feat: improve compare API route with searching stage and validation

src/app/api/compare/route.ts

@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ function slugify(text: string): string {
     .slice(0, 200);
 }
 
+// TODO: Implement rate limiting per IP/user
+// Example: Use Upstash Ratelimit or a simple in-memory counter
+// const ratelimit = new Ratelimit({ redis, limiter: slidingWindow(5, "1m") })
+
 export async function POST(request: Request) {
   const body: { query?: string; items?: string[]; dimensions?: string[] } =
     await request.json();
@@ -25,7 +29,21 @@ export async function POST(request: Request) {
 
   if (!items || items.length < 2) {
     return Response.json(
-      { error: "At least 2 items are required" },
+      { error: "At least 2 items are required for comparison" },
+      { status: 400 }
+    );
+  }
+
+  if (items.length > 10) {
+    return Response.json(
+      { error: "Maximum 10 items allowed per comparison" },
+      { status: 400 }
+    );
+  }
+
+  if (items.some((item) => item.trim().length === 0)) {
+    return Response.json(
+      { error: "Item names cannot be empty" },
       { status: 400 }
     );
   }
@@ -70,6 +88,20 @@ export async function POST(request: Request) {
             );
           }
 
+          if (progress.stage === "searching") {
+            controller.enqueue(
+              encoder.encode(
+                serializeSSE("progress", {
+                  status: "researching",
+                  message: `Searching the web for ${progress.item}... (${progress.results} results found)`,
+                  itemsCompleted,
+                  totalItems: items.length,
+                  currentStep: `Searching ${progress.item}`,
+                })
+              )
+            );
+          }
+
           if (progress.stage === "researching") {
             itemsCompleted++;
             controller.enqueue(
@@ -102,7 +134,17 @@ export async function POST(request: Request) {
           if (progress.stage === "complete") {
             const result = progress.result;
 
-            const comparisonData: Omit<ComparisonData, "id" | "userId" | "slug" | "tags" | "isPublic" | "viewCount" | "createdAt" | "updatedAt"> = {
+            const comparisonData: Omit<
+              ComparisonData,
+              | "id"
+              | "userId"
+              | "slug"
+              | "tags"
+              | "isPublic"
+              | "viewCount"
+              | "createdAt"
+              | "updatedAt"
+            > = {
               title,
               query: query || "",
               status: "completed",
@@ -177,7 +219,7 @@ export async function POST(request: Request) {
               encoder.encode(
                 serializeSSE("progress", {
                   status: "failed",
-                  message: progress.error,
+                  message: `Comparison failed: ${progress.error}`,
                   itemsCompleted,
                   totalItems: items.length,
                   currentStep: "Failed",
@@ -192,11 +234,16 @@ export async function POST(request: Request) {
           .set({ status: "failed", updatedAt: new Date() })
           .where(eq(comparisons.id, id));
 
+        const message =
+          error instanceof Error
+            ? error.message
+            : "An unexpected error occurred during research";
+
         controller.enqueue(
           encoder.encode(
             serializeSSE("progress", {
               status: "failed",
-              message: error instanceof Error ? error.message : "Unknown error",
+              message: `Comparison failed: ${message}`,
               itemsCompleted,
               totalItems: items.length,
               currentStep: "Failed",

src/lib/llm/index.ts

@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ import type {
   ComparisonResult,
   ResearchProgress,
 } from "./types";
-import { generateComparison } from "./providers/openai";
+import { searchItem, type SearchResult } from "./providers/tavily";
+import { generateComparisonWithResearch } from "./providers/openai";
+import { getActiveProvider } from "./providers";
 
 export type {
   ComparisonRequest,
@@ -24,21 +26,44 @@ export async function* runResearch(
     return;
   }
 
