web-research

Call perplexity_search with a query string to find sources, or perplexity_ask for a single cited answer. Add search_recency_filter (hour, day, week, month, year) when the question is about current prices, versions, or news.

perplexity_search finds URLs and facts, perplexity_ask returns one cited answer, perplexity_research runs deep multi-source investigations that take minutes, and perplexity_reason performs step-by-step analysis over findings. Start with the cheap tools and escalate only when they underdeliver.

No. At server version 1.2.1, perplexity_research accepts only a messages parameter and silently drops any recency or domain filter. Use perplexity_ask or perplexity_search when filtering matters, and verify the live tool schema each session.

Use Context7 for library, framework, SDK, API, and cloud service documentation including syntax, config, setup, and documented pricing tiers, since it returns versioned docs. Use Perplexity for live status, outages, advisories, and price changes not yet reflected in docs.

Run claude mcp list and look for a Connected status on the perplexity line. MCP servers start at session start, so restart the session after registration changes, and confirm the PERPLEXITY_API_KEY variable exists on the server entry without printing its value.

Use WebSearch and WebFetch as the fallback, and state in the answer that Perplexity was unavailable. The fallback lacks recency filters, domain restriction, and citation structure, so the downgrade must be disclosed rather than silent.