Summary
Depth becomes a choice per question instead of a setting for the whole session.
The three tools map onto three Perplexity models, so the decision a wrapper usually hides — is this worth a research pass or is it a lookup — is made per call and visible in the transcript. force_model is the escape hatch when the tool's default is wrong for a particular question. Each call carries only its query and its focus areas, so a follow-up is a fresh question rather than a continuation.
What it is
A three-tool front end to Perplexity, where the tool you call selects the model rather than the model being fixed for the session.
What you get
- Quick factual lookups through Sonar Pro
- Multi-step work — explanations, comparisons and problem-solving — through Sonar Reasoning Pro
- In-depth reports through Sonar Deep Research, narrowed by a list of focus areas passed with the question
- A force_model parameter on all three tools, so the default model behind a tool can be overridden per call
Requirements
A Perplexity account with its key in PERPLEXITY_API_KEY, and Node on the machine. MIT.
Setup effort
One command plus a key — npx -y perplexity-mcp, then supply credentials