Search the Web and Summarize Papers Through Perplexity

Through a Composio custom connector, a muse can run a web search through Perplexity, get answers built from what the search finds, and summarize new research papers in plain words, all from one chat.

What it does

Perplexity is a search and answer service. Its models read web results and write a direct answer, which makes it handy for questions that need current information rather than a list of links. Connected through Composio, the muse can send a search and bring back the results, ask for a summary of the latest papers on a topic, or ask for a hard topic explained in simple terms. Longer questions can run as background tasks: the muse starts one, checks its progress, and reports back when the answer is ready. If you run a team account, it can also pull up usage figures by member and by day, so you can see how much the service is being used.

How to use it

1. Make a Composio account, open its Muse page, and copy your API key. The key starts with ck.
2. In a new chat, ask the muse to create a custom connector for the Composio server and open the secure credentials store. Paste the key there, never in the chat.
3. Back in the chat, ask the muse to connect Perplexity. Follow the sign-in link and approve the access.
4. Ask a question with a date range and a topic, such as the newest papers on one subject from the last month.
5. Read the answer, then ask a follow-up that tests it, such as which results disagree with each other.

What you need

• A Muse account that can add custom connectors
• A free Composio account and its API key
• A Perplexity account

What to watch for

• An answer that reads smoothly can still be wrong. For anything you plan to act on, ask the muse to show the results the answer came from and open one or two yourself.
• Name the account when you have more than one connected. Composio supports several, and a search run on the wrong account still spends that account's allowance.
• One older search mode was retired by the provider in September 2026. If a long background request fails, ask the muse to run the question as a normal search instead.
• Never paste the API key into a chat. If you do, treat it as exposed: make a new key, delete the old one, and add the new key through the secure store.