How Can I Use Perplexity AI?

Perplexity AI is a powerful tool designed to simplify information gathering, making it suitable for everything from quick questions to in-depth research. With its ability to pull real-time data and provide source-cited responses, Perplexity is invaluable for both professional and creative applications. Here’s how to get the most out of Perplexity AI.



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1. Getting Started with Perplexity AI

  • No Account Needed: Start using Perplexity AI immediately by visiting its official website without signing up. If you’d like to save your chat history and personalize your experience, you can create an account.

  • Account Creation: If you choose to create an account, simply click “Sign Up” and follow the prompts to register with your Google or Apple account or via Single Sign-On (SSO).

2. Accessing Perplexity AI on Various Platforms

Perplexity AI is accessible across multiple platforms for your convenience:

  • Mobile App: Download the Perplexity AI app on Android or iOS for on-the-go access.
  • Chrome Extension: Use the Chrome extension to integrate Perplexity directly into your browser, allowing you to perform searches without leaving your current webpage.

3. Choosing Your Search Mode

Perplexity AI offers six focus modes to tailor your search:

  1. Web: For general internet searches.
  2. Academic: Ideal for scholarly research, citing reputable academic sources.
  3. Math: Perfect for solving mathematical queries and equations.
  4. Writing: Helpful for crafting written content.
  5. Video: For retrieving information related to video content.
  6. Social: Designed for social media-related queries.

Choosing a focus mode can refine your search and improve the accuracy of responses based on your query type.


4. Asking Questions with Perplexity

Perplexity AI offers two main ways to ask questions:

  • Quick Search: Perfect for straightforward questions, Quick Search provides concise, real-time answers with relevant source links.
  • Pro Search: For complex questions, Pro Search dives deeper and may ask follow-up questions to enhance accuracy. Free users can make up to 5 Pro Searches daily, while subscribers get up to 600 searches per day.

For example, asking “What is red light therapy?” yields a summary with relevant sources. You can explore further by following citations for a deeper understanding.


5. Organizing Your Queries with Collections

Perplexity’s Collections feature allows you to save search threads for future reference. You can customize these collections with titles, emojis, and descriptions, making it easy to organize information based on projects or themes.


6. Using Advanced Features

Perplexity AI offers several advanced features to maximize productivity:

  • PDF Upload: Upload up to three PDFs per day for Perplexity to analyze or summarize, allowing you to gain insights from lengthy documents quickly.
  • Copilot Feature: Perplexity’s Copilot assists with vague or open-ended queries by asking follow-up questions, helping refine the response for greater accuracy.



Key Features of Perplexity AI

  • Real-Time Data Retrieval: Unlike traditional search engines, Perplexity AI pulls live data from multiple sources to provide current answers.

  • Citation Transparency: Each response includes citations, ensuring users can verify the credibility of the information or explore it further.

  • Multimodal Capabilities: Perplexity is expanding to include multimodal capabilities, such as image and audio inputs, for an even richer user experience.

  • User-Friendly Interface: With its intuitive design, Perplexity AI is accessible to users of all technical backgrounds.



Use Cases for Perplexity AI

Professional Applications

  • Education: Create lesson plans, personalize learning experiences, and stay updated on educational trends.
  • Student Learning: Break down complex topics, receive tutoring support, and get feedback on assignments.
  • Product Management: Access best practices for development, market analysis, and user research insights.
  • Legal Research: Quickly locate relevant case laws, legal precedents, and summarize legal documents.
  • Financial Analysis: Summarize financial reports, market forecasts, and investment insights.
  • Customer Support: Find solutions to common issues and draft responses for customer inquiries.


Creative Applications

  • Scriptwriting: Generate dialogue or scenes for plays or video scripts.
  • Music and Lyrics: Get inspiration for lyrics or musical compositions.
  • Emails and Letters: Draft professional or personal correspondence quickly.

Example of Using Perplexity AI

If you ask, “What are the health benefits of yoga?” Perplexity will:

  1. Scan health and fitness sites, medical journals, and yoga blogs.
  2. Summarize the physical and mental benefits of yoga.
  3. Provide a clear, concise answer with source citations, ensuring easy verification.

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How to Use Perplexity AI for Research

Perplexity AI is a powerful tool for streamlining research with real-time, accurate information. Whether you’re conducting academic research, working on a project, or exploring a new topic, here’s a guide to using Perplexity AI effectively.

1. Getting Started with Perplexity AI

  • Access the Platform: Use Perplexity AI on its website, download the app for Android or iOS, or add it as a Chrome extension for easy access during your browsing.

