Using perplexity module to retrieve specific information on the web

How To
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1

Hi!

I’m trying to find a way to retrieve some very specific information on patents using Perplexity.

While I get some very decent results using Perplexity GUI, I’m struggling to do the same using the Perplexity module in Make.

Here is the request I’m using :

You are an expert in patent administration and annuity payment procedures. I need you to research the complete payment process for patent renewals for the following patent office: Estonia

Please provide comprehensive and accurate information for the following elements:

  1. Patent Office Information:

    • Official name of the patent office
    • Complete postal address (including postal code and country)

  2. Banking Details for Annuity Payments:

    • Bank account holder name
    • IBAN (International Bank Account Number)
    • BIC/SWIFT code
    • Bank name
    • Bank’s complete postal address

  3. Payment Process:

    • Accepted payment methods (bank transfer, online payment, check, etc.)
    • Step-by-step payment procedure
    • Required reference information to include with payment (patent number format, application number, etc.)
    • Payment deadlines and grace periods
    • Any official forms required

  4. Additional Critical Information:

    • Currency for payment
    • Fee calculation method or fee schedule reference
    • Consequences of late payment
    • Contact information (email, phone) for payment inquiries
    • Any specific requirements or particularities for this jurisdiction

  5. Source Documentation:

    • Direct URL(s) to official patent office pages where this information was found
    • Date of information retrieval

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Only provide verified information from official patent office sources
  • If any information is unavailable or uncertain, clearly state “Information not found” for that field
  • Do not make assumptions or provide generic information

Return ONLY a valid JSON object with this exact structure (no additional text, no markdown code blocks):

{
“patent_office”: {
“official_name”: “”,
“postal_address”: “”
},
“banking_details”: {
“account_holder”: “”,
“iban”: “”,
“bic_swift”: “”,
“bank_name”: “”,
“bank_address”: “”
},
“payment_process”: {
“accepted_methods”: ,
“procedure_steps”: ,
“required_references”: ,
“deadlines”: “”
},
“additional_info”: {
“currency”: “”,
“fee_info”: “”,
“late_payment_consequences”: “”,
“contact_info”: “”,
“special_requirements”: “”
},
“sources”: {
“urls”: ,
“retrieval_date”: “”
}
}

When using the GUI, I often find all the information requested. If I do the same querry on using API in Perplexity Module, I often get a lot of “Information not found” returned.

Any advise?

3

Hi @Seb_de_Harlez ,

Welcome to the community!

It’s not just Perplexity that is doing that, Open AI has the same problem, for example. And many other AIs.

When you work through the UI, your AI may have some context already, and with API calls you only get what you explicitly send in your request. Another thing is that API connections have less access rights than AI UIs, and they are usually running on different releases or settings. Also API limitations are implemented to prevent bulk or automated extraction of data.

You can try to switch between different models and see how well they perform. I noticed that for similar tasks sonar-deep-research does pretty well.

4

Thanks a lot for your feedback! I tried with OAI before and the results were even worse. I’ll check deep research to compare as you suggested! Else, I’ll simply use the GUI (less efficient, but better results.).

5

Hey @Seb_de_Harlez,

Add example values to your JSON structure - this gives the AI context about the expected format and detail level:

Modified prompt ending:

{
  "patent_office": {
    "official_name": "Estonian Patent Office (EPA)",
    "postal_address": "Tatari 39, 10134 Tallinn, Estonia"
  },
  "banking_details": {
    "account_holder": "Estonian Patent Office Treasury",
    "iban": "EE12 3456 7890 1234 5678",
    "bic_swift": "EEUHEE2X",
    "bank_name": "Bank of Estonia",
    "bank_address": "Estonia pst 13, 15095 Tallinn, Estonia"
  },
  "payment_process": {
    "accepted_methods": ["Bank transfer", "Online payment portal", "Credit card"],
    "procedure_steps": ["Step 1: Calculate fees", "Step 2: Include reference number", "Step 3: Submit payment"],
    "required_references": ["Patent number (EE12345)", "Application date", "Annuity year"],
    "deadlines": "Payment due on anniversary date with 6-month grace period"
  },
  "additional_info": {
    "currency": "EUR",
    "fee_info": "Fees increase progressively from year 3 onwards",
    "late_payment_consequences": "Surcharge of 20% if paid within grace period",
    "contact_info": "patents@epa.ee, +372 627 7900",
    "special_requirements": "Power of attorney required for representatives"
  },
  "sources": {
    "urls": ["https://www.epa.ee/en/patents", "https://www.epa.ee/en/fees"],
    "retrieval_date": "2024-10-15"
  }
}

The example values act as a “template” showing the AI exactly what type and format of information you need, significantly improving response quality.

Sam @ Flow Digital

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