Perplexity CLI Agent

An open-source command-line AI agent that brings Perplexity AI intelligence to the terminal with real-time streaming, MCP support, citation tracking, conversation checkpoints, and multi-model selection across Sonar models.

Overview

Perplexity CLI is a terminal-first AI agent that integrates Perplexity's Sonar models directly into developer workflows. It features real-time streaming responses, MCP server integration, and conversation management.

Key Features

• Real-time streaming responses with terminal UI
• Citation tracking with numbered sources
• Checkpoint system for saving/resuming conversations
• Model Context Protocol (MCP) support for custom integrations
• Token caching to optimize API usage
• Sandboxed execution environments
• Headless/scripting mode for automation
• Custom slash commands

Available Models

• sonar-pro: Advanced reasoning and research
• sonar: Balanced general-use performance
• sonar-reasoning-pro: Chain-of-thought precision
• sonar-deep-research: Expert-level research capabilities

Installation

npm install -g @perplexity-cli/perplexity-cli
export PERPLEXITY_API_KEY=your_key
perplexity

Built-in Tools

• File reading/writing operations
• Shell command execution
• Real-time web search
• URL content fetching
• CLAUDE.md context files

MCP Integration

Configure servers in ~/.perplexity/settings.json for tools like @github, @slack, @database.

Apache-2.0 License. Architecture adapted from Google's Perplexity CLI.