Used for: AI-powered search and research — Perplexity Sonar models with real-time web citations
Cost: Pay-per-use, no free tier. Minimum $5 credit deposit to activate. Approximately $0.005–$0.014 per query depending on model.

Why You Need a Perplexity Key

PF Create uses Perplexity to power its research tools — the ai(platform=‘perplexity’) tool, SEO trend research, competitor analysis, content briefs, and demand signals. Without a Perplexity key, these features fall back to Gemini or are unavailable.

Step 1 — Create a Perplexity Account

1. Go to perplexity.ai and sign up or log in.

Step 2 — Set Up Billing

1. Click your profile icon (bottom-left) → Settings.
2. Go to the API tab.
3. Add a payment method and deposit at least $5 USD.

Note: API access is billed separately from a Perplexity Pro subscription. A Pro subscription does not include API credits.

Step 3 — Generate Your API Key

1. In Settings → API, scroll to the API Keys section.
2. Click Generate (or + New Key).
3. Give your key a name (e.g. “PF Create”).
4. Click Create. Copy the key immediately — it starts with pplx- and is only shown once.
5. Store it securely in a password manager.

Direct link: perplexity.ai/settings/api

Step 4 — Add the Key to PF Create

1. Go to your PF Create Services page.
2. Paste your pplx-… key into the Perplexity field.
3. Click Save.

Available Models

Troubleshooting

Key not working — Check that billing is set up and your account has a positive credit balance at perplexity.ai/settings/api.

sonar-deep-research not available — Confirm your account has sufficient credits; deep research jobs cost more per call.

Unexpected costs — Check your PF Create SEO usage stats: seo(action=‘usage_stats’) to see a full breakdown of Perplexity spend.

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