-  for (let i = 0; i < request.items.length; i++) {
-    yield {
-      stage: "researching",
-      item: request.items[i],
-      progress: Math.round(((i + 0.5) / request.items.length) * 80),
-    };
+  const provider = getActiveProvider();
+  const searchResults: Record<string, SearchResult[]> = {};
+
+  if (provider.hasSearch) {
+    for (let i = 0; i < request.items.length; i++) {
+      const item = request.items[i];
+      const results = await searchItem(item, request.query);
+      searchResults[item] = results;
+
+      yield {
+        stage: "searching",
+        item,
+        results: results.length,
+      };
+
+      yield {
+        stage: "researching",
+        item,
+        progress: Math.round(((i + 1) / request.items.length) * 50),
+      };
+    }
+  } else {
+    for (let i = 0; i < request.items.length; i++) {
+      yield {
+        stage: "researching",
+        item: request.items[i],
+        progress: Math.round(((i + 0.5) / request.items.length) * 80),
+      };
+    }
   }
 
   yield {
     stage: "synthesizing",
-    message: "Synthesizing research into structured comparison...",
+    message: `Synthesizing research into structured comparison using ${provider.name}...`,
   };
 
   try {
-    const result = await generateComparison(request);
+    const result = await provider.synthesize(request, searchResults);
     yield { stage: "complete", result };
   } catch (error) {
     yield {

src/lib/llm/providers/index.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+import type { ComparisonRequest, ComparisonResult } from "../types";
+import type { SearchResult } from "./tavily";
+import { generateComparisonWithResearch, generateComparison } from "./openai";
+import { synthesizeResearch } from "./perplexity";
+
+export interface Provider {
+  name: string;
+  hasSearch: boolean;
+  synthesize: (
+    request: ComparisonRequest,
+    searchResults: Record<string, SearchResult[]>
+  ) => Promise<ComparisonResult>;
+}
+
+export function getActiveProvider(): Provider {
+  const hasTavily = !!process.env.TAVILY_API_KEY;
+  const hasPerplexity = !!process.env.PERPLEXITY_API_KEY;
+  const hasOpenAI = !!process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY;
+
+  if (hasTavily && hasPerplexity) {
+    console.log("[llm] Using provider: Tavily search + Perplexity synthesis");
+    return {
+      name: "Tavily + Perplexity",
+      hasSearch: true,
+      synthesize: synthesizeResearch,
+    };
+  }
+
+  if (hasTavily && hasOpenAI) {
+    console.log("[llm] Using provider: Tavily search + OpenAI synthesis");
+    return {
+      name: "Tavily + OpenAI",
+      hasSearch: true,
+      synthesize: generateComparisonWithResearch,
+    };
+  }
+
+  if (hasOpenAI) {
+    console.log("[llm] Using provider: OpenAI only (no web search)");
+    return {
+      name: "OpenAI",
+      hasSearch: false,
+      synthesize: async (request) => generateComparison(request),
+    };
+  }
+
+  console.warn(
+    "[llm] No API keys configured. Research will fail at synthesis."
+  );
+  return {
+    name: "None",
+    hasSearch: false,
+    synthesize: async () => {
+      throw new Error(
+        "No LLM provider configured. Set OPENAI_API_KEY, TAVILY_API_KEY, or PERPLEXITY_API_KEY."
+      );
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+export { searchItem, type SearchResult } from "./tavily";
+export { generateComparison, generateComparisonWithResearch } from "./openai";
+export { synthesizeResearch } from "./perplexity";

src/lib/llm/providers/openai.ts

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import type {
   DimensionResult,
   ItemResearch,
 } from "../types";
+import type { SearchResult } from "./tavily";
 