2. Navigating the Interface

  • Intuitive Layout: Start by typing your research question into the “Ask Anything” search bar.
  • Focus Modes: Tailor your research by choosing a focus mode. Options like Web, Academic, Math, Writing, Video, and Social allow you to refine responses based on your context.

3. Conducting Research Queries

  • Ask Natural Language Questions: Enter questions like “What are the latest advancements in renewable energy?” for relevant answers.
  • Follow-Up Questions: Ask follow-up questions to delve deeper into related topics, providing a more comprehensive view of your research subject.


4. Using Advanced Features

  • Real-Time Data Retrieval: Perplexity pulls real-time information from credible sources, ensuring you get the latest available data.
  • Citation Transparency: Each response includes citations so you can verify the information and further explore sources.
  • Summarization: Use the summarization feature to condense large volumes of text into concise summaries, making it easier to understand complex information.

5. Organizing Your Research

  • Creating Collections: Save and organize your queries and responses in Collections. This is particularly useful for managing multiple research topics.
  • Threads: Group related searches into threads, enabling you to save and revisit organized conversations later.

6. Leveraging Copilot Guidance

  • Interactive Assistance: The Copilot feature acts as a virtual research assistant, suggesting related topics and refining your search results to uncover new avenues of exploration.

7. Multimodal Capabilities

  • Upload Documents: Upload PDFs or images if you have specific documents you’re researching. Perplexity can analyze and summarize uploaded content, allowing for more tailored responses.

8. Fact-Checking and Verification

To ensure accuracy, consult the cited sources provided with each response. This step is essential for academic or professional research, where credibility is crucial.

Example Workflow

  1. Initial Query: Start broad with a question like “What are the benefits of machine learning?”
  2. Follow-Up Questions: After the initial answer, ask specific follow-ups such as “How is machine learning applied in healthcare?”
  3. Organize Information: Save valuable responses in a collection for future reference.
  4. Explore with Copilot: Use Copilot to suggest related topics, such as “What are the challenges of implementing machine learning?”
  5. Verify Sources: Review citations to confirm the reliability of the information.

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How to Use Perplexity AI for Research on Reddit

Perplexity AI is an excellent tool for researching Reddit discussions, offering real-time, accurate information that can provide deeper insights into various topics. Here’s a step-by-step guide to using Perplexity AI for effective Reddit-based research.

1. Accessing Perplexity AI

  • Website or App: Start by visiting the Perplexity AI website or downloading its mobile app for Android or iOS. You can also add the Chrome extension for easy access while browsing Reddit.

2. Setting Up Your Profile

  • Create an Account: Although you can use Perplexity without an account, signing up allows you to save queries and tailor your experience.
  • Profile Customization: Customize your profile by adding preferences such as interests and preferred communication style, which will help Perplexity provide more relevant responses.

3. Choosing Focus Modes

  • Select a Focus Mode: Perplexity offers various modes, including Web, Academic, Math, Writing, Video, and Social. Choose the mode that best suits your context. For instance, if you’re researching popular opinions or social perspectives on Reddit, the Social mode can be helpful.

4. Conducting Research Queries

  • Ask Questions: Enter your research question in natural language. For example, “What are the main benefits of meditation?” Perplexity will interpret the question to provide relevant answers.
  • Quick and Pro Search: Use Quick Search for direct answers or Pro Search for more detailed responses, including follow-up questions.

5. Utilizing Real-Time Data Retrieval

  • Accessing Current Information: Perplexity’s real-time data retrieval is especially useful for fast-evolving topics discussed on Reddit, ensuring you get the latest available information.

6. Citing Sources

  • Citation Transparency: Each Perplexity response includes citations from credible sources, which is essential for verifying the information and exploring further.

7. Organizing Your Research

  • Creating Collections: Save and organize responses into Collections, which is particularly helpful for tracking specific Reddit topics over time.
  • Editing Queries: Adjust your search with the edit query button to refine your questions based on previous results.

8. Exploring Related Searches

  • Related Searches: After receiving a response, check related searches at the bottom. This feature helps you discover additional relevant topics or dive deeper into the subject.

9. Interacting with Copilot

  • Interactive Assistance: Perplexity’s Copilot feature suggests related topics and refines searches based on your interactions, which can help expand your research scope on Reddit topics.

10. Using Multimodal Capabilities

  • Upload Documents: If relevant, upload PDFs or images for analysis or summarization, which can further personalize responses based on your research needs.


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