# How to use Perplexity AI: a beginner guide to the answer engine that cites its sources

> Perplexity is an AI answer engine. You ask a question in plain words, it searches the web, and it writes an answer with the sources it used, so you can open each one. It runs in a browser, in phone apps and in its own browser, Comet. You can ask on the web without registering, and a paid Pro plan adds more.

Mindket editors · Published 2026-11-06 · Updated 2026-11-06 · https://mindket.com/learn/tools/perplexity

## In short

- Perplexity answers from fresh web pages and lists them, so you can open the page behind a claim.
- The default mode suits quick questions. Switch to Research when you want a longer report.
- The free plan has small allowances for the deeper modes, and they change, so read the plan page.
- A cited answer can still be wrong. Open the source for anything that matters.

## What Perplexity is

Perplexity is a search tool that writes. It is made by Perplexity AI, an American company founded in August 2022. According to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perplexity_AI), it uses large language models to read web pages and write one answer with the sources it relied on. A classic search engine hands you a list of pages and leaves the reading to you.

You use it in a browser at perplexity.ai, in the iOS and Android apps, or in Comet, the Chromium browser Perplexity launched in July 2025. Wikipedia says the web version is free to use without registration, with a paid Pro plan on top.

## What Perplexity is good for

- **Quick cited answers**: ask a how-to or factual question and read a short answer with the pages it came from, instead of opening ten tabs.
- **Research reports**: Research mode runs many searches and writes a longer report, and [Perplexity says](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/10738684-what-is-research-mode) it completes most research tasks in under 3 minutes.
- **Product and travel questions**: ask for options and read the sources behind each pick, from restaurants to which laptop to buy.
- **Questions about a file**: upload a PDF and ask about it. File uploads are basic on the free plan.
- **Browsing with an assistant**: Comet is Perplexity's AI browser, free to download since October 2025.
- **Multi-step projects**: Computer, launched in February 2026, splits a goal such as a presentation or a dashboard into steps. [Perplexity's own video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoD6LUiTuH8) explains it.

## When to use Perplexity, and when to pick another

| Your job | Use Perplexity? | Or try |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Look something up and see the pages behind the answer | Yes. Every answer lists its sources | ChatGPT or Gemini, which also search the web |
| A long report on one topic | Yes, in Research mode, with a small free allowance | Gemini Deep Research, which has a daily free allowance |
| Answers only from your own documents | Not first. File uploads are basic on the free plan | NotebookLM |
| Write, rewrite or brainstorm | Not its main job | ChatGPT or Claude |
| Write code inside your editor | No | Cursor, GitHub Copilot or Claude Code |

## How to use Perplexity, step by step

These steps are the ones that stay the same from one version of the app to the next.

1. **Open Perplexity.** Go to [perplexity.ai](https://www.perplexity.ai/) in a browser, or install the app on your phone. You can ask a question without an account.
2. **Ask in plain words.** Type your question in the search box and press Enter. Add what the answer is for and the dates you care about.
3. **Open the sources.** The answer lists the pages it used. Select a source to read the passage, and drop one you do not trust if the page lets you remove it.
4. **Ask a follow-up.** Type under the answer to narrow it, such as "only sources from this year".
5. **Pick a deeper mode.** Open the mode selector in the search box and choose **Research** for a longer report. The free plan lists 3 Pro Searches a day and 1 Research a month.
6. **Add a file.** For a question about your own document, upload a PDF and ask about it.
7. **Make a free account.** Sign up when you want your settings kept, such as short, direct answers.

1. Type your question in the **Ask anything** box in the middle of the home page, then press Enter to send it.
   ![An illustration of Perplexity's home page with a gold ring around the Ask anything box.](https://mindket.com/blog/screens/perplexity-1-search-box.webp?v=918ff6f79974)
2. Read the answer, then look at the **Sources** row under the question. Select a source to read the passage it came from.
   ![An illustration of a Perplexity answer with a gold ring around the Sources row under the question.](https://mindket.com/blog/screens/perplexity-2-sources.webp?v=be433d353a58)
3. Type in the **Ask a follow-up** box under the answer to narrow it, such as "only sources from this year".
   ![An illustration of a Perplexity answer with a gold ring around the Ask a follow-up box at the bottom.](https://mindket.com/blog/screens/perplexity-3-follow-up.webp?v=b2cd475ff71d)
4. Open the mode menu in the search box and choose **Research** for a longer report.
   ![An illustration of Perplexity's open mode menu with a gold ring around the Research row.](https://mindket.com/blog/screens/perplexity-4-research-mode.webp?v=9aa9e2c2f477)

*AI-made illustrations of Perplexity's screens, drawn on 6 November 2026 to match these steps. They are not screenshots, so the real app may look different: follow what you see.*

> The tutorials at the top of this page show these steps on screen.

