Definition
Sonar API is Perplexity's commercial endpoint that returns an LLM-composed answer plus a list of web citations for a given query, used in 2026 as both a research primitive and a measurement tool for answer engine visibility.
In Depth
Unlike a SERP API that returns ranked links, Sonar returns a synthesized answer with citations. That makes it attractive for agents that want a single paragraph summary, but it also couples the caller to Perplexity's model choices and ranking biases. Teams often combine Sonar with a raw SERP API like Scavio: Sonar for quick answers, Scavio for structured source results, and an ask endpoint for measuring what each engine says about a brand.
Example Usage
The research agent called Sonar for a quick synthesis and Scavio for the full SERP when deeper sourcing was needed.
Platforms
Sonar API is relevant across the following platforms, all accessible through Scavio's unified API:
Related Terms
Premium-source Search
Premium-source search is the class of search APIs that index and return only a curated set of high-authority sources (ma...
LLM Citation
An LLM citation is a URL that a generative answer engine (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Claude) references i...
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the 2026 discipline of optimizing content, mentions, and structured data so that LLM...