perplexity.ai
https://www.perplexity.ai
Perplexity is an AI answer engine: you ask a question in plain language, it searches the web
in real time, reads the results, and writes a short answer with numbered citations you can click.
It is closer to "a search engine that reads the pages for you" than to a general chat assistant.
That makes it a good neighbor to the other AI tools: use it when you need fresh, sourced facts.
Features, plan names, limits and models change often. This sheet is a guide as of late 2026.
Check perplexity.ai and its help center for what your plan includes today.
Get started
1. Go to perplexity.ai in a browser (works without an account for basic questions)
2. Sign in (Google, Apple, email, or single sign-on) to save threads and unlock more features
3. Type a question and press Enter. Read the answer, then click the [1] [2] [3] numbers to open the sources
4. Ask a follow-up in the same thread. Perplexity remembers the earlier questions in that thread
Apps: iOS, Android, and desktop apps are available. Perplexity also makes its own AI web browser, Comet.
The main parts of the screen
Search box Ask here. Attach files with the paperclip. Choose the mode and sources near the box
Answer A written summary with numbered citations
Sources The pages it used (open them: this is how you check the answer)
Related Suggested follow-up questions you can click
Threads (Library) Your saved conversations, searchable
Spaces Folders for a topic or project, with your own instructions and files
Discover Curated news and trending topics
Search modes (what it does with your question)
Search Quick web search plus a written answer. Best for everyday questions
Pro Search Slower and deeper: it plans steps, runs several searches, and can ask clarifying questions
Research Deep research: works for a few minutes across many sources and writes a long, structured report
Labs Builds bigger deliverables: reports, spreadsheets, dashboards, simple web apps (paid plans)
Names and limits change. The idea is the same: quick answer for simple questions, deeper modes for hard ones.
Pick the lightest mode that does the job. Deep modes use up your daily allowance faster.
Sources (where it looks)
Web The whole web (default)
Academic Scholarly papers and research
Social Discussions such as forums and Reddit
Finance Market data, filings and earnings
Writing / No web Answers only from the model, no search (good for rewriting and brainstorming)
Files and Spaces Your uploaded documents, and connected apps on some plans
Choose the source before you search. Academic is far better than Web for research questions.
Models
Paid plans let you pick the underlying AI model for answers (Perplexity's own Sonar models, plus models
from other AI companies). The picker is near the search box or in Settings. If you are unsure, use the default or "Best".
Different models are stronger at speed, reasoning, coding, or long writing. Try the same question on two and compare.
Writing good questions
1. Be specific: who, what, where, when
Weak: "electric cars"
Better: "How much does it cost to install a Level 2 home EV charger in Texas in 2026?"
2. Say the format you want
"Answer in 5 bullet points, then a one-line recommendation"
"Compare A and B in a table with price, speed, and limits"
"Explain it to a beginner in 3 short paragraphs"
3. Say the time frame "since January 2026", "in the last 30 days", "as of this year"
4. Say what sources you trust "use official documentation and government sources only", "prefer peer-reviewed studies"
5. Ask for both sides "give the strongest arguments for and against"
6. Ask for uncertainty "say what is unclear or disputed, and how confident the sources are"
7. Keep one topic per thread Start a new thread for a new subject so the context stays clean
Prompt patterns that work
"Summarize the latest news on X. Group it by topic, and list the source for each point."
"Compare X, Y and Z for [my situation]. Use a table. Then recommend one and say why."
"What are the pros, cons and known problems of X? Include recent user complaints."
"Find 5 primary sources (official docs or papers) about X and summarize each in two sentences."
"Explain this error message and give the likely causes, most common first: [paste error]"
"Give me a step-by-step guide to X for Ubuntu 24.04. Use only official documentation."
"What changed between version A and version B of X? Use the release notes."
"Fact-check this claim and show the evidence for and against: [claim]"
"Make a 7-day itinerary for [city], with opening hours and prices from official sites."
"I am new to X. Give me a learning plan for 4 weeks, with free resources."
Follow-ups (use the thread)
"Explain that more simply" "Show only the sources from official websites"
"Add the pros and cons of each" "Turn that into a table"
"What did you leave out?" "Which of those sources is the most reliable, and why?"
"Now write a short email summarizing this" "Give me the exact commands, not a description"
Files and images
Attach PDFs, text, spreadsheets, code and images (limits depend on your plan)
"Summarize this document in 10 bullet points and list any dates and deadlines."
"What are the risks in this contract? Quote the exact clauses."
"Extract the table on page 3 into CSV."
"Explain this chart" / "Read the text in this screenshot"
Do not upload private, confidential or regulated data unless your plan and policy allow it.
Spaces (organize a project)
A Space is a workspace for one topic: your own instructions, uploaded files, and all the related threads.
Create: Spaces > New Space > name it > add instructions (for example "Answer as a Linux sysadmin, cite official docs only")
Use for: a research project, a class, a home renovation, a codebase, a job search, competitor tracking
Add files: Space > Files. Every question in that Space can use them.
Share: some plans let you share a Space with teammates or friends.
Good custom instructions: your role, your level, the format you want, the sources you trust, and things to avoid.
