Perplexity AI Search
Web search with AI-powered answers, deep research, and chain-of-thought reasoning.
When to Use
-
Direct web search for ranked results (no AI synthesis)
-
AI-synthesized research with citations
-
Chain-of-thought reasoning for complex decisions
-
Deep comprehensive research on topics
Models (2025)
Model Purpose
sonar
Lightweight search with grounding
sonar-pro
Advanced search for complex queries
sonar-reasoning-pro
Chain of thought reasoning
sonar-deep-research
Expert-level exhaustive research
Usage
Quick question (AI answer)
uv run python scripts/mcp/perplexity_search.py
--ask "What is the latest version of Python?"
Direct web search (ranked results, no AI)
uv run python scripts/mcp/perplexity_search.py
--search "SQLite graph database patterns"
--max-results 5
--recency week
AI-synthesized research
uv run python scripts/mcp/perplexity_search.py
--research "compare FastAPI vs Django for microservices"
Chain-of-thought reasoning
uv run python scripts/mcp/perplexity_search.py
--reason "should I use Neo4j or SQLite for small graph under 10k nodes?"
Deep comprehensive research
uv run python scripts/mcp/perplexity_search.py
--deep "state of AI agent observability 2025"
Parameters
Parameter Description
--ask
Quick question with AI answer (sonar)
--search
Direct web search - ranked results without AI synthesis
--research
AI-synthesized research (sonar-pro)
--reason
Chain-of-thought reasoning (sonar-reasoning-pro)
--deep
Deep comprehensive research (sonar-deep-research)
Search-specific options
Parameter Description
--max-results N
Number of results (1-20, default: 10)
--recency
Filter: day , week , month , year
--domains
Limit to specific domains
Mode Selection Guide
Need Use Why
Quick fact --ask
Fast, lightweight
Find sources --search
Raw results, no AI overhead
Synthesized answer --research
AI combines multiple sources
Complex decision --reason
Chain-of-thought analysis
Comprehensive report --deep
Exhaustive multi-source research
Examples
Find recent sources on a topic
uv run python scripts/mcp/perplexity_search.py
--search "OpenTelemetry AI agent tracing"
--recency month --max-results 5
Get AI synthesis
uv run python scripts/mcp/perplexity_search.py
--research "best practices for AI agent logging 2025"
Make a decision
uv run python scripts/mcp/perplexity_search.py
--reason "microservices vs monolith for startup MVP"
Deep dive
uv run python scripts/mcp/perplexity_search.py
--deep "comprehensive guide to building feedback loops for autonomous agents"
API Key Required
Requires PERPLEXITY_API_KEY in environment or ~/.claude/.env .