How to Use Perplexity Pro

Getting started with Perplexity Pro

In this guide, you'll learn how to quickly set up and use Perplexity Pro to get structured, cited answers to your questions. You'll be able to leverage its AI capabilities to enhance your research and decision-making.

Step 1: Sign up and set up

1. Go to Perplexity.ai.
2. Click on the "Sign Up" button in the top right corner.
3. Choose to sign up with your email or social media account.
4. Follow the prompts to verify your account.
5. Once logged in, you can access the free tier or upgrade to Pro for $20/month by clicking on your profile icon and selecting "Upgrade".

Step 2: Your first search

1. On the homepage, you’ll see a search bar. Type in a complex question, e.g., "What are the effects of climate change on agriculture?"
2. Press "Enter" or click the magnifying glass icon.
3. Perplexity Pro will generate a structured response with citations. Review the information provided.
4. If you want more details, click on the cited links for further reading.

Step 3: Get better results

1. Use specific keywords in your questions to improve accuracy. For example, instead of "climate change", try "impact of climate change on wheat yield".
2. Explore the "Pro Search" feature by clicking on the "Advanced Options" toggle before you search. This allows you to filter results based on date, source type, or relevance.
3. Save useful answers by clicking on the "Save" button next to any response for easy access later.

Pro tip

Use quotation marks around phrases (e.g., "climate change effects") to get answers that contain that exact phrase, which can refine your results significantly.

Common mistake to avoid

Avoid overly broad or vague questions. Specificity is key. For instance, instead of asking "Tell me about climate change," ask "How does climate change affect marine biodiversity?" This will yield much more useful responses.