Parallel Search and Task APIs vs Tavily API + MCP

Parallel Search and Task APIs

Fast-mode search at $1 per 1,000 with 10 excerpted results, and Extract at $1 per 1,000 URLs. Search defaults to advanced mode at $5 per 1,000 when mode is left out.

Tavily API + MCP

Keyless search and extract, plus a free 1,000 credits a month with no card. x402 covers advanced search only, not extract, map, crawl or research.

Parallel Search and Task APIs

1. Pass mode: "fast" on every search. Without it you pay the advanced rate
2. Create Task runs with max_retries=0 and check for an existing run before retrying
3. Give an objective plus two or three short search_queries. That's what ranks the excerpts
4. On 402, check available balance rather than total. Running tasks reserve credit
5. Prefer natural-language source guidance to domain filters. The docs say filters can cut result quality

Tavily API + MCP

1. Try X-Tavily-Access-Mode: keyless first for search and extract, then switch to a key or x402 when the limit hits
2. Send the key in Authorization: Bearer, not ?tavilyApiKey= in the MCP URL
3. On 429, wait for Retry-After. A 432 or 433 means a spend limit, and retrying won't help
4. Run /map before /crawl to bound the crawl, since crawl is billed as map plus extract
5. Research is async and runs 4 to 250 credits. Create the task, then poll /research/{request_id}