choose the organization and approve
The sign-in window opens on console.perplexity.ai. Sign in with your regular Perplexity account, choose the API organization to bill, and approve PopMCP. The connection can call the API for that organization. It cannot create API keys, see your balance or manage the organization.
Authorize PopMCP
PopMCP is asking to use the Perplexity API.
PopMCP never sees your Perplexity password. Perplexity hands back a token once you approve.
Or use an API key instead
Prefer not to sign in? In the API portal open API keys and generate a key. It starts with pplx- and is shown only once, so copy it straight away. In PopMCP open More options, paste it and connect.
API keys
Keys for this project. A key is shown once, when it is made.
Add the Enterprise keys if you have them
Optional, for Perplexity Enterprise organizations. To let the AI read your organization's usage, an org admin turns on Analytics API in the Perplexity web app under the organization's Computer settings, then selects Generate key. To let it read audit events, an org admin turns on audit logging, then creates a key under organization settings, Enterprise APIs, Audit API. Paste them in PopMCP under More options before you click Authorize. Each key works only for its own data.
Enterprise APIs
Organization settings in the Perplexity web app.
Check it is connected
The Perplexity card in PopMCP reads Connected. Asking questions and searching work straight away, and they spend credits even on a read-only connection. New connections start read-only, so changing skills, files or batches and using connectors wait until an owner or admin allows write actions in PopMCP.
Perplexity
- Status
- Connected
- Account
- Perplexity API organization
- Access
- Read only
Connect in PopMCP
Open your workspace, choose Perplexity in the marketplace, and fill in the connect dialog:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| How you connectpreset | Click Authorize, sign in to Perplexity, choose the API organization to bill and approve. You need to be an admin of an API organization with credits. |
| API key (instead of signing in)secret | Only if you prefer not to sign in. Generate one on the API Keys page of the Perplexity API portal. It is shown once.Encrypted with AES-256-GCM on save and never shown again. |
| Analytics API key (Enterprise)secret | Optional, to read your organization's usage. An org admin generates it in the Perplexity web app under the organization's Computer settings, Analytics.Encrypted with AES-256-GCM on save and never shown again. |
| Audit log API key (Enterprise)secret | Optional, to read audit events. An org admin creates it under organization settings, Enterprise APIs, Audit API. Audit logging must be on.Encrypted with AES-256-GCM on save and never shown again. |
PopMCP verifies the credential against Perplexity immediately. On success the connection flips to Verified and its MCP tools are provisioned.
Permissions PopMCP requests
These are the scopes sent to Perplexity at authorization time.
| Scope | Why PopMCP asks for it |
|---|---|
| perplexity_api | Lets PopMCP call the Perplexity API for the organization you choose. |
| offline_access | Lets PopMCP renew the access token, so the connection keeps working without another sign-in. |
Verify it worked
The Perplexity card in PopMCP shows Connected. Asking the AI for the connection profile (perplexity_connection_profile) shows how it signed in and which Enterprise keys are on, and listing models (perplexity_list_models) is free and returns model ids rather than an authorization error.
Troubleshooting
The sign-in window never opens
Why: A pop-up blocker is stopping the Perplexity sign-in window.
Fix: Allow pop-ups for PopMCP in your browser and click Authorize with Perplexity again.
The sign-in page asks you to create an organization
Why: You are not an admin of an API organization that can pay for usage.
Fix: Create one in the API portal, or ask an admin to connect, then start the connection again.
"Perplexity refused this sign-in"
Why: Your login is not an admin of the organization you chose, or the sign-in could not be used.
Fix: Sign in as an admin, or paste an API key under More options instead.
"Perplexity did not accept that API key"
Why: The key was copied in part or revoked, or an Analytics or audit log key was pasted in the API key field.
Fix: Generate a new key on the API keys page and paste it. Enterprise keys go in their own fields.
The AI says the account is out of credits
Why: Keys are blocked once the credit balance runs out.
Fix: Buy more credits on the Billing page, and turn on auto top-up if you want this not to happen again.
A long research task comes back as still running
Why: Deep research can take several minutes, longer than one tool call waits.
Fix: Nothing is wrong. Ask the AI to check again: it picks the result up by its id without starting or paying for the task again.
Rate limit errors while the AI checks on research
Why: New accounts get one Agent API request a second, and checking on a task counts. Limits rise with credits purchased.
Fix: Wait a moment and ask again. Your usage tier is on the Pricing page of the API portal.
The AI says a connector or MCP tool needs write access
Why: Those tools can change things in other services, so a read-only connection refuses them.
Fix: An owner or admin can allow write actions on this connection in PopMCP.
Orchestrator tools answer 403
Why: The Orchestrator API is in private preview, and your account is not in it.
Fix: Use the question and research tools instead, or ask Perplexity for access.
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