modbender Perplexity AI Search (Safe Edition)
Overview
This skill provides access to the Perplexity API for web-grounded AI search. It combines large language models with real-time web search, providing accurate, up-to-date answers with source citations.
This is a security-hardened version that fixes command injection vulnerabilities found in the original perplexity-bash skill.
When to Use Perplexity vs. Built-in Search
Use Perplexity when:
- You need current information (news, prices, events, recent developments)
- The user asks for source citations or references
- The user specifically mentions Perplexity or wants research-style answers
Use built-in web search when:
- Simple factual queries
- Quick information lookup
- Basic URL or content retrieval
Model Selection Guide
| Model | Use Case | Cost |
|---|---|---|
sonar |
Default search, most queries | Low |
sonar-pro |
Advanced search, deeper understanding | Medium |
sonar-reasoning |
Complex multi-step reasoning | Medium |
sonar-reasoning-pro |
Advanced reasoning with deep content | High |
Quick Start
Basic Search
# Simple query (uses sonar by default)
scripts/perplexity_search.sh "What is the capital of Germany?"
# With a different model
scripts/perplexity_search.sh -m sonar-pro "Latest AI developments"
# Markdown format with citations
scripts/perplexity_search.sh -f markdown "Tesla stock analysis"
Advanced Usage
# High context for comprehensive results
scripts/perplexity_search.sh -m sonar-reasoning -c high -f markdown \
"Compare AI models performance benchmarks"
# With custom system prompt
scripts/perplexity_search.sh -s "You are a technology analyst." \
"Analyze current tech trends"
Options
| Flag | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
-m, --model |
Model to use | sonar |
-t, --max-tokens |
Maximum tokens (1-4096) | 4096 |
--temperature |
Sampling temperature (0.0-1.0) | 0.0 |
-c, --context |
Search context: low/medium/high | medium |
-s, --system |
System prompt | (none) |
-f, --format |
Output: text/markdown/json | text |
--list-models |
List available models |
Search Context Size
- low - Faster, fewer sources. Good for simple queries.
- medium (default) - Balanced for most use cases.
- high - Most comprehensive. Best for research.
Setup Requirements
API Key Configuration
Option 1: Config file (recommended)
Create config.json in the skill directory:
{
"apiKey": "pplx-your-key-here"
}
Option 2: Environment variable
export PERPLEXITY_API_KEY="your-key-here"
Priority: Config file > environment variable.
Dependencies
bash(4.0+)curlpython3(for JSON construction only - no user input is eval'd)
Security Notes
This version addresses the following vulnerabilities found in the original:
- No command injection - User input is passed to Python via environment variables, never interpolated into code strings
- Input validation - All parameters are validated (numeric ranges, allowed model names, allowed context values)
- API key protection - The Authorization header is passed to curl via a temporary config file (
curl -K, mode 600) and the request body via stdin (--data @-), so neither the API key nor the body appear in process listings (ps aux) - Query length limit - Queries are capped at 8000 characters to prevent denial-of-wallet attacks
- Strict model allowlist - Only known valid models are accepted
Cost Awareness
Perplexity API is not free. Be mindful of usage:
- Simple queries: ~$0.005-$0.015 per query
- Deep research: ~$0.015-$0.03+ per query
- Default to
sonarfor most queries to keep costs low.
Troubleshooting
- Error: No API key found - Set up API key as described above
- Error: curl not found - Install curl for your system
- Error: Invalid model - Use
--list-modelsto see available models