Skip to main content

​
kagi fastgpt

Answer queries using Kagi’s FastGPT API for quick, factual responses.

​
Synopsis

kagi fastgpt [OPTIONS] <QUERY>

​
Description

The kagi fastgpt command queries Kagi’s FastGPT API, which provides quick, factual answers optimized for speed and accuracy. Unlike the Assistant which maintains conversation threads, FastGPT is designed for single-question answering. Key characteristics:
  • Fast response times
  • Factual, concise answers
  • No conversation state
  • API-based (consumes credit)

​
Authentication

Required: KAGI_API_TOKEN FastGPT requires API access and consumes API credit per request.

​
Arguments

​
<QUERY> (Required)

The question or query to answer. Example: 
kagi fastgpt "What is the capital of France?"
kagi fastgpt "Explain machine learning in simple terms"

​
Options

​
--cache <BOOL>

Enable or disable response caching. Values: true, false Default: true When enabled, identical queries may return cached responses for faster results and reduced API usage. Example: 
kagi fastgpt "What is Rust?" --cache false

​
--web-search <BOOL>

Enable web search augmentation. Values: true Default: true (web search enabled) Note: Kagi’s documentation notes that values other than true for --web-search are currently unsupported in practice.

​
Output Format

{
  "meta": {
    "id": "req-123",
    "node": "us-east",
    "ms": 275
  },
  "data": {
    "output": "The answer to your question...",
    "tokens": 57,
    "references": []
  }
}

​
Fields

FieldTypeDescription
metaobjectRequest metadata from the API
data.outputstringFastGPT’s answer
data.tokensintegerToken count reported by the API
data.referencesarraySupporting references when available

​
Examples

​
Basic Queries

# Factual question
kagi fastgpt "What is the speed of light?"

# Explanation
kagi fastgpt "How does photosynthesis work?"

# Comparison
kagi fastgpt "What's the difference between TCP and UDP?"

​
Processing Output

# Extract just the answer
kagi fastgpt "What is Docker?" | jq -r '.data.output'

# Save response
kagi fastgpt "Explain blockchain" > blockchain-explanation.json

# Use in scripts
ANSWER=$(kagi fastgpt "What is $TECHNOLOGY?" | jq -r '.data.output')
echo "Technology: $TECHNOLOGY"
echo "Explanation: $ANSWER"

​
Quick Reference Tool

#!/bin/bash
# quick-answer.sh

TERM="$1"
[ -z "$TERM" ] && { echo "Usage: quick-answer.sh <term>"; exit 1; }

echo "🔍 Quick answer for: $TERM"
echo ""
kagi fastgpt "What is $TERM?" | jq -r '.data.output'

​
Exit Codes

CodeMeaning
0Success - answer received
1Error - see stderr
Common errors:
  • Missing API token
  • Insufficient API credit
  • Rate limiting
  • Network error

​
Comparison with Assistant

FeatureFastGPTAssistant
TokenAPISession
SpeedFasterSlightly slower
ConversationsSingle queryThreaded
CostAPI creditIncluded with subscription
Use caseQuick factsComplex discussions

​
When to Use FastGPT

Good for:
  • Quick factual questions
  • Simple explanations
  • Single-turn queries
  • Automated workflows
  • Cost-sensitive operations
Not ideal for:
  • Multi-turn conversations
  • Complex reasoning chains
  • Context-dependent queries
  • Creative writing

​
Best Practices

​
Clear Questions

# Good - specific
kagi fastgpt "What are the main differences between Python 2 and Python 3?"

# Less effective - vague
kagi fastgpt "Python"

​
Error Handling

if ANSWER=$(kagi fastgpt "Question" 2>/dev/null | jq -r '.data.output'); then
  echo "Answer: $ANSWER"
else
  echo "Failed to get answer - check API credit"
fi

​
Caching Strategy

# For frequently asked questions, caching reduces cost
kagi fastgpt "What is REST?" --cache true

# For time-sensitive queries, disable caching
kagi fastgpt "What is the current weather in Tokyo?" --cache false

​
See Also

Last updated: March 2026