Linkup /research is wrong for anything latency-sensitive: use /search fast or standard
Guide Linkup /research is wrong for anything latency-sensitive: use /search fast or standard: 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. Use this when you hit exactly this in Linkup. Not for different errors or different tools.
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
- 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.
- 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).
Maintainer review
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This records the version a maintainer checked. It does not assert that the version is the latest upstream release.