 const client = new OpenAI({
   apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY,
@@ -140,3 +141,75 @@ Provide a comprehensive comparison with scores, pros/cons, and a recommendation.
     `Failed to generate comparison after ${MAX_RETRIES} attempts: ${lastError?.message}`
   );
 }
+
+export async function generateComparisonWithResearch(
+  request: ComparisonRequest,
+  searchResults: Record<string, SearchResult[]>
+): Promise<ComparisonResult> {
+  const allResults = Object.values(searchResults).flat();
+  if (allResults.length === 0) {
+    return generateComparison(request);
+  }
+
+  let researchContext = "Web research data:\n\n";
+  for (const [itemName, results] of Object.entries(searchResults)) {
+    if (results.length === 0) continue;
+    researchContext += `=== ${itemName} ===\n`;
+    for (const r of results) {
+      researchContext += `- ${r.title}: ${r.content}\n  Source: ${r.url}\n`;
+    }
+    researchContext += "\n";
+  }
+
+  const userPrompt = `Compare the following items: ${request.items.join(", ")}
+${request.query ? `Focus: ${request.query}` : ""}
+${request.dimensions?.length ? `Specific dimensions to include: ${request.dimensions.join(", ")}` : ""}
+
+${researchContext}
+
+Use the web research data above to provide factual, data-driven insights. Reference specific data points in your analysis. Provide a comprehensive comparison with scores, pros/cons, and a recommendation.`;
+
+  let lastError: Error | null = null;
+
+  for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= MAX_RETRIES; attempt++) {
+    try {
+      const response = await client.chat.completions.create({
+        model: "gpt-4o-mini",
+        messages: [
+          { role: "system", content: SYSTEM_PROMPT },
+          {
+            role: "system",
+            content:
+              "You have access to real web search results. Use them to ground your comparison in factual data. Cite specific findings from the research when scoring and analyzing items.",
+          },
+          { role: "user", content: userPrompt },
+        ],
+        response_format: { type: "json_object" },
+        temperature: 0.3,
+      });
+
+      const content = response.choices[0]?.message?.content;
+      if (!content) {
+        throw new Error("Empty response from OpenAI");
+      }
+
+      const parsed: unknown = JSON.parse(content);
+
+      if (!validateComparisonResult(parsed)) {
+        throw new Error("Invalid comparison result structure from OpenAI");
+      }
+
+      return parsed;
+    } catch (error) {
+      lastError = error instanceof Error ? error : new Error(String(error));
+
+      if (attempt < MAX_RETRIES) {
+        await sleep(RETRY_DELAY_MS * attempt);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  throw new Error(
+    `Failed to generate comparison with research after ${MAX_RETRIES} attempts: ${lastError?.message}`
+  );
+}

