Say what the fluid touches
Water-based, oil-based or dry powder is decided by the medium, not by the magnetic strength you want. pH and ionic strength decide whether you need a P-suffix grade.
Say what field you have
A permanent magnet in a lab and an electromagnet in a fixture give very different results. If you have a target force or gap, that is even better than a grade reference.
Say what "working" means
Visible domain walls under a microscope, a bead that separates cleanly, a seal that holds for a thousand hours — each points to a different grade.
Ask us to disagree
If ferrofluid is the wrong material — for instance you actually need magnetorheological fluid to transmit torque — we will say so. It saves you more time than a fast quote does.