Threads and the Library
Every question creates a thread. Find them in Library, search by keyword, and rename, pin or delete them.
Share a thread: use Share to make a link (check who can see it first).
Export: copy the answer, or download it as Markdown or PDF where offered.
Incognito or private threads (where available) are not saved to your history.
Voice, mobile and browser
Voice mode Ask out loud and hear the answer (mobile apps and web on some plans)
Mobile Camera and photos: point at an object, a label or a plant and ask what it is
Browser extension Ask about the page you are on and summarize it
Comet (browser) Perplexity's AI browser: an assistant that can read and act on pages you have open
Only give a browser assistant access to sites and accounts you are comfortable with.
Perplexity API (Sonar), for developers
Get a key: Settings > API, then create and copy it. Keep it secret.
export PPLX_API_KEY="pplx-xxxxxxxx"
The API follows the OpenAI chat-completions format, so many libraries work by changing the base URL.
curl https://api.perplexity.ai/chat/completions \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $PPLX_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"model": "sonar",
"messages": [
{"role": "system", "content": "Be concise. Cite sources."},
{"role": "user", "content": "What is new in Kubernetes 1.34?"}
]
}'
Read just the answer: ... | jq -r '.choices[0].message.content' Citations are returned in the response too.
Python (using the OpenAI library):
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(api_key="pplx-...", base_url="https://api.perplexity.ai")
r = client.chat.completions.create(
model="sonar",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Latest stable version of PostgreSQL?"}],
)
print(r.choices[0].message.content)
Model families: sonar (fast, cheap search answers), sonar-pro (deeper, more sources),
sonar-reasoning / sonar-reasoning-pro (multi-step reasoning), sonar-deep-research (long reports).
Useful options (names may change): search_domain_filter (allow or block sites), search_recency_filter (day, week, month, year),
return_images, return_related_questions, max_tokens, temperature. Read the docs at docs.perplexity.ai for current models, prices and limits.
API usage is billed separately from a Pro subscription. Set a spending limit and never commit your key to git.
Checking answers (do this every time it matters)
- Open the cited sources and confirm the page actually says what the answer claims
- Prefer primary sources: official docs, standards, court or government sites, the paper itself
- Check dates: an old page can be presented as current
- Be careful with numbers, quotes, legal, medical and financial claims, and anything you will act on
- If it looks wrong, ask: "Which source says that? Quote the exact sentence."
- Ask the same question in Academic or another model and compare
Citations make errors easier to catch, but AI can still misread or misquote a source.
Privacy and safety
- Do not paste passwords, API keys, private keys, customer data or confidential company information
- Review Settings > Privacy: history, whether your data may be used to improve models, and account deletion
- Check who can see a shared thread or Space before you send the link
- Enterprise and business plans have stronger controls: use them for company data
- Treat any browser or connector permission like a password: grant the least access you need
Good uses and poor uses
Great for Use something else for
Fresh facts, news, prices, releases Long creative writing (a general chat model may suit better)
Quick research with sources Private data you cannot share (use a local model such as Ollama)
Comparing products or options Heavy code changes inside your project (use a coding assistant)
Learning a topic and finding good links Exact legal, medical or financial decisions (ask a professional)
Summarizing pages, papers, PDFs Anything where you never check the source
Working with your other AI neighbors
Perplexity Live web answers with citations. Start here for "what is true and current?"
Claude Long documents, careful reasoning, writing, and coding (including Claude Code in the terminal)
ChatGPT A general assistant with many tools and integrations
Gemini Works closely with Google apps and search
Ollama (local) Private, offline, free per question, on your own machine
A simple workflow: research the facts in Perplexity, paste the verified notes into another assistant to draft or code,
and run sensitive work on a local model. Use the tool that fits the job, and cross-check when it matters.
Common problems
The answer has no sources You may be in a no-web/Writing mode. Switch the source to Web
Old or wrong information Ask for "the latest as of today" and check dates. Use Pro Search or Research mode
It ignored my instructions Put your rules at the top, keep them short, or save them in a Space's instructions
Hit the daily limit Deep modes have small allowances. Use plain Search for simple questions, or upgrade
Sources do not support the claim Ask it to quote the sentence, or check the page yourself. This can happen with any AI
Cannot open a source Paywalled or blocked. Search the page title directly or check archive copies
Long thread gets confused Start a new thread and paste a short summary of what matters
Files will not upload Check the size and type limits for your plan
Missing feature Features roll out by plan, country and platform. Check the help center
Tips
Choose the source first (Web, Academic, Social, Finance) and the lightest mode that fits.
Ask precise questions with a time frame, a format and the sources you trust.
Click the citations. The answer is a summary, and the sources are the evidence.
Use Spaces to keep a project's instructions and files together.
Use follow-ups instead of starting over. Start a new thread when the topic changes.
Keep secrets out of prompts, and use a local model for private material.
Cross-check important answers, especially numbers, quotes, medical, legal and money decisions.
Be a good neighbor to the other tools: each AI has strengths, so pick the right one for each step.
Plans, models and limits change often. See perplexity.ai and docs.perplexity.ai for the current details.