Summary
On August 13, 2026, Perplexity launched its Agent API, a single programmable endpoint for web search, URL fetching, code execution, MCP connections, and finance and people search, and announced that the older Sonar endpoints will retire on September 27, 2026. Existing Sonar tiers map onto six new presets (fast, low, medium, high, xhigh, wide-research), and Perplexity is urging developers to migrate during the grace period.
What changed
Perplexity released the Agent API consolidating grounded web search, multi-step research, code execution, built-in tools, MCP connections, and multi-model access behind one endpoint with six configurable presets, and set September 27, 2026 as the retirement date for Sonar endpoints, which map directly onto the new presets.
Why it matters
Collapsing search, tools, code execution, and MCP into one agentic API with a hard Sonar cutoff forces every Sonar-based integration to migrate by late September, a concrete deadline for teams building on Perplexity. Bundling MCP and code execution into the core API positions Perplexity as an agent-building platform rather than only a search endpoint.
Evidence excerpt
Perplexity launched the Agent API, a single programmable endpoint for web search, URL fetching, code execution, MCP connections, and finance and people search. Sonar endpoints retire on September 27; existing Sonar tiers map onto six presets (fast, low, medium, high, xhigh, wide-research).