How to Query Live Salesforce Pardot Data in Perplexity MacOS Desktop

Perplexity is an AI-powered research and answer engine that allows users to combine web search, structured data, and connected tools through a unified conversational interface. With Perplexity Desktop for macOS, users can bring local tools and data sources directly into their workflow using MCP, enabling fast, context-aware insights powered by live data.

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an emerging, open-source standard for connecting LLMs with external services and enterprise data sources. Using MCP Servers, AI clients such as Perplexity Desktop can securely interact with applications and data, performing actions, retrieving live information, and enabling natural language access to data.

CData Code Assist MCP provides schema-aware context to AI tools — whether you're using it for AI-assisted code generation in IDEs like Cursor, or for querying live data through chat interfaces like Perplexity Desktop.

In this article, we guide you through installing CData Code Assist MCP for Salesforce Pardot, configuring the connection to Salesforce Pardot, and interacting with your live Salesforce Pardot data from Perplexity Desktop.

Step 1: Download and install CData Code Assist MCP for Salesforce Pardot

1. To begin, download CData Code Assist MCP for Salesforce Pardot 👁 Downloading the CData Code Assist MCP installer
   
2. Find and double-click the installer to begin the installation
3. Drag the Code Assist MCP app into the Applications folder 👁 Completing the Code Assist MCP installation
   

When the installation is complete, you are ready to configure Code Assist MCP by connecting to Salesforce Pardot.

NOTE: Since you downloaded the application from the internet and not the Apple App Store, you may see a warning that the application was not opened because Apple could not verify its security. You may continue with the installation.

Installing a trusted, unverified App

CData's solutions are trusted across the globe by some of the largest software vendors in the world. That said, if you have any concerns about continuing, please consult with your IT and/or security team.

1. In the warning message that pops up, click "Done"
2. Open "System Settings" on your machine and navigate to the "Privacy & Security" page
👁 Dismissing the notification

3. Scroll down to the "Security" section and click "Open Anyway" 👁 Installing a trusted, unverified App
   
4. Authorize the installation (passkey or password) 👁 Authorizing the installation
   

Step 2: Configure the Connection to Salesforce Pardot

1. After installation, you can open CData Code Assist MCP for Salesforce Pardot from the Applications folder on your mac 👁 The Code Assist MCP configuration wizard
   
2. Click the dropdown menu in MCP Configuration > Configuration Name and select "new configuration" 👁 Creating a new configuration
   
3. Name the configuration (e.g. "cdata_salesforcepardot") and click "OK" 👁 Naming the configuration
   

4. Enter the appropriate connection properties in the configuration wizard.

   Salesforce Pardot supports connecting through API Version, Username, Password and User Key.

   • ApiVersion: The Salesforce Pardot API version which the provided account can access. Defaults to 4.
   • User: The Username of the Salesforce Pardot account.
   • Password: The Password of the Salesforce Pardot account.
   • UserKey: The unique User Key for the Salesforce Pardot account. This key does not expire.
   • IsDemoAccount (optional): Set to TRUE to connect to a demo account.

   Accessing the Pardot User Key

   The User Key of the current account may be accessed by going to Settings -> My Profile, under the API User Key row.

   👁 Configuring the Server connection.
   
5. Click "Connect" to authenticate with Salesforce Pardot.
6. Click "Save Configuration" to save the configuration 👁 Saving the Code Assist MCP configuration
   

With Code Assist MCP configured, you are ready to connect it to Perplexity Desktop.

Step 3: Connect Code Assist MCP to Perplexity Desktop

1. Download the Perplexity Desktop application for macOS and sign in with your Pro or Premium account
2. Open Settings > Connectors. If the Perplexity Helper App is not installed, you will be prompted to download it. Install the Helper App, then restart Perplexity Desktop 👁 Downloading Perplexity Helper App
   
3. After restarting, return to Settings > Connectors and click Add Connector
4. Select the Simple tab and assign a name for the connector (e.g., "CData Salesforce Pardot"). In the Command box, enter the absolute path to the Code Assist MCP executable.

   For example:

   	/Applications/CData Code Assist MCP for Salesforce Pardot.app/Contents/Payload/jre/Contents/Home/bin/java \
   	-jar /Applications/CData Code Assist MCP for Salesforce Pardot.app/Contents/Payload/lib/cdata.mcp.salesforcepardot.jar \
   	cdata_salesforcepardot
   

   👁 Providing the MCP server command
   
5. Click Save. Code Assist MCP should now appear in the connector list with a "Running" status 👁 Connector successfully running
   

Step 4: Query Your Live Salesforce Pardot data in Perplexity Desktop

1. Open a new chat in Perplexity Desktop. Click the Sources toggle and enable Code Assist MCP 👁 Selecting Code Assist MCP as a source
   
2. Start asking questions about your Salesforce Pardot data. For example:

   "List all the tables available in my Salesforce Pardot data connection."

   👁 Querying live data through MCP
   

Build with Code Assist MCP. Deploy with CData Drivers.

Download Code Assist MCP for free and give your AI tools schema-aware access to live Salesforce Pardot data during development. When you're ready to move to production, CData Salesforce Pardot Drivers deliver the same SQL-based access with enterprise-grade performance, security, and reliability.

Visit the CData Community to share insights, ask questions, and explore what's possible with MCP-powered AI workflows.