Linkup /research is wrong for anything latency-sensitive: use /search fast or standard

TL;DR: Always set mode explicitly (answer/investigate/research) - omitting it lets the agent auto-classify, which is convenient but less predictable on latency, cost, and output shape. Endpoint selection rules from the official guide: one fact with lowest latency ([200 ms) -] /search with flash; quick lookup ([10 s), simple facts -] /search with fast or standard (synchronous); discover URL then scrape -> /search with deep (handles chaining in one request); typed JSON from one known page -> /fetch with schema (+$0.001); complex report needing 5+ minutes of investigation -> /research.

Fix

1. Always set mode explicitly (answer/investigate/research) - omitting it lets the agent auto-classify, which is convenient but less predictable on latency, cost, and output shape. Expected: this specific failure stops.

2. The docs list explicit anti-patterns agents fall into: calling Research when latency matters, for simple lookups (What is Stripe's CEO name?), for real-time chat (2+ minute latency breaks conversational flow), for known-URL extraction (use /extract or /fetch), or when sources are already in hand. Expected: this specific failure stops.

Details

Endpoint selection rules from the official guide: one fact with lowest latency ([200 ms) -] /search with flash; quick lookup ([10 s), simple facts -] /search with fast or standard (synchronous); discover URL then scrape -> /search with deep (handles chaining in one request); typed JSON from one known page -> /fetch with schema (+$0.001); complex report needing 5+ minutes of investigation -> /research. Context: Official docs (Linkup linkup-for-agents knowledge guide, Research anti-patterns): the /v1/research endpoint is an autonomous research agent that runs for minutes, not seconds.

When to use

You hit exactly this: Linkup /research is wrong for anything latency-sensitive: use /search fast or standard in Linkup.

When not to use

A different error, or the same symptom in a different tool. This page only covers the failure above.

Compatibility

Linkup (versions mentioned here: 0.001, v1).

Official docs (Linkup linkup-for-agents knowledge guide, Research anti-patterns): the /v1/research endpoint is an autonomous research agent that runs for minutes, not seconds. The docs list explicit anti-patterns agents fall into: calling Research when latency matters, for simple lookups (What is Stripe's CEO name?), for real-time chat (2+ minute latency breaks conversational flow), for known-URL extraction (use /extract or /fetch), or when sources are already in hand. Verified answer: Endpoint selection rules from the official guide: one fact with lowest latency (<200 ms) -> /search with flash; quick lookup (<10 s), simple facts -> /search with fast or standard (synchronous); discover URL then scrape -> /search with deep (handles chaining in one request); typed JSON from one known page -> /fetch with schema (+$0.001); complex report needing 5+ minutes of investigation -> /research. Always set mode explicitly (answer/investigate/research) - omitting it lets the agent auto-classify, which is convenient but less predictable on latency, cost, and output shape. Source: https://github.com/linkupplatform/linkup-for-agents/blob/HEAD/knowledge/LINKUPSPECIALIZEDENDPOINTS.md#research-anti-patterns