A Muh Mufqi Zuhudi

Posted on Jul 24

Set Up a Local MCP Server for Perplexity (macOS Guide)

#mcp #perplexity #tutorial

This guide helps you set up Perplexity’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) system to automate your macOS securely and efficiently. With the latest Perplexity app update, MCP capability is now built in, enabling seamless integration with local automation tools on your Mac. In this tutorial, you’ll install all required tools and configure your local machine, focusing on connecting Perplexity with @peakmojo/applescript-mcp server for seamless automation.

The diagram below gives you a clear picture of how Perplexity’s automation works on macOS. Commands start in the Perplexity app, pass through the Helper App for secure local communication, and then reach the AppleScript MCP server, which handles all the automation. This setup lets you control Finder, Notes, Calendar, and more, seamlessly and privately, right from within Perplexity.

Architecture diagram of Perplexity MCP, illustrating the role of the Helper App and AppleScript MCP server in enabling secure automation of macOS applications from Perplexity.

Requirements

You’ll need Node.js v20 or higher to run the AppleScript MCP server and use automation features.

node>=20.0.0

Installation Steps

1. Check Your Node.js Installation

First, ensure you have Node.js (version 20 or above):

node --version

If Node.js is below version 20, uninstall the old version first to prevent conflicts before installing the latest.

To uninstall older Node.js versions installed via Homebrew:

brew uninstall node

Then, install the latest version:

brew install node

2. Run the AppleScript MCP Server

Install and start the AppleScript MCP server using npx:

npx -y @peakmojo/applescript-mcp

If the installation runs successfully, you should see logs similar to:

2025-07-24T06:23:39.024Z - applescript-mcp - INFO - Starting AppleScript MCP server
2025-07-24T06:23:39.026Z - applescript-mcp - INFO - Using remote host: localhost
2025-07-24T06:23:39.027Z - applescript-mcp - INFO - Remote user: not set
2025-07-24T06:23:39.027Z - applescript-mcp - INFO - Remote password is not set
2025-07-24T06:23:39.028Z - applescript-mcp - INFO - MCP server started and ready to receive requests

If you see the MCP server started and ready to receive requests log, your setup is successful!

3. Connect Perplexity to Your MCP Server

Open the Perplexity app and follow these steps:

Go to Settings > Connectors
Click Add Connector
Download and install Helper App (if prompted). This enables local communication with your MCP servers.

4. Example Connector Configuration

When adding a new connector, use the following configuration for the Local MCP AppleScript connector:

Server Name: AppleScript

JSON:

{
  "args" : [
    "-y",
    "@peakmojo/applescript-mcp"
  ],
  "command" : "npx",
  "env" : {

  }
}

Note: In the connector setup, select the Advanced option (not Simple), then paste the following in JSON format.

Wrapping Up

Now, Perplexity is set up to control your Mac efficiently through the MCP server and AppleScript automation. This setup gives Perplexity the ability to automate Finder, Spotlight, Notes, Calendar, Contacts, Messages, and other apps, securely and privately, running on your own machine. Happy automating!

References

[1] Perplexity Help Center, "Local and Remote MCPs for Perplexity," https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/11502712-local-and-remote-mcps-for-perplexity, accessed July 24, 2025.
[2] peakmojo, “applescript-mcp,” GitHub repository, https://github.com/peakmojo/applescript-mcp, accessed July 24, 2025.

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