What we can build with Perplexity
ShooflyAI uses Perplexity's search-grounded models for agents that need answers backed by live web sources and citations rather than memory alone. The workflow is wired into the client's tools under their ownership.
These are example builds, not client case studies. We scope the real build to your stack and put an ROI estimate on it in an Operating Assessment first.
With Perplexity you can build AI agents that answer business questions with live, cited web sources rather than memory alone, useful for research, competitive intelligence, account enrichment, and fact-checking your team can verify. Perplexity provides the building blocks: the search-grounded Sonar API and agentic web-search controls. ShooflyAI turns those into a finished agent scoped to your stack and processes, wired into your CRM, docs, and databases, with a person reviewing conclusions before anything drives a decision. The point is ownership. Your company keeps the agent code, prompts, workflow logic, data, and IP outright, with no revenue share and no lock-in to us. You get grounded, checkable answers inside the tools your team already uses.
10 ways to use Perplexity with AI agents
- Answer questions with citationsThe agent returns grounded answers alongside the live sources it used so your team can verify.
- Run market and competitor researchIt gathers current, cited information on a market or competitor into a reviewable brief.
- Fact-check claims before publishingThe agent checks statements against live sources and flags anything it cannot substantiate.
- Build a sourced research assistantIt answers staff questions from the live web and always shows where each answer came from.
- Compile due-diligence summariesThe agent assembles cited background on a company or topic for a person to review.
- Track a topic with sourced updatesIt returns current findings on a subject with links so updates stay verifiable.
- Enrich records with cited contextThe agent adds verified, sourced detail to a lead or account entry for review.
- Draft briefs from live sourcesIt synthesizes current sources into a first-draft brief with citations intact.
- Validate vendor or product claimsThe agent looks up claims about a product or vendor and reports what the sources actually say.
- Surface answers staff can verifyIt hands users an answer plus its references so people confirm before acting.
Using Perplexity on its own vs. a custom ShooflyAI agent
| Dimension | Perplexity Sonar API (search-grounded model, not a turnkey business agent) | Custom ShooflyAI agent |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | You build the workflow and integrations yourself | We deliver a finished agent scoped to you |
| Handles your multi-step workflows | Strong at sourced answers; you wire the steps | Built to run your research and enrichment flows |
| Works across your other systems | API returns answers; you build each connection | Connected to your CRM and systems for you |
| Who owns and maintains it | You own whatever you build on the API | You own code, prompts, and IP; we can maintain |
| Cost model | Per-token Sonar API pricing on your build | Project build plus the underlying model usage |
Frequently asked questions
What makes Perplexity good for AI agents?
Perplexity grounds answers in live web sources and returns citations, so an agent's output can be checked rather than taken on faith. That suits research and fact-finding workflows.
Can a Perplexity agent cite its sources?
Yes. Returning citations is core to how Perplexity works, so an agent can hand your team an answer alongside the links it relied on for verification.
Do we own a Perplexity agent ShooflyAI builds?
Yes. Perplexity provides the search-grounded model, but your company owns the agent code, prompts, workflow logic, and all data and IP.
How is Perplexity different from a standard LLM agent?
A standard model answers from training data, while Perplexity searches live sources and cites them. ShooflyAI uses it when current, verifiable answers matter more than open-ended reasoning.
Can we trust the answers a Perplexity agent gives?
The citations let a person verify each answer, and ShooflyAI keeps a human in the loop for conclusions that drive decisions, so trust comes from checking the sources.
Want to see what we would build for you?
We start with an Operating Assessment that maps your highest-value workflows and puts a hard ROI estimate on them before any build. You own the code, the data, and the IP.
Get your Operating Assessment →