Why does Perplexity reject larger result counts for ordinary web search?

Definition: Perplexity's Search API reference uses a conditional limit for max_results: ordinary web search accepts up to 20 results, while values above 20 require the separate people search type, which accepts up to 50.

Key facts

• Perplexity's Search API reference sets max_results to a default of 10, a minimum of 1, and a maximum of 50.
• The same reference says that values above 20 require search_type=people, with up to 20 results for web search and up to 50 for people search.
• The search_type field defaults to web and also accepts fast and people; fast is documented as a lower latency, lower cost web search.
• Perplexity's Search API quickstart says that basic web search accepts max_results from 1 to 20 and defaults to 10.

What rule does the API apply?

max_results is the requested maximum number of result records. The API reference places a conditional rule on that field: a value from 1 through 20 works with the ordinary web search type, while a value above 20 and up to 50 requires people. The overall maximum is 50, so a value above 50 is outside the documented schema.

The ordinary web request can be represented as follows:

{
  "query": "your query",
  "search_type": "web",
  "max_results": 20
}

The reference lists web as the default search type. Omitting search_type therefore leaves the request on the web-search branch, where a larger count is outside the documented range.

How do web and people searches differ here?

Perplexity's Search API reference names web as general web search and people as people search. It says that values above 20 are supported only for people search, so increasing the count beyond 20 changes the required search type rather than extending the ordinary web setting.

The people-search form is:

{
  "query": "your query",
  "search_type": "people",
  "max_results": 50
}

The API reference does not describe people search as a larger version of general web search. It documents the two labels and their separate result-count ceilings. The documented fast option remains a web-search type, and the same reference says that a count above 20 is supported only for people.

What does the limit change for a website?

This limit belongs to the Search API request. Perplexity's Search API quickstart describes the Search API as returning real-time, ranked web results as structured data and says to use it when an application needs raw results for its own processing. The request controls how many result records the API may return for that search type.

The response is a ranked results[] array. The reference says that each result contains a title, URL, and snippet, with optional date and last_updated fields. A larger max_results value therefore changes the size of the returned result set; it does not change the content or configuration of a website.

How can you check a request before sending it?

First check the effective search_type. If it is omitted, the documented default is web. Then keep max_results between 1 and 20 for web or fast search. Use people for a value above 20, and keep the value at or below the documented maximum of 50. The quickstart's basic example uses max_results 5, while its stated ordinary web range is 1 to 20.

The API reference also exposes the request schema as OpenAPI, including the web, fast, and people enum values and the conditional description for max_results. That schema is the relevant place to inspect when a client reports a validation error.

Related terms

• When should a Perplexity Search API request use search_type=fast?
• Does max_results require Perplexity to return that many pages?
• How do I send multiple queries to Perplexity's Search API?

FAQ

What is the largest ordinary web-search request?

Use max_results from 1 to 20 with search_type=web. If search_type is omitted, the reference defaults it to web.

Can web search request 50 results?

No. The documented maximum for web search is 20. A value above 20 requires search_type=people, whose documented maximum is 50.

Does max_results mean that many results will always be returned?

No exact returned count is stated. The reference describes max_results as the maximum number of results and describes the response as a results[] array.

Why does people search have a higher ceiling?

Perplexity documents the different ceilings and the required search type, but the reference does not give a product rationale for the higher people-search limit.

Sources

1. Perplexity, "Search the Web", accessed 17 October 2026
2. Perplexity, "Perplexity Search API", accessed 17 October 2026

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