Perplexity
Perplexity provides search-augmented AI models that ground their answers in real-time web search results. Every response includes citations to source URLs, making Perplexity ideal for research, fact-checking, and questions about current events. The API uses an OpenAI-compatible format.
Getting an API Key
- Visit perplexity.ai/settings/api
- Sign in to your Perplexity account
- Generate a new API key (starts with
pplx-...) - Paste the key into AISCouncil under Settings > AI Model > Perplexity
Perplexity does not offer a free API tier. All usage requires a paid API subscription. Note that a Perplexity Pro consumer subscription does not include API access -- you need separate API credits.
API keys are stored locally in your browser (localStorage) and are never included in shared bot URLs.
Supported Models
| Model | Context | Max Output | Input Price | Output Price | Capabilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonar Pro | 200K | 8K | $3.00/MTok | $15.00/MTok | Search, streaming |
| Sonar | 200K | 8K | $1.00/MTok | $5.00/MTok | Search, streaming |
| Sonar Reasoning Pro | 128K | 8K | $2.00/MTok | $8.00/MTok | Search, reasoning, streaming |
| Sonar Deep Research | 128K | 8K | $2.00/MTok | $8.00/MTok | Deep research, reasoning, streaming |
| R1 1776 | 128K | 33K | $2.00/MTok | $8.00/MTok | Reasoning, streaming |
Prices are per million tokens (MTok). See Perplexity API pricing for the latest rates.
- Sonar Pro gives the highest quality search-augmented answers with comprehensive citations.
- Sonar is the balanced option -- good search results at a lower price point.
- Sonar Deep Research performs multi-step research for complex questions that require synthesizing many sources.
- R1 1776 is an uncensored DeepSeek R1 variant hosted by Perplexity -- no web search, pure reasoning.
Search-Augmented Responses
What makes Perplexity unique is that models automatically search the web before answering. Responses include inline citations linking to the sources used. This means:
- Answers reflect up-to-date information, not just training data
- You can verify claims by following the cited sources
- Questions about recent events, news, or data get accurate answers
Configuration
Select Perplexity as the provider when creating a bot profile. The app connects to api.perplexity.ai using the OpenAI-compatible format with Bearer authentication.
Tips for Best Results
- Use Perplexity for questions that need current information. It is the best choice when you need answers grounded in live web data rather than training knowledge.
- Try Sonar Deep Research for complex topics. It performs multi-step searches and synthesizes findings, similar to a research assistant.
- Combine with other providers in a council. Pair Perplexity (for facts) with a reasoning model like Claude or GPT (for analysis) for well-grounded, deeply analyzed answers.