Ask Perplexity

Ask Perplexity a question and get back three things the answer alone cannot tell you apart: the answer itself, the queries Perplexity's own search issued for it, and every page that search returned — not only the ones the answer cited. That split is the point. `sources` is the candidate pool, in the order the thread's Links view lists it, each with its publisher, title and snippet. `citations` is what the answer actually cited inline, each with the real destination URL, the chip as shown (a "+N" groups further sources that are not exposed individually) and whether Perplexity marks the domain as trusted. So `sources` minus `citations` is what Perplexity retrieved and then passed over, while a URL in neither was never retrieved at all — which is what you need to see how a topic, brand or product gets described and who gets credited. Headings, bullet lists and comparison tables come back as readable text, and `threadUrl` links the thread so any answer can be audited afterwards. Treat one run as a single draw rather than a measurement: the same question can search differently, answer differently and cite different pages next time, so ask more than once before concluding anything. Perplexity's own free-tier ask rate limit can gate a request instead of answering it, answering "Sign up and repeat your request." instead. This can happen whether or not the browser is signed in — a live test confirmed the gate firing on a genuinely signed-in free-tier account, so signing in is not a guaranteed fix, only a paid plan is known to avoid it. The script names that state rather than returning an empty answer.