perplexity-architecture-variants

name	perplexity-architecture-variants
description	Choose and implement Perplexity architecture blueprints for different scales: direct search widget, cached research layer, and multi-query pipeline. Trigger with phrases like "perplexity architecture", "perplexity blueprint", "how to structure perplexity", "perplexity project layout".
allowed-tools	Read, Grep
version	1.12.0
license	MIT
author	Jeremy Longshore <[e-mail]>
tags	["saas","perplexity","migration","scaling","microservices"]
compatibility	Designed for Claude Code

Perplexity Architecture Variants

Overview

Three validated architectures for Perplexity Sonar API at different scales. Each builds on the previous, adding caching and orchestration as volume grows.

Decision Matrix

Factor	Direct Widget	Cached Layer	Research Pipeline
Volume	<500/day	500-5K/day	5K+/day
Latency (p50)	2-5s	50ms (cached) / 2-5s (miss)	10-30s
Model	sonar	sonar + cache	sonar + sonar-pro
Monthly Cost	<$150	$50-$300	$300+
Complexity	Minimal	Moderate	High

Instructions

Variant 1: Direct Search Widget (<500 queries/day)

Best for: Adding AI search to an existing app. No cache needed at this scale.

// Simple endpoint — add to any Express/Next.js app
import OpenAI from "openai";

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

app.post("/api/search", async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const response = await perplexity.chat.completions.create({
      model: "sonar",
      messages: [{ role: , : req.. }],
      : ,
    });

    res.({
      : response.[]..,
      : (response  ). || [],
    });
  }  (: ) {
     (err. === ) {
      res.().({ :  });
    }  {
      res.().({ :  });
    }
  }
});