PerplexityapiUltra Effort Level and Cheaper Agent API Effort Levels
Every preset effort level in Perplexity's Agent API now costs less per query, and a new ultra level runs several research agents at once, for developers.
Details
- Effort levels are preset bundles of model, step budget, search settings, and tools; requests that name a level, like effort="fast", pick up the new setup automatically, while pinned versions stay fixed
- The medium level now scores 77% on Perplexity's research benchmarks, up from 55%, at almost 90% lower cost
- The xhigh level keeps its long-research score at about 25% of its August 2026 cost
- The new ultra level runs three research agents in parallel plus a fourth that merges their findings, at about $21.71 per task
- Each search now returns up to 4K tokens of results, up from 2K
Best for
Deep web research run through the API where cost per query matters.
When to use it
You call the Agent API by effort level and want the same quality for less, or need the most thorough research it offers.
Who benefits
Developers building research and data products on Perplexity's API.
Join the newsletter to get ahead with AI.
I share strategies, new modules, free guides, and tools to get you better at using AI in your work.
Leading a team? See team programs →