Perplexity AI Search Results Scraper

The ONLY Perplexity AI search results scraper on Apify. No API key needed. Extract AI-generated answers, cited sources, and related questions directly from the Perplexity web interface.

Built for Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and brand monitoring.

How to scrape Perplexity AI in 3 easy steps

1. Go to Perplexity AI Scraper on Apify Store and click "Try for free"
2. Enter your search queries — type any question or keyword you want Perplexity to answer
3. Click Run and download AI-generated answers with cited sources in JSON, CSV, or Excel

No API key required. No coding needed. Works with Apify's free plan.

Why this actor?

Every other "Perplexity" actor on Apify requires YOUR Perplexity API key. This one doesn't -- it scrapes the public web interface directly using a headless browser, just like a real user would.

Perplexity API alternative — no API key needed

Perplexity offers an official API (Sonar), but it requires a paid subscription and API key. This Actor is the best Perplexity API alternative in 2026 — it extracts the same AI-generated answers, sources, and citations directly from the free public web interface.

Perfect for teams who need Perplexity data at scale without managing API keys or paying for Sonar Pro.

What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of optimizing your content to appear in AI-generated answers from search engines like Perplexity, ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Claude. Unlike traditional SEO (optimizing for blue links), AEO focuses on getting your brand mentioned and cited in AI answers.

This Actor helps you monitor your AEO performance by tracking how Perplexity answers queries related to your brand, products, and industry.

Two modes of operation

Mode 1: search -- Extract full answers

Input:

{
  "mode": "search",
  "queries": [
    "best CRM software for small business 2026",
    "top project management tools for startups"
  ]
}

Output per query:

{
  "query": "best CRM software for small business 2026",
  "answer": "For 2026, the best CRM overall is Zoho CRM for most small and midsize businesses...",
  "sources": [
    {
      "position": 1,
      "title": "The Best CRM Software for 2026",
      "url": "https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-crm-software",
      "domain": "pcmag.com",
      "snippet": "Customers are vital to any business..."
    }
  ],
  "relatedQuestions": [
    "Zoho CRM vs Salesforce which is better for small businesses",
    "Best free or low-cost CRM alternatives for startups 2026"
  ],
  "totalSources": 10,
  "answerLength": 1542,
  "searchUrl": "https://www.perplexity.ai/search?q=best+CRM+software+for+small+business+2026",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-04-09T15:00:00+00:00"
}

Mode 2: brand_monitor -- Track brand mentions in AI answers

Input:

{
  "mode": "brand_monitor",
  "brandName": "HubSpot",
  "queries": [
    "best CRM software 2026",
    "top email marketing platforms for ecommerce"
  ]
}

Output per query:

{
  "brand": "HubSpot",
  "query": "best CRM software 2026",
  "mentioned": true,
  "mentionContext": "HubSpot is the easiest all-around option for teams that want a simple start and strong marketing tie-ins.",
  "position": "Mentioned early in the answer (top section)",
  "competitorsMentioned": ["Zoho CRM", "Salesforce", "Pipedrive", "Klaviyo"],
  "sourcesCount": 10,
  "scrapedAt": "2026-04-09T15:00:00+00:00"
}

Use cases

• AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) -- Monitor how AI search engines talk about your brand. Track whether Perplexity recommends you, your competitors, or neither.
• Competitive intelligence -- See which competitors Perplexity recommends for your target keywords and how they're positioned.
• Content strategy -- Discover what sources Perplexity cites for your target keywords. If your content isn't cited, you know what to improve.
• Market research -- Get AI-curated answers to research questions at scale, with full source attribution.

Scrape Perplexity with Python, JavaScript, or no code

Use this Actor directly from the Apify platform (no coding required), or call it via the Apify API from Python, JavaScript, or any language:

Python example:

from apify_client import ApifyClient
client = ApifyClient("YOUR_API_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("zhorex/perplexity-ai-scraper").call(run_input={
    "mode": "search",
    "queries": ["best CRM software 2026"]
})
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item["answer"])

JavaScript example:

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';
const client = new ApifyClient({ token: 'YOUR_API_TOKEN' });
const run = await client.actor('zhorex/perplexity-ai-scraper').call({
    mode: 'search',
    queries: ['best CRM software 2026'],
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items[0].answer);

Input parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
mode	string	search	search or brand_monitor
queries	string[]	required	List of search queries
brandName	string	--	Brand name (required for brand_monitor)
maxQueries	integer	10	Max queries to process (1-100)
waitTimeout	integer	60	Max seconds to wait per answer (15-120)
proxyConfiguration	object	Apify proxy	Proxy settings

Pricing

$0.02 per query ($20 per 1,000 queries).

This is AI-curated intelligence with full source attribution, not raw HTML scraping.

How it works

1. Opens Perplexity.ai in a headless Chromium browser (Playwright)
2. Navigates directly to the search URL for each query
3. Waits for the AI to finish generating its answer (streaming detection)
4. Extracts the full answer text, cited sources with URLs, and related questions
5. Pushes structured results to the Apify dataset

Performance

• Speed: ~15-30 seconds per query (AI answer generation takes time)
• Memory: 1024 MB recommended (Playwright + Chromium)
• Concurrency: Sequential queries with 5s delay to avoid rate limiting

Limitations

• Rate limiting: Perplexity may rate-limit at high volume. Use proxy rotation for large batches.
• Non-deterministic: AI answers may vary between runs -- the same query can produce different answers.
• UI changes: Perplexity's interface may change, requiring actor updates. We monitor and update regularly.
• Slower than API: ~15-30 seconds per query due to browser rendering and streaming wait time. API wrappers are faster but require your own API key.
• No login features: This actor uses Perplexity's free, unauthenticated interface.

FAQ

How do I scrape Perplexity AI answers? Use this Actor on Apify — enter your search queries, click Run, and get structured AI answers with cited sources. No API key, no coding required.

Is there a free Perplexity API? Perplexity's official API (Sonar) requires a paid subscription. This Actor is the best free alternative — it scrapes the public web interface without any API key. Start with Apify's free plan ($5/month included).

How much does it cost to scrape Perplexity? $0.02 per query ($20 per 1,000 queries). You can test with Apify's free tier which gives you $5 of monthly usage — enough for 250 queries.

Can I use this for brand monitoring across AI search engines? Yes. Use brand_monitor mode to track whether Perplexity mentions your brand in answers. Combine with scheduled runs (daily, weekly) for continuous monitoring. For comprehensive AI brand monitoring across ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, pair this with other AI scrapers.

How is this different from the Perplexity API? The official Perplexity API (Sonar) gives programmatic access but requires a paid API key. This Actor scrapes the free public web interface — same answers, same sources, no API key required. Trade-off: slower (~15-30s per query) but free to access.

What is AEO and why does it matter? Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of getting your brand mentioned in AI search results. As more users shift from Google to AI search engines like Perplexity, monitoring your AI search visibility becomes critical for marketing strategy.

Integrations & data export

Export your Perplexity data in JSON, CSV, Excel, or XML. Integrate directly with:

• Google Sheets — automatic AEO monitoring dashboards
• Zapier / Make / n8n — workflow automation and alerts when brand mentions change
• REST API — programmatic access from Python, JavaScript, or any language
• Webhooks — real-time notifications when scrapes complete
• Slack / Email — automated alerts for brand visibility changes

See all integrations →

Legal

This actor accesses Perplexity's publicly available search interface. No login or authentication is used. It operates the same way a regular user would interact with the website through a browser.

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