Perplexity Tool Selection
Fundamental Distinction
Search API (perplexity-search) = Raw results, NO LLM processing Sonar Models (ask/reason/research/sec) = LLM-synthesized answers with citations
Tool Overview
| Tool | Model | Output | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| search | Search API | Raw JSON: {title, URL, snippet, date} | See actual sources, no interpretation |
| ask | sonar-pro (200K ctx, F=0.858) | Synthesized answer + citations | Best factuality for single facts |
| reason | sonar-reasoning-pro (DeepSeek-R1) | Step-by-step analysis + citations | Chain-of-thought for "why" |
| research | sonar-deep-research | Structured report + citations | 10-20+ sources synthesized |
| sec | Python + search_mode='sec' | Synthesized answer from filings | SEC EDGAR only |
Decision Tree
code
├─ Need raw URLs/sources to process yourself? │ └─ search (ONLY tool with no LLM - see actual articles) │ ├─ Need official SEC filing content? │ └─ sec (ONLY tool limited to EDGAR: 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, S-1) │ ├─ Simple fact? "What is...", "When is...", "How much..." │ Examples: consensus EPS, stock price, earnings date, revenue guidance │ └─ ask (fastest synthesized, best factuality) │ ├─ Reasoning? "Why did...", "Compare...", "What caused..." │ Examples: why stock fell despite beat, AAPL vs MSFT, margin compression cause │ └─ reason (chain-of-thought, explains logic) │ └─ Comprehensive analysis? "Full report on...", "Everything about..." Examples: earnings attribution, company deep dive, sector analysis └─ research (slowest but most thorough)
Cross-References
| Instead of... | Use... | When... |
|---|---|---|
| research | ask | Single fact (overkill otherwise) |
| research | reason | Single "why" question (faster) |
| ask | reason | Question starts with "why" |
| ask/reason | search | Want to see/filter sources yourself |
| search/ask | sec | Need official regulatory language |
| any | sec | Looking for 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, S-1 content |
Speed/Cost
| Tool | Speed | Cost | Use When |
|---|---|---|---|
| search | Fastest | Lowest | Building source lists |
| ask | Fast | Low | Quick facts with citation |
| sec | Fast | Low | Official filings |
| reason | Medium | Medium | Causal analysis |
| research | 30+ sec | Highest | Thoroughness > speed |
Workflows
Earnings Analysis: sec (8-K/10-Q actuals) → ask (consensus estimates) → reason (why stock moved)
Stock Move Investigation: search (news from that day) → reason (causal factors) → research (full attribution if needed)
Company Research: ask (market cap, sector, price) → sec (risk factors, MD&A) → research (comprehensive)
Finding Analyst Commentary: search (get article list) → ask (specific question about coverage)