Perplexity AI is straightforward to use at a basic level, but there are a number of features and techniques that significantly improve the quality of results. Whether you use it occasionally or every day, these tips will help you get more out of it.
1. Use Focus Modes to Narrow Your Source
The Focus selector above the search bar is one of Perplexity’s most underused features. By default it searches the whole web, but switching modes changes where it looks:
- Academic — research papers and journals only, with proper academic citations
- Reddit — pulls from Reddit threads for genuine user opinions and real-world experience
- News — recent news articles only, great for current events
- YouTube — finds and summarises video content
The Reddit mode is particularly powerful for product research. Searching “best budget NAS drive 2025” on Reddit focus surfaces what actual users are recommending, not SEO-optimised affiliate review sites.
2. Ask Follow-Up Questions
Perplexity maintains context within a conversation. After an initial answer, you can ask follow-up questions that build on it without repeating yourself. “What are the best mesh Wi-Fi systems?” followed by “which of those work best with BT broadband?” will factor in your first question. This conversational search is faster than starting multiple separate searches.
3. Save Pro Search for Complex Questions
Pro Search runs a deeper, multi-step search that often asks clarifying questions before answering. It produces noticeably better results for complex or ambiguous queries. Free accounts get 5 Pro Searches per day — use them on your most important queries rather than quick factual lookups.
4. Use Spaces for Research Projects
If you are researching the same topic across multiple sessions, create a Space. Spaces let you set context, upload documents, and keep all related searches together. Useful for: comparing products before a purchase, researching a subject over time, or collaborative research with others (you can share Spaces).
5. Upload Documents and Ask Questions
Pro users can upload PDFs, Word documents, and other files directly into a search or Space. This is one of the most useful features: upload a product manual, contract, research paper, or specification sheet and ask Perplexity to explain, summarise, or compare it. Free users have very limited upload access.
6. Rerun Searches for Updated Information
Because Perplexity searches the live web, rerunning a search on a fast-moving topic will give you updated results. If you searched for something a week ago and things may have changed — software releases, news stories, pricing — search again rather than relying on your saved result.
7. Use It for Comparisons
Perplexity is excellent at direct comparisons. Instead of opening five review sites, ask: “compare Synology DS223 vs QNAP TS-233 for a home server”. It synthesises specifications, user feedback, and expert opinions into a single structured answer.
8. Check the Citations
Every answer includes numbered citations. Get into the habit of clicking through on anything important — the citations are hyperlinked and open the original source. This is what makes Perplexity more trustworthy than AI tools that generate answers from memory: you can always verify.
9. Set Perplexity as Your Phone’s Default Assistant
On Android, you can set Perplexity as your default assistant app, replacing Google Assistant. On iOS, you can add it as a home screen widget for quick access. If you find yourself reaching for Perplexity more than Google on your phone, making it the default assistant removes friction.
10. Use Voice Search on Mobile
The Perplexity mobile app supports voice search — tap the microphone icon and speak your question. The answer is displayed as text and can be read aloud. Useful for hands-free research or when typing is inconvenient.
11. Share Answers
Every Perplexity answer has a share button that generates a link to the full response including citations. Useful for sharing research with colleagues or bookmarking a well-sourced answer for later.
12. Try the Chrome Extension
Perplexity has a Chrome extension that lets you highlight text on any webpage and ask Perplexity a question about it, or get a page summary. It integrates into your browsing workflow without needing to switch tabs.