src/lib/llm/providers/perplexity.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+import type { ComparisonRequest, ComparisonResult } from "../types";
+import type { SearchResult } from "./tavily";
+import { generateComparisonWithResearch } from "./openai";
+
+const PERPLEXITY_API_URL = "https://api.perplexity.ai/chat/completions";
+
+const SYSTEM_PROMPT = `You are a research synthesis engine. Given web search results for multiple items, produce a structured JSON comparison.
+
+You MUST respond with valid JSON matching this exact structure:
+{
+  "items": [
+    {
+      "name": "item name",
+      "description": "brief overview",
+      "overallScore": 7.5,
+      "dimensions": {
+        "Dimension Name": {
+          "score": 8,
+          "summary": "brief assessment",
+          "details": "detailed analysis",
+          "pros": ["pro 1"],
+          "cons": ["con 1"]
+        }
+      },
+      "pros": ["overall pro 1"],
+      "cons": ["overall con 1"],
+      "sources": [{ "title": "source", "url": "https://...", "snippet": "excerpt" }]
+    }
+  ],
+  "dimensions": ["Dimension 1", "Dimension 2"],
+  "summary": "comparison summary",
+  "recommendation": "clear recommendation"
+}`;
+
+export async function synthesizeResearch(
+  request: ComparisonRequest,
+  searchResults: Record<string, SearchResult[]>
+): Promise<ComparisonResult> {
+  const apiKey = process.env.PERPLEXITY_API_KEY;
+  if (!apiKey) {
+    return generateComparisonWithResearch(request, searchResults);
+  }
+
+  const allResults = Object.values(searchResults).flat();
+  if (allResults.length === 0) {
+    return generateComparisonWithResearch(request, searchResults);
+  }
+
+  let researchContext = "Search results for each item:\n\n";
+  for (const [itemName, results] of Object.entries(searchResults)) {
+    if (results.length === 0) continue;
+    researchContext += `=== ${itemName} ===\n`;
+    for (const r of results) {
+      researchContext += `- ${r.title}: ${r.content}\n  Source: ${r.url}\n`;
+    }
+    researchContext += "\n";
+  }
+
+  const userPrompt = `Compare: ${request.items.join(", ")}
+${request.query ? `Focus: ${request.query}` : ""}
+${request.dimensions?.length ? `Dimensions: ${request.dimensions.join(", ")}` : ""}
+
+${researchContext}`;
+
+  try {
+    const response = await fetch(PERPLEXITY_API_URL, {
+      method: "POST",
+      headers: {
+        Authorization: `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
+        "Content-Type": "application/json",
+      },
+      body: JSON.stringify({
+        model: "sonar",
+        messages: [
+          { role: "system", content: SYSTEM_PROMPT },
+          { role: "user", content: userPrompt },
+        ],
+        temperature: 0.3,
+      }),
+    });
+
+    if (!response.ok) {
+      console.error(
+        `Perplexity API error: ${response.status} ${response.statusText}`
+      );
+      return generateComparisonWithResearch(request, searchResults);
+    }
+
+    const data = await response.json();
+    const content = data.choices?.[0]?.message?.content;
+
+    if (!content) {
+      console.error("Empty response from Perplexity");
+      return generateComparisonWithResearch(request, searchResults);
+    }
+
+    const parsed: unknown = JSON.parse(content);
+
+    if (
+      !parsed ||
+      typeof parsed !== "object" ||
+      !Array.isArray((parsed as Record<string, unknown>).items) ||
+      !Array.isArray((parsed as Record<string, unknown>).dimensions)
+    ) {
+      console.error("Invalid structure from Perplexity, falling back to OpenAI");
+      return generateComparisonWithResearch(request, searchResults);
+    }
+
+    return parsed as ComparisonResult;
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error(
+      "Perplexity synthesis failed, falling back to OpenAI:",
+      error instanceof Error ? error.message : error
+    );
+    return generateComparisonWithResearch(request, searchResults);
+  }
+}

src/lib/llm/providers/tavily.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+export interface SearchResult {
+  title: string;
+  url: string;
+  content: string;
+  score: number;
+}
+
+const TAVILY_API_URL = "https://api.tavily.com/search";
+
+export async function searchItem(
+  itemName: string,
+  context: string
+): Promise<SearchResult[]> {
+  const apiKey = process.env.TAVILY_API_KEY;
+  if (!apiKey) {
+    return [];
+  }
+
+  try {
+    const query = `${itemName} ${context}`.trim();
+
+    const response = await fetch(TAVILY_API_URL, {
+      method: "POST",
+      headers: {
+        "Content-Type": "application/json",
+      },
+      body: JSON.stringify({
+        api_key: apiKey,
+        query,
+        max_results: 5,
+        include_answer: false,
+        search_depth: "advanced",
+      }),
+    });
+
+    if (!response.ok) {
+      console.error(
+        `Tavily API error: ${response.status} ${response.statusText}`
+      );
+      return [];
+    }
+
+    const data = await response.json();
+
+    if (!data.results || !Array.isArray(data.results)) {
+      return [];
+    }
+
+    return data.results.map(
+      (result: {
+        title?: string;
+        url?: string;
+        content?: string;
+        score?: number;
+      }) => ({
+        title: result.title ?? "",
+        url: result.url ?? "",
+        content: result.content ?? "",
+        score: result.score ?? 0,
+      })
+    );
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error(
+      `Tavily search failed for "${itemName}":`,
+      error instanceof Error ? error.message : error
+    );
+    return [];
+  }
+}

src/lib/llm/types.ts

@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ export interface ComparisonResult {
 
 export type ResearchProgress =
   | { stage: "parsing"; message: string }
+  | { stage: "searching"; item: string; results: number }
   | { stage: "researching"; item: string; progress: number }
   | { stage: "synthesizing"; message: string }
   | { stage: "complete"; result: ComparisonResult }