What is Perplexity AI?
Perplexity AI is a search tool that combines the power of AI with real-time web search. Instead of giving you a list of websites to click through, it reads those sources for you and presents a clear, referenced answer. Every claim it makes includes a citation so you can check where the information came from.
Best Use Cases
Researching a Topic
Perplexity is excellent for research because it pulls together information from multiple sources and presents it in one clear summary, complete with references.
Try this prompt: "What are the current rules for hand luggage on UK domestic flights?"
Getting Up-to-Date Answers
Because Perplexity searches the web in real time, it can answer questions about recent events, new products, or the latest news that other AI tools might not know about.
Try this prompt: "What were the main announcements at the most recent Apple product launch?"
Comparing Options
When you are trying to make a decision, Perplexity can gather and compare information from across the web to help you weigh up your choices.
Try this prompt: "Compare the top 3 budget smartphones available in the UK right now. Include price, battery life, and camera quality."
Connecting Perplexity To Your Other Tools
Perplexity can search your own material alongside the web, so you are not limited to what you paste into the box.
- Spaces — a Space keeps a research thread together with its files and instructions, so follow-up questions build on what you have already gathered rather than starting cold.
- Connectors — link Perplexity to apps and file stores so it can search your own documents and the web in the same answer.
- Custom connectors (MCP) — paid plans let you add your own connection to any service that publishes a Model Context Protocol server. Support varies by platform and plan, so check what is available on your account before relying on it.
Try this prompt: "Search my connected files and the web, then tell me where our internal notes disagree with what has been published in the last month."
Getting Started
- Go to perplexity.ai in your web browser.
- You can start searching straight away without creating an account. For extra features, sign up for free with your email or Google account.
- Type your question in the search box and press Enter. Try: "What is the best way to start learning a new language as an adult?"
Tips for Beginners
- Always check the sources. Perplexity shows you exactly where each piece of information came from, so click the numbered references to verify anything important.
- Use Perplexity when accuracy matters. Because it cites its sources, you can trust and verify the answers more easily than with other AI tools.
- You can ask follow-up questions to dig deeper into any topic. Perplexity keeps the context of your conversation.
- The free version gives you a generous number of searches per day. It is one of the best free AI tools for everyday research.