Introduction
# Perplexity Deep Search
AI-powered web search with three modes for different depth levels.
## Quick Start
```bash # 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
```bash # 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: ```bash 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.