Shadcn MCP for Perplexity Desktop

One MCP URL gives Perplexity Desktop live tools to search, preview, and install every block, component, and icon on shadcn.io — no hallucinated props, no broken installs.

Install

In Perplexity Desktop, go to Perplexity → Settings → Connectors → Add Connector → Advanced. Enter shadcnio as the Server Name, then paste this configuration:

Click Save once signed in with an active shadcn.io Pro subscription — the config carries your personal token through the mcp-remote bridge, so treat the URL like an API key. Pro starts at $19/mo and includes MCP access across every editor plus 6,000+ production-ready blocks. Not Pro yet? See what you unlock →

Perplexity's Advanced connector form takes a flat config — just command, args, and optional env. No mcpServers wrapper because Perplexity handles the server-name keying itself via the form field above the JSON.

Share with your team

Perplexity stores connector configs per-install, so there's no committed-repo pattern. For teams, share the setup steps above and let each member paste in their own token from /dashboard/account on their copy of the Desktop app.

A Team or Organization plan gives every workspace member their own Pro entitlement.

Install your first block

use shadcnio to install hero-announcement into my project

What Perplexity actually does, in order:

1. search_items({ query: "hero-announcement" }) to confirm the slug resolves.
2. get_item({ name: "hero-announcement" }) for a cheap metadata peek.
3. get_install_command({ name: "hero-announcement" }) — returns a shadcn add https://www.shadcn.io/r/hero-announcement.json?token=… URL with your token already in the query string.
4. Hands you the command to run in your terminal (Perplexity Desktop doesn't execute shell commands itself).

Name the server explicitly ("use shadcnio…") when multiple connectors are active.

The example above uses hero-announcement, a Pro block — the install runs once you're signed in with an active subscription.

Manage the connection

Return to Settings → Connectors to see every connector you've configured. Each row has a toggle to disable without removing, an edit button, and a delete button. Write actions still require per-call confirmation in chat — Perplexity surfaces a review dialog before the tool runs.

If your shadcn.io Pro subscription lapses, mcp-remote surfaces the 403 response in the connector's log panel. Resubscribing restores access immediately — the token stays valid across subscription gaps.

FAQ