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Overview

The Perplexity SDKs provide extensive configuration options to customize client behavior for different environments and use cases. This guide covers retry configuration, timeout settings, and custom HTTP client setup.

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Retries and Timeouts

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Basic Retry Configuration

Configure how the SDK handles failed requests: 
from perplexity import Perplexity
import httpx

client = Perplexity(
    max_retries=3,  # Default is 2
    timeout=httpx.Timeout(30.0, read=10.0, write=5.0, connect=2.0)
)

# Per-request configuration
search = client.with_options(max_retries=5).search.create(
    query="example"
)

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Advanced Timeout Configuration

Set granular timeout controls for different phases of the request: 
import httpx
from perplexity import Perplexity

# Detailed timeout configuration
timeout_config = httpx.Timeout(
    connect=5.0,    # Time to establish connection
    read=30.0,      # Time to read response
    write=10.0,     # Time to send request
    pool=10.0       # Time to get connection from pool
)

client = Perplexity(timeout=timeout_config)

# For long-running operations
long_timeout = httpx.Timeout(
    connect=5.0,
    read=120.0,  # 2 minutes for complex queries
    write=10.0,
    pool=10.0
)

client_long = Perplexity(timeout=long_timeout)

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Custom HTTP Client

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Proxy Configuration

Configure the SDK to work with corporate proxies: 
import httpx
from perplexity import Perplexity, DefaultHttpxClient

# HTTP Proxy
client = Perplexity(
    http_client=DefaultHttpxClient(
        proxy="http://proxy.company.com:8080"
    )
)

# HTTPS Proxy with authentication
client_auth = Perplexity(
    http_client=DefaultHttpxClient(
        proxy="http://username:password@proxy.company.com:8080"
    )
)

# SOCKS proxy
client_socks = Perplexity(
    http_client=DefaultHttpxClient(
        proxy="socks5://proxy.company.com:1080"
    )
)

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Custom Headers and User Agent

Add custom headers to all requests: 
import httpx
from perplexity import Perplexity, DefaultHttpxClient

# Custom headers
headers = {
    "User-Agent": "MyApp/1.0",
    "X-Custom-Header": "custom-value"
}

client = Perplexity(
    http_client=DefaultHttpxClient(
        headers=headers
    )
)

# Advanced HTTP client configuration
transport = httpx.HTTPTransport(
    local_address="0.0.0.0",  # Bind to specific interface
    verify=True,              # SSL verification
    cert=None,                # Client certificate
    http2=True               # Enable HTTP/2
)

client_advanced = Perplexity(
    http_client=DefaultHttpxClient(
        transport=transport,
        headers=headers
    )
)

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SSL/TLS Configuration

Configure SSL verification and certificates: 
import httpx
import ssl
from perplexity import Perplexity, DefaultHttpxClient

# Disable SSL verification (not recommended for production)
client_no_ssl = Perplexity(
    http_client=DefaultHttpxClient(
        verify=False
    )
)

# Custom SSL context
ssl_context = ssl.create_default_context()
ssl_context.check_hostname = False
ssl_context.verify_mode = ssl.CERT_NONE

client_custom_ssl = Perplexity(
    http_client=DefaultHttpxClient(
        verify=ssl_context
    )
)

# Client certificate authentication
client_cert = Perplexity(
    http_client=DefaultHttpxClient(
        cert=("client.crt", "client.key")
    )
)

​
Connection Pooling

Optimize performance with connection pooling: 
import httpx
from perplexity import Perplexity, DefaultHttpxClient

# Configure connection limits
limits = httpx.Limits(
    max_keepalive_connections=20,  # Keep-alive connections
    max_connections=100,           # Total connections
    keepalive_expiry=30.0         # Keep-alive timeout
)

client = Perplexity(
    http_client=DefaultHttpxClient(
        limits=limits
    )
)

# For high-throughput applications
high_throughput_limits = httpx.Limits(
    max_keepalive_connections=100,
    max_connections=500,
    keepalive_expiry=60.0
)

client_high_throughput = Perplexity(
    http_client=DefaultHttpxClient(
        limits=high_throughput_limits
    )
)

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Environment-Specific Configuration

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Development Configuration

Settings optimized for development and debugging: 
import httpx
from perplexity import Perplexity, DefaultHttpxClient

# Development configuration
dev_client = Perplexity(
    max_retries=1,           # Fail fast in development
    timeout=httpx.Timeout(10.0),  # Short timeout
    http_client=DefaultHttpxClient(
        # Enable detailed logging
        event_hooks={
            'request': [lambda request: print(f"Request: {request.method} {request.url}")],
            'response': [lambda response: print(f"Response: {response.status_code}")]
        }
    )
)

​
Production Configuration

Settings optimized for production environments: 
import httpx
from perplexity import Perplexity, DefaultHttpxClient

# Production configuration
prod_limits = httpx.Limits(
    max_keepalive_connections=50,
    max_connections=200,
    keepalive_expiry=60.0
)

prod_timeout = httpx.Timeout(
    connect=5.0,
    read=60.0,
    write=10.0,
    pool=10.0
)

prod_client = Perplexity(
    max_retries=3,
    timeout=prod_timeout,
    http_client=DefaultHttpxClient(
        limits=prod_limits,
        verify=True,  # Always verify SSL in production
        http2=True    # Enable HTTP/2 for better performance
    )
)

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Configuration Patterns

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Environment-Based Configuration

Use environment variables to configure the client: 
import os
import httpx
from perplexity import Perplexity, DefaultHttpxClient

def create_client():
    # Base configuration
    timeout = httpx.Timeout(
        connect=float(os.getenv('PERPLEXITY_CONNECT_TIMEOUT', '5.0')),
        read=float(os.getenv('PERPLEXITY_READ_TIMEOUT', '30.0')),
        write=float(os.getenv('PERPLEXITY_WRITE_TIMEOUT', '10.0'))
    )
    
    max_retries = int(os.getenv('PERPLEXITY_MAX_RETRIES', '3'))
    
    # Optional proxy configuration
    proxy = os.getenv('PERPLEXITY_PROXY')
    http_client_kwargs = {}
    if proxy:
        http_client_kwargs['proxy'] = proxy
    
    return Perplexity(
        max_retries=max_retries,
        timeout=timeout,
        http_client=DefaultHttpxClient(**http_client_kwargs)
    )

client = create_client()

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Configuration Factory

Create reusable configuration patterns: 
import httpx
from perplexity import Perplexity, DefaultHttpxClient

class PerplexityClientFactory:
    @staticmethod
    def development():
        return Perplexity(
            max_retries=1,
            timeout=httpx.Timeout(10.0)
        )
    
    @staticmethod
    def production():
        return Perplexity(
            max_retries=3,
            timeout=httpx.Timeout(connect=5.0, read=60.0, write=10.0),
            http_client=DefaultHttpxClient(
                limits=httpx.Limits(
                    max_keepalive_connections=50,
                    max_connections=200
                )
            )
        )
    
    @staticmethod
    def high_throughput():
        return Perplexity(
            max_retries=2,
            timeout=httpx.Timeout(connect=2.0, read=30.0, write=5.0),
            http_client=DefaultHttpxClient(
                limits=httpx.Limits(
                    max_keepalive_connections=100,
                    max_connections=500
                )
            )
        )

# Usage
client = PerplexityClientFactory.production()

Error Handling

Handle timeouts and connection errors

Performance

Optimize async operations and connection pooling
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