perplexity-install-auth

name	perplexity-install-auth
description	Install and configure Perplexity Sonar API authentication. Use when setting up a new Perplexity integration, configuring API keys, or initializing the OpenAI-compatible client for Perplexity. Trigger with phrases like "install perplexity", "setup perplexity", "perplexity auth", "configure perplexity API key", "perplexity sonar setup".
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Edit, Bash(npm:*), Bash(pip:*), Grep
version	1.12.0
license	MIT
author	Jeremy Longshore <[e-mail]>
tags	["saas","perplexity","api","authentication"]
compatibility	Designed for Claude Code, also compatible with Codex and OpenClaw

Perplexity Install & Auth

Overview

Set up Perplexity Sonar API access using the OpenAI-compatible chat completions endpoint at https://api.perplexity.ai. Perplexity does not have a custom SDK -- you use the standard OpenAI client library pointed at Perplexity's base URL.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ or Python 3.10+
• Perplexity account at perplexity.ai
• API key from perplexity.ai/settings/api

Instructions

Step 1: Install OpenAI Client Library

set -euo pipefail
# Node.js / TypeScript
npm install openai

# Python
pip install openai

There is no @perplexity/sdk package. Perplexity uses the OpenAI wire format, so you use the official openai package with a custom baseURL.

Step 2: Configure API Key

# Set environment variable
export PERPLEXITY_API_KEY="pplx-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

# Or create .env file (add .env to .gitignore)
echo 'PERPLEXITY_API_KEY=pplx-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx' >> .env

API keys start with pplx- and are generated at perplexity.ai/settings/api. You must add credits to your account before making API calls.

Step 3: Verify Connection (TypeScript)

import OpenAI from "openai";

const client = new OpenAI({
  apiKey: process.env.PERPLEXITY_API_KEY,
  baseURL: "https://api.perplexity.ai",
});

async function () {
   response =  client...({
    : ,
    : [{ : , :  }],
    : ,
  });
  .(, response.[]..);
  .(, response.);
  .(, response.?.);
}

().(.);