perplexity Skill
A CLI for searching the web and running deep research queries using Perplexity AI.
Requires: PERPLEXITY_API_KEY environment variable.
Quick Reference
| Goal | Command |
|---|---|
| Basic search | npx perplexity_cli search -q "query" |
| Multi-query batch search | npx perplexity_cli search -q "query1" -q "query2" |
| Search with country filter | npx perplexity_cli search -q "query" --country US |
| Search with domain allowlist | npx perplexity_cli search -q "query" --domain wikipedia.org |
| Search with domain blocklist | npx perplexity_cli search -q "query" --domain -example.com |
| Search with language filter | npx perplexity_cli search -q "query" --language en |
| Deep research (markdown output) | npx perplexity_cli deep-search -q "query" -m |
| Deep research with preset | npx perplexity_cli deep-search -q "query" -p advanced-deep-research |
| Install skill | npx perplexity_cli install --skill |
Setup
cd packages/perplexity_cli
npm install
npm run build
# Set API key
export PERPLEXITY_API_KEY=pplx-your-key-here
Commands
search
Searches the web and returns a list of results (title, URL, snippet).
# Single query
npx perplexity_cli search -q "TypeScript generics"
# Multiple queries in one request (up to 5)
npx perplexity_cli search -q "TypeScript generics" -q "TypeScript decorators"
# Regional results
npx perplexity_cli search -q "weather forecast" --country FR
# Domain filter (allow only specific domain)
npx perplexity_cli search -q "machine learning" --domain arxiv.org
# Domain filter (block a domain, prefix with -)
npx perplexity_cli search -q "machine learning" --domain -example.com
# Language filter
npx perplexity_cli search -q "intelligence artificielle" --language fr
# Limit results
npx perplexity_cli search -q "rust programming" --max-results 5
Options:
| Flag | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
-q, --query <query> |
Search query — repeatable up to 5 times | required |
--domain <domain> |
Domain filter — repeatable, prefix - to block |
— |
--country <code> |
ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code (e.g. US, FR, JP) |
— |
--language <code> |
ISO 639-1 language code — repeatable up to 10 | — |
--max-results <n> |
Number of results (1–20) | 10 |
deep-search
Runs a comprehensive research query using Perplexity AI presets. Returns a full text answer.
# Deep research (default preset), plain text output
npx perplexity_cli deep-search -q "explain transformer neural networks"
# Deep research with markdown output
npx perplexity_cli deep-search -q "explain transformer neural networks" -m
# Fast search preset
npx perplexity_cli deep-search -q "capital of France" -p fast-search
# Advanced deep research
npx perplexity_cli deep-search -q "impact of quantum computing on cryptography" -p advanced-deep-research -m
Options:
| Flag | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
-q, --query <query> |
Search query | required |
-m, --markdown |
Output as raw markdown (default: plain text) | false |
-p, --preset <preset> |
Research preset (see below) | deep-research |
Presets:
| Preset | Model | Use case |
|---|---|---|
fast-search |
sonar | Quick factual lookups |
pro-search |
sonar-pro | Reliably researched standard queries |
deep-research |
sonar-deep-research | In-depth analysis requiring extensive research |
advanced-deep-research |
sonar-reasoning-pro | Maximum depth research with extensive sources |
install
Copies the perplexity skill folder into the current working directory.
npx perplexity_cli install --skill
Output
search: Writes results to stdout (title, URL, snippet per result).deep-search: Writes the full answer to stdout.- Errors are written to stderr and the process exits with code 1.