Perplexity API Terminal Client

A command-line tool for searching and exporting information using the Perplexity AI API.

Version: 1.0.0
Last Updated: 2025-03-04
Maintained by: Jiawei (Jack) Tan

Features

• Search for information using Perplexity AI directly from your terminal
• Support for all Perplexity AI models (sonar, sonar-pro, etc.)
• Export search results to various formats (Markdown, Text, PDF)
• Debug mode for troubleshooting
• Raw response viewing for development
• Secure API key management and verification

Installation

1. Download the script:

   curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/username/repo/main/pplx_search.sh

2. Make it executable:

   chmod +x pplx_search.sh

3. (Optional) Move to your PATH for system-wide access:

   sudo mv pplx_search.sh /usr/local/bin/pplx

Dependencies

• curl - Required for API communication
• jq - Recommended for better JSON parsing and formatted output
• For PDF export (one of the following):
  • pandoc (recommended)
  • wkhtmltopdf
  • enscript + ps2pdf

Configuration

Run the configuration command to set up your API key:

pplx configure

Your API key will be stored in ~/.pplx_search.conf with secure permissions (600).

Usage

Basic commands

# Search for information
pplx search "your search query"

# Search using a specific model
pplx search -m sonar-pro "your search query"

# View available models
pplx models

# Verify API key
pplx verify

# Get help
pplx help

Exporting Results

# Export to Markdown (default)
pplx export "your search query"

# Export as text file
pplx export -f txt "your search query"

# Export as PDF
pplx export -f pdf "your search query"

# Specify output filename
pplx export -o filename.md "your search query"

# Combine options
pplx export -f pdf -o research.pdf -m sonar-pro "detailed search query"

Advanced Usage

# Debug mode (verbose output)
pplx debug "your search query"

# View raw API response
pplx raw "your search query"

Export Formats

• Markdown (.md) - Default format with structured sections
• Text (.txt) - Plain text format with simple formatting
• PDF (.pdf) - PDF document (requires additional tools)

Supported Models

Run pplx models for the complete and up-to-date list. Current models include:

• sonar (default)
• sonar-pro
• sonar-deep-research
• sonar-reasoning
• sonar-reasoning-pro
• r1-1776

Troubleshooting

PDF Export Issues

Install one of the supported PDF conversion tools:

# Install pandoc (recommended)
sudo apt install pandoc  # Debian/Ubuntu
brew install pandoc      # macOS

# Or wkhtmltopdf
sudo apt install wkhtmltopdf  # Debian/Ubuntu
brew install wkhtmltopdf      # macOS

API Authentication Errors

If you receive "401 Authorization Required" errors:

1. Verify your API key with pplx verify
2. Ensure your subscription is active
3. Run pplx configure to update your key

Improved Output Formatting

Install jq for better formatting and to see sources:

sudo apt install jq  # Debian/Ubuntu
brew install jq      # macOS

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Perplexity AI for providing the API
• Contributors and testers who helped improve this tool

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Documentation generated on 2025-03-04 15:25:42 UTC