5 Powerful Features in Perplexity AI You're Not Using Yet

While Perplexity AI is already transforming how we get answers, most users are barely scratching the surface of its capabilities. Prepare to unlock five powerful, underused features that will revolutionize your research, organization, and content creation.

Audio Podcast (3 minutes)

What is Perplexity AI?

Perplexity AI is a powerful AI search assistant that combines web search with AI synthesis to provide direct answers to your questions. Unlike traditional search engines that give you a list of links, Perplexity searches the web, reads the most relevant sources, and presents clear answers with citations.

While many users have discovered this helpful tool, most are only using its basic features. In this guide, we'll explore five powerful features that can transform how you research, organize information, and create content.

Feature #1: Focus Mode - Target Your Sources with Precision

Focus Mode allows you to control where Perplexity pulls information from, dramatically changing the quality and perspective of the answers you receive.

Available Focus Options:

• Web Focus (Default): Searches across the entire internet for the most relevant information.
• Academic Focus: Prioritizes scholarly sources, research papers, and academic journals.
• Social Focus: Sources information from social media, forums, and discussion boards.
• Video Focus: Analyzes content from video platforms like YouTube.
• Writing Focus: Optimized for content creation, coding, and creative tasks.
• Math Focus: Powered by Wolfram Alpha for mathematical computations and analysis.

How To Use Focus Mode:

1. Type your query in the search box.
2. Click the "Focus" button below the search box.
3. Select the focus type that best matches your needs.
4. Get tailored results from your preferred sources.

Real-World Example: Asking "What are the benefits of cold showers?" with Academic Focus will give you scientifically-backed data. Using Social Focus will provide personal experiences from Reddit.

Feature #2: Spaces - Create Custom Research Environments

Spaces are like intelligent folders that keep your research organized by topic. Their real power comes from adding custom instructions that Perplexity will follow for every conversation within that space.

Setting Up a Space with Custom Instructions:

1. Click on "Spaces" in the left sidebar.
2. Click "Create Space".
3. Name your Space (e.g., "YouTube Research").
4. Add custom instructions (e.g., "For each new AI tool, provide a one-sentence overview, key features, and 3 potential video title ideas.").
5. Start creating threads within your new Space.

Advanced Tip: Spaces can be shared with up to five team members, making them perfect for collaborative research for marketing teams, student groups, or content creators.

Feature #3: Deep Research Mode - Your Personal Research Assistant

Deep Research Mode transforms Perplexity into a comprehensive research assistant. For complex topics, it conducts multi-step research and synthesizes the information into a detailed, structured report with extensive citations.

How Deep Research Mode Works:

1. Planning Phase: Perplexity analyzes your query and develops a research strategy.
2. Research Phase: It conducts multiple searches on different aspects of your topic.
3. Synthesis Phase: The information is synthesized into a comprehensive report.
4. Finalization: The final output includes sections, subsections, and extensive citations.

Feature #4: Pages - Transform Your Research into Shareable Documents

Pages allow you to turn any Perplexity conversation into a polished, shareable web document. Instead of messy copy-pasting, Pages creates a clean webpage with proper formatting, sections, images, and citations, which you can then customize.

Creating a Page from a Conversation:

1. After getting a response, click the three dots (...) menu.
2. Select "Convert to Page".
3. Perplexity will format your conversation into a structured document.
4. Add images, edit text, and customize formatting as needed.
5. Publish your page to get a shareable link.

Feature #5: File Uploads - Interact With Your Documents

File uploads let you analyze your own documents (PDFs, Word files, etc.) directly within Perplexity. You can ask specific questions about a 50-page report and get direct answers without having to read the entire document manually, a process also known as AI PDF analysis.

Types of Files Supported:

PDF, Word, Excel, Text, and CSV files.

Use Cases Across Industries:

• Legal: Analyze contracts for specific clauses.
• Academic: Extract key findings from research papers.
• Business: Review financial reports for specific metrics.

Bonus Features: The Hidden Power Tools

🕵️

Incognito Mode

Create anonymous threads that don't appear in your history and expire after 24 hours. Perfect for sensitive research topics.

🔄

Model Switching

Choose different AI models for your queries, including GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Mistral Large. Different models excel at different tasks.

🚀

Pro Search

Get more in-depth answers by pulling from more sources. Free users get three Pro Searches per day.

Putting It All Together: Advanced Workflows

Workflow for Content Creators

1. Research Phase: Use Deep Research mode with Academic focus.
2. Organization Phase: Create a Space with custom instructions for formatting.
3. Document Phase: Upload style guides as reference files.
4. Development Phase: Use Writing focus to generate outlines.
5. Production Phase: Convert research into a Page for easy sharing.

Workflow for Students

1. Topic Exploration: Use standard search with Web focus for an overview.
2. Literature Review: Switch to Academic focus to find scholarly sources.
3. Document Analysis: Upload course materials and related papers.
4. Synthesis: Use Deep Research to integrate all information.
5. Presentation: Create a Page for sharing with professors.

Perplexity AI vs. Alternative Tools

Feature	Perplexity	ChatGPT	Google Search
Real-time Information	Yes	Knowledge cutoff	Yes
Source Citations	Always	Sometimes	Links only
Focus Mode	Yes	No	Limited filters
Deep Research	Yes	Paid feature	No
Document Analysis	Yes	Yes	No

Conclusion

Perplexity AI is revolutionizing how we find and process information online, but most users are only scratching the surface. By mastering Focus Mode, Spaces, Deep Research, Pages, and File Uploads, you'll transform your productivity and discover insights that would otherwise remain hidden.

Key Takeaways:

• Use Focus Mode to target specific types of sources.
• Create Spaces with custom instructions for recurring research needs.
• Try Deep Research for comprehensive analysis of complex topics.
• Convert important research to Pages for easy sharing.
• Upload documents to ask specific questions about their content.

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Try Perplexity AI Now

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Perplexity AI and how does it differ from traditional search engines?

Perplexity AI is an AI-powered search assistant that provides direct answers with citations by synthesizing information from web sources, unlike traditional search engines that primarily list links.

How does Focus Mode enhance research in Perplexity AI?

Focus Mode allows users to select specific source types, such as academic or social, to tailor search results, improving the precision and relevance of the information retrieved.

What are Spaces, and how can they be used for team collaboration?

Spaces are customizable research folders where users can set specific instructions for Perplexity, shareable with up to five team members for collaborative research on projects like marketing or academic papers.

How does Deep Research Mode assist with complex queries?

Deep Research Mode conducts multi-step research, creating detailed reports with citations by analyzing complex topics through planning, research, synthesis, and finalization phases.

What are the benefits of using Perplexity Pages?

Pages convert research conversations into formatted, shareable web documents with customizable sections and images, ideal for creating professional summaries or guides.

How can File Uploads improve document analysis?

File Uploads enable users to analyze documents like PDFs or Word files by asking specific questions, extracting information, and comparing content with web data, streamlining research across industries.

What are some advanced workflows that combine Perplexity’s features?

Advanced workflows, like those for content creators or students, combine Deep Research, Spaces, File Uploads, and Pages to streamline research, organization, and sharing, such as using Academic Focus for literature reviews and Pages for presentations.

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