## An example to try

Pick a topic where you can check the facts. Paste this into the search box.

````text
What is the difference between a heat pump and a gas furnace for heating a home?
Answer in two short paragraphs, then give me three sources I can open to check the claims.
````

- A good answer is short, answers the question in its first lines and lists sources you can open.
- Open each source. If a page does not support the sentence it is attached to, the answer is wrong there.
- Run the same question in Research mode once and compare how many sources each one used.

## Tips for better results

- Put the context in the question: your country, the dates, and what you will do with the answer.
- Ask for sources from the last 12 months when the topic moves fast.
- Group related questions in a project, which 2025 tutorials call a Space.
- Keep Research for questions that need a report, because the free plan gives you one a month.

## Limits to know

Free allowances move. Perplexity [announced Deep Research on X](https://x.com/perplexity_ai/status/1890452005472055673) in February 2025 with up to 5 free queries a day. Its [plan page](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/11187416-which-perplexity-subscription-plan-is-right-for-you) now lists 1 Research a month on the free plan, and Pro's limit is monthly, for average use. The mode itself is now called Research.

Citations show where a claim came from, not that the claim is right. Wikipedia records that Dow Jones and the New York Post sued Perplexity, alleging among other claims that it attributed hallucinated quotes to articles that did not contain them.

## YouTube tutorials

- [Master 95% of Perplexity In 16 Minutes (Full Guide)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHfbBEuE6Rs) (Parker Prompts)
- [How to Use Perplexity AI: The UNDERRATED Search AI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOHfJZ4DVqE) (Kevin Stratvert)
- [What Is Perplexity Computer? | Perplexity Academy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoD6LUiTuH8) (Perplexity)

## Learn more about Perplexity

- [Best AI for research in 2026: deep research tools, paper search and notebooks compared](https://mindket.com/learn/ai-tools/best-ai-for-research)
- [How to use AI for research and check what it finds](https://mindket.com/learn/ai-for-work/research-with-ai)
- [AI hallucinations: why chatbots make things up and how to check](https://mindket.com/learn/ai-basics/ai-hallucinations)
- [Which AI model should I use for my task?](https://mindket.com/learn/ai-basics/choose-an-ai-model)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Perplexity AI?

It is an answer engine that searches the web and writes an answer with the sources it used. Perplexity AI, an American company, founded it in August 2022.

### Is Perplexity free?

Yes, to start. The web version works without registration, and the free plan lists 3 Pro Searches a day and 1 Research a month. A paid Pro plan adds a choice of AI models and more.

### Do I need an account to use Perplexity?

No, not to ask a question on the web. A free account is for keeping your settings, such as short, direct answers, and for the free plan's allowances.

### Is Perplexity better than Google?

They do different jobs. Perplexity gives one written answer with its sources, and a search engine is quicker when you want a specific site or a map.

### Is Perplexity Research the same as Deep Research?

Yes. Perplexity launched it as Deep Research in February 2025, and the mode is now called Research in the mode selector.

### What is Comet?

Comet is Perplexity's AI browser, built on Chromium. It launched in July 2025 for the top plan and has been free to download since October 2025.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Perplexity AI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perplexity_AI) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Perplexity: What is Research mode?](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/10738684-what-is-research-mode) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Perplexity: Which subscription plan is right for you?](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/11187416-which-perplexity-subscription-plan-is-right-for-you) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Perplexity (@perplexity_ai) on X: Deep Research launch](https://x.com/perplexity_ai/status/1890452005472055673) (read 2026-11-05)
- [YouTube: Parker Prompts, Master 95% of Perplexity In 16 Minutes (Full Guide)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHfbBEuE6Rs) (read 2026-11-06)
- [YouTube: Kevin Stratvert, How to Use Perplexity AI: The UNDERRATED Search AI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOHfJZ4DVqE) (read 2026-11-06)
- [YouTube: Perplexity, What Is Perplexity Computer? | Perplexity Academy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoD6LUiTuH8) (read 2026-11-06)

[Start the lesson](https://mindket.com/learn/ai-tools/best-ai-for-research)