Perplexity AI — User Guide
AI search with live web access and cited sources.
Strengths
- Real-time Internet search, latest information
- Each answer comes with a source citation that can be verified
- Answer concisely and directly, no need to sift through search results yourself
- Support follow-up questions and maintain conversation context
- No registration required to use basic functions
Best for
- Quickly learn the latest information on a topic
- Research and fact-checking
- Quick answers to technical questions
- Understanding the background of news events
- Comparative research on products and services
Basic search and Q&A
Perplexity works similarly to a regular search engine, but with more direct answers and clearer sources.
Learn about the latest technology trends
In the Perplexity search box enter: "What are the latest big language models in 2025? In what areas have they made breakthroughs? "
Perplexity will:
Search for the latest information in real time
Integrate multiple sources to give a comprehensive answer
Mark the source number for each key point
A list of cited sources is displayed on the right (click to view the original text)
Relevant follow-up suggestions are provided at the bottom.
Click the numeric icon in the answer to view the corresponding source and verify the accuracy of the information.
Research a product or service
"Compared with Cursor AI Editor and GitHub Copilot, What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Which one is better for independent developers? "
Perplexity searches for the latest user reviews and review articles,
Provide objective comparative analysis,
Quotes come from multiple sources including Reddit, tech blogs, etc.
Help make purchasing decisions.
Product comparison questions are Perplexity’s strength, with diverse sources of quotes and more objective views.
In-depth research (Pro feature)
Perplexity Pro offers deeper research capabilities, allowing for multiple rounds of in-depth surveys.
Use the Deep Research feature
(Pro users click the "Deep Research" button) "Please study in depth: the current application status of AI in the field of medical diagnosis, Including: approved AI medical products, clinical trial results, regulatory challenges, and development trends in the next three years"
Deep Research will:
Automatically conduct multiple rounds of searches (about 5-10 minutes)
Search academic papers, news, and industry reports
Generate structured in-depth reports
Contains dozens of citation sources
Reports can be exported to PDF
Deep Research is suitable for scenarios that require comprehensive research, and the quality of the generated reports is close to that of professional research reports.
Tips and advanced features
Master these tips to make your Perplexity search results more accurate.
Specify search scope and source type
Source type can be specified when searching: Academic sources: "Latest Advances in Quantum Computing [focus: Academic]" Specific website: "site:reddit.com Cursor AI experience" Time range: "Top news from the AI industry over the past month" Language: You can switch the interface language and search language in the settings
After specifying the source type, the search results will be more targeted.
The academic mode will give priority to citing academic sources such as arXiv and PubMed.
Improve the credibility of information.
The Pro version can choose to use GPT-4o or Claude as the underlying model, and the answer quality is higher.
Compared with similar tools
| Tool | Strength | Best for | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perplexity AI This tool | Real-time networking, clear source citations, and accurate answers | Need the latest information, research, fact-checking | Free version / Pro $20/month |
| ChatGPT | Greater general ability to handle complex tasks | Requires in-depth analysis, creative writing, code generation | Free version / Plus $20/month |
| You.com | Supports multiple search modes, strong code search | Programmer search, need code related results | Free version/paid version |
| The most comprehensive search results and the best localization | Need to browse multiple web pages and search for local information | free |
Sources & references:
- Perplexity AI official website (2025-03)
- Perplexity User Guide (2025-03)