Perplexity Search

Search the web using Perplexity's Search API for ranked, real-time results.

Quick Start

Basic search:

python3 {baseDir}/scripts/search.py "your search query"

With options:


# Get 10 results
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/search.py "AI trends 2024" --count 10

# Filter by recency
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/search.py "recent AI news" --recency week

# Get raw JSON output
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/search.py "market research" --json

API Key Setup

The script requires a PERPLEXITY_API_KEY environment variable.

Option 1: Set in OpenClaw config (recommended)

Add to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  "skills": {
    "perplexity-search": {
      "env": {
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Option 2: Environment variable

export PERPLEXITY_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"

Get your API key from: https://perplexity.ai/account/api

Parameters

query - Search query string (required)
--count N - Number of results (1-10, default: 5)
--recency FILTER - Recency filter: day, week, month, or year
--json - Output raw JSON instead of formatted results

Response Format

The API returns:

{
  "results": [
    {
      "title": "Article title",
      "url": "https://example.com/article",
      "snippet": "Brief excerpt from the page...",
      "date": "2024-01-15",
      "last_updated": "2024-02-01"
    }
  ],
  "id": "search-request-id"
}

Use Cases

Market Research:

python3 {baseDir}/scripts/search.py "golf coaching Instagram trends" --count 10

Recent News:

python3 {baseDir}/scripts/search.py "AI regulation updates" --recency week

Competitive Analysis:

python3 {baseDir}/scripts/search.py "AI golf training apps" --count 10

Pricing

Perplexity Search API: $5 per 1,000 requests

Track your usage at: https://perplexity.ai/account/api

Security

API key loaded from environment only - never hardcoded
Output sanitization prevents terminal injection
Error messages don't expose sensitive information
30-second timeout prevents hanging requests
Input validation on all parameters

Notes

Results are ranked by relevance
Includes real-time web data
Supports filtering by recency
Returns structured JSON or formatted text
Rate limits apply based on your Perplexity plan

Perplexity Search Skill