Web search and research using Perplexity AI. Use when user says "search", "find", "look up", "ask", "research", or "what's the latest" for generic queries. NOT for library/framework docs (use Context7) or workspace questions.
A comprehensive guide for using Perplexity AI tools effectively within Claude Code. This skill helps you choose the right search and research tool for your needs while avoiding context bloat and unnecessary API calls.
This skill provides clear guidelines for when and how to use Perplexity's search and conversational AI capabilities, ensuring you select the most appropriate tool for each task while respecting token budgets and avoiding overlaps with other specialized tools.
Use Perplexity tools ONLY when users explicitly request:
Do NOT use Perplexity for:
gt CLI commands → Use Graphite MCP instead/research) insteadBest for: Finding resources, URLs, and current best practices
When to use:
Default usage (always start with these limits):
mcp__perplexity__perplexity_search({
query: "your search query",
max_results: 3, // Default is 10 - too many!
max_tokens_per_page: 512 // Reduce per-result content
})
When to increase limits: Only increase limits if:
// Increased limits (use sparingly)
mcp__perplexity__perplexity_search({
query: "complex topic",
max_results: 5,
max_tokens_per_page: 1024
})
Best for: Getting conversational explanations synthesized from web sources
When to use:
Usage:
mcp__perplexity__perplexity_ask({
messages: [
{
role: "user",
content: "Explain how postgres advisory locks work"
}
]
})
NOT for:
NEVER use: mcp__perplexity__perplexity_research
Why: Extremely high token cost (30-50k tokens)
Use instead: Researcher agent (/research <topic>)
When a user asks a question, follow this priority order:
gt CLI mentionUse Perplexity Search:
User: "Find postgres migration best practices"
User: "Search for React testing tutorials"
User: "Look up latest trends in microservices"
Use Perplexity Ask:
User: "Explain how postgres advisory locks work"
User: "What are the trade-offs of microservices?"
Use Context7 instead:
❌ "Search for React hooks documentation"
❌ "Find Next.js routing docs"
❌ "Look up Temporal workflow API"
Use Graphite MCP instead:
❌ "Search for gt stack commands"
❌ "Find gt branch workflow"
Use Nx MCP instead:
❌ "Search for build config" (in THIS workspace)
❌ "Find project dependencies" (in THIS workspace)
max_results: 3 and max_tokens_per_page: 512perplexity_research - use researcher agent insteadperplexity_research directly (use researcher agent)gt CLI operations| User Request | Tool to Use | |--------------|-------------| | React hooks docs | Context7 MCP | | gt stack command | Graphite MCP | | Build config here | Nx MCP | | Find migration guide | Perplexity Search | | Explain advisory locks | Perplexity Ask | | Deep research report | Researcher agent | | Generic web search | WebSearch (last resort) |
The Perplexity skill ensures you use Perplexity AI tools effectively and appropriately:
By following these guidelines, you'll provide better, faster, and more cost-effective responses to users.
Category:web-search