perplexity-load-scale

# Perplexity Load & Scale ## Overview Load testing and capacity planning for Perplexity Sonar API. Key constraint: Perplexity rate limits at 50 RPM (default tier), and every request performs a live web search with variable latency. Load testing must respect these limits to avoid burning through credits. ## Capacity Constraints | Constraint | Default Limit | Impact | |-----------|--------------|--------| | RPM (requests per minute) | 50 | Hard ceiling on throughput | | Context window | 127K tokens | Limits conversation history | | `sonar` latency | 1-3s | Throughput: ~20-50 concurrent | | `sonar-pro` latency | 3-8s | Throughput: ~6-16 concurrent | | `search_domain_filter` | 20 domains max | Per-request limit | ## Prerequisites - k6 load testing tool installed - Separate Perplexity API key for load testing - Budget approval (load tests cost money) ## Instructions ### Step 1: k6 Load Test Script ```javascript // perplexity-load-test.js import http from "k6/http"; import { check, sleep } from "k6"; import { Rate, Trend } from "k6/metrics"; const errorRate = new Rate("perplexity_errors"); const citationCount = new Trend("perplexity_citations"); export const options = { stages: [ { duration: "1m", target: 5 }, // Ramp to 5 VUs { duration: "3m", target: 5 }, // Steady at 5 VUs { duration: "1m", target: 15 }, // Ramp to 15 VUs { duration: "3m", target: 15 }, // Steady at 15 VUs { duration: "1m", target: 0 }, // Ramp down ], thresholds: {...