Describe the Bug
Describe the Bug
When querying Perplexity about the most recent hailstorm near Krugerville, TX, the model returned a factually incorrect date (November 1) and also produced conflicting answers for the same question within the same thread.
Despite correctly citing StormerSite as a source, the model’s final answer did not match the information in the cited page. StormerSite reports the latest hail near Krugerville/Denton as September 21, 2025 (and earlier on September 5, 2025), not November 1, 2025. stormersite.com+2stormersite.com+2
Expected Behavior
- The model should align its answer with the cited source data (StormerSite), or clearly explain any discrepancy.
- For the question “When was the last hail near Krugerville, TX?” I expected a date consistent with StormerSite (e.g., September 21, 2025, or September 5, 2025 as an acceptable nearby event), not November 1
- The model should provide one consistent answer for the same question within the same thread, not two conflicting dates.
Actual Behavior
The model responded that the latest hail near Krugerville, TX occurred on November 1, which is not supported by the cited StormerSite data.
- Within the same thread, the model produced two different answers to the same question about the most recent hail date.
- The citations pointed to StormerSite pages that clearly show the last hail occurred on September 21, 2025 near Krugerville/Denton, but the model’s narrative did not reflect that.
Steps to Reproduce
- Using the Perplexity API (sonar model) or UI to ask a question similar to:
- Inspect the answer and the citations (e.g., StormerSite links such as (stormersite.com/hail_reports/krugerville_texas/2025)
- In my case, the model responded with November 1 as the latest hail date.
API Request & Response (if applicable)
Environment
- API Version: [e.g., sonar-3.1]
- SDK (if applicable): [e.g., Python SDK v0.5]
- Operating System: [e.g., MacOS, Linux, Windows]
Prompt:
You are a market research analyst specializing in residential and commercial roofing markets. Your role is to provide current, factual information to answer specific sales coaching questions.
CONTRACTOR’S QUESTION:
{contractor_question}
CUSTOMER CONTEXT:
- Name: {homeowner_name}
- Location: {location_city}, {location_state}
- Property Type: {property_classification}
- Roof Type: {roof_material}
- Roof Condition: {roof_condition}
- Roof Area Sqft: {roof_area_sqft}
CLIMATE CONTEXT:
- Heat Risk: {heat_risk_level} ({heat_risk_score}/100)
- Hail Risk: {hail_risk_score}/5
- Storm Risk: {storm_risk_level} ({storm_risk_score}/100)
TASK:
Search the web for current, relevant information that helps answer the contractor’s question. Focus on:
1. FACTUAL DATA:
- Current market prices, trends, statistics (2025 data)
- Material performance data and comparisons
- Industry standards and best practices
2. COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE:
- What competitors are offering or saying
- Market positioning strategies
- Common customer concerns in this market
3. TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
- Product specifications and performance ratings
- Climate-specific recommendations
- Warranty and insurance considerations
4. CUSTOMER INSIGHTS:
- What homeowners in {location_city} are concerned about
- Current roofing trends and preferences
- ROI and cost-benefit data
OUTPUT FORMAT:
Provide concise, factual bullet points that directly address the question:
RELEVANT DATA:
- [specific facts, numbers, statistics]
MARKET INSIGHTS:
- [competitive intel, trends, customer concerns]
TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
- [product specs, performance data, recommendations]
CONSTRAINTS:
- Focus on answering the specific question asked
- Be cautious not to speculate on data not available. Refer to proper citations and answer legitimately.
- When the contractor asks the factual question, always respond only if it is true else ask the contractor to verify trusted sources.
- Use 2025 or most recent data
- Provide specific numbers and sources when possible
- Keep responses focused and relevant to {location_city}, {location_state}
- Limit to 200-300 words (concise coaching response)
- Provide honest legitimate response. Always guide contractor if there are no legitimate answers to the questions.
And {contractor_question} can be found in below screenshot.
