perplexity-deep-search

name	perplexity-deep-search
description	Deep search via Perplexity API. Three modes: search (quick facts), reason (complex analysis), research (in-depth reports). Returns AI-grounded answers with citations.
homepage	https://docs.perplexity.ai
metadata	{"clawdbot":{"emoji":"🔮","requires":{"bins":["curl","jq"]},"primaryEnv":"PERPLEXITY_API_KEY"}}

Perplexity Deep Search

AI-powered web search with three modes for different depth levels.

Quick Start

# Quick search (sonar) - facts, summaries, current events
{baseDir}/scripts/search.sh "latest AI news"

# Reasoning (sonar-reasoning-pro) - complex analysis, multi-step
{baseDir}/scripts/search.sh --mode reason "compare React vs Vue for enterprise apps"

# Deep Research (sonar-deep-research) - full reports, exhaustive analysis
{baseDir}/scripts/search.sh --mode research "market analysis of AI in healthcare 2025"

Modes

Mode	Model	Best For	Cost
search (default)	sonar-pro	Quick facts, summaries, current events	Low
reason	sonar-reasoning-pro	Complex analysis, comparisons, problem-solving	Medium
research	sonar-deep-research	In-depth reports, market analysis, literature reviews	High

Options

Flag	Description	Default
--mode	search, reason, research	search
--recency	hour, day, week, month	—
--domains	Comma-separated domain filter	—
--lang	Language code (pt, en, es, etc.)	—
--json	Raw JSON output	off

Examples

# Search with recency filter
{baseDir}/scripts/search.sh --recency week "OpenAI latest announcements"

# Search restricted to specific domains
{baseDir}/scripts/search.sh --domains "arxiv.org,nature.com" "transformer architecture advances"

# Search in Portuguese
{baseDir}/scripts/search.sh --lang pt "inteligência artificial no Brasil"

# Deep research with JSON output
{baseDir}/scripts/search.sh --mode research --json "enterprise AI adoption trends"

API Key

Set PERPLEXITY_API_KEY env var, or store it in a file:

mkdir -p ~/.config/perplexity
echo "your_key_here" > ~/.config/perplexity/api_key
chmod 600 ~/.config/perplexity/api_key

The script checks the env var first, then falls back to the file.

Pricing Reference

• Search (sonar-pro): ~$0.01/query
• Reasoning (sonar-reasoning-pro): ~$0.02/query
• Deep Research (sonar-deep-research): ~$0.40/query (uses many searches + reasoning)

Use search for everyday queries. Reserve research for when you truly need exhaustive analysis.

Error Handling

Error	Cause	Solution
401 Unauthorized	Invalid or missing API key	Check PERPLEXITY_API_KEY env var is set
429 Rate Limited	Too many requests	Wait and retry; use search mode instead of research
500 Server Error	Perplexity outage	Retry after 30s; fall back to web search
Empty results	Query too specific	Broaden search terms
Timeout	research mode is slow (~3-5 min)	Expected for deep research; use search for quick queries