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Perplexity is useful when you want an explanation with links you can investigate. Instead of only giving you a list of websites, it searches for information and writes an answer with references.
The references are its most important feature for a beginner. They give you a way to leave the AI’s summary and read the original information. They do not guarantee that the summary is correct.
This guide starts with ordinary Perplexity Search in a web browser. You do not need to install its Comet browser, use its Computer features or buy a subscription to try the exercise.
1. Open Perplexity and choose how to sign in
- Open the browser you normally use.
- Go directly to Perplexity’s website.
- For account controls and saved conversations, sign in or create a free account.
- Choose an offered sign-in method: Google, Apple or your email address.
If you choose email, Perplexity sends a sign-in link or one-time code. You do not need to invent a separate Perplexity password. Some features can be tried without signing in, but an account is useful for keeping your searches. These details come from Perplexity’s account-management guide.
Keep using the same sign-in method so that you return to the same account. Never share a sign-in code with someone who offers to help you, and do not type it into a search conversation. If a sign-in email is missing, check your spam folder before requesting another.
2. Stay with the free plan initially
Perplexity offers a free Standard plan as well as paid Pro and Max plans. Free access includes basic searches and limited use of some additional features. Paid plans increase allowances and provide more advanced capabilities. The official plan comparison sets out the current boundaries.
For your first few questions, free access is a sensible place to start. You do not need to choose among advanced AI models or learn every search mode. Limits change, so check the message in your own account rather than relying on a fixed number quoted in an old guide.
An offer of a trial is different from the permanent free plan. Before accepting one, check whether it requires payment details, when it renews and how to cancel. There is no reason to accept an upgrade simply to practise asking a question.
3. Check whether your searches can be used for AI training
Perplexity says its AI-training setting is enabled by default for Free, Pro and Max users. You can turn it off before starting:
- While signed in, open your account settings.
- Choose Preferences.
- Find AI data retention and switch it off if you do not want future data used for AI training.
Perplexity’s settings guide places this control under Preferences. Another official help page uses the label AI Data Usage, so the wording you see may differ.
The opt-out applies to data collected afterwards; it does not remove data already collected for training. Perplexity may still process information to run and improve the service or meet legal obligations. The setting is not a promise that nothing is stored. Read its data-collection explanation for the distinction.
Keep the first exercise free of personal details. Do not upload bank statements, medical records, identity documents or another person’s private correspondence just to see what happens.
4. Ask one question with a clear purpose
In the Search query box on the home page, type and submit this request:
Why do leaves change colour in autumn? Explain in plain British English in four short points. Use sources from botanical gardens or scientific organisations, and link to them. Explain any unfamiliar words.
This is a prompt: your question plus instructions about the answer you want. The topic is harmless, and the request gives you something concrete to check. You have specified the language, length and preferred sources without needing technical terms.
Perplexity calls the conversation a session. Follow-up questions stay with the original request. Its session guide explains the search box and conversation history.
Leave advanced options alone for now. The current getting-started guide says Pro Search is applied automatically within Search when your plan includes it; you do not need to hunt for an old Pro Search switch.
5. Open the sources, not just the answer
Look for the numbered references in the answer. Click a reference to open the original source; on a computer, hovering may show a preview. Perplexity describes this in its official introduction.
Use a simple three-question check:
- Who wrote it? Is it the organisation you asked for, or an unrelated website repeating someone else’s information?
- Does it support this point? A page about autumn is not necessarily evidence for every statement about leaves.
- Is the information suitable? For changing topics, check the date, country and any conditions or exceptions.
If a reference does not support the answer, ask:
Which source directly supports your first point? Give me the relevant page and explain the connection. If you cannot verify it, say so.
Then check the page yourself. Asking the same AI to double-check is helpful, but it is not independent verification. A polished answer can still misread a source, miss an important qualification or rely on outdated information.
6. Refine, save or remove the conversation
Try one follow-up, such as “Make that explanation shorter” or “Explain the second point using an everyday comparison”. Change one thing at a time so you can judge whether the answer improves.
For saved sessions, open History. To remove one, use its three-dot menu and choose deletion, checking the confirmation before proceeding. Deleting a session cannot be undone. Sessions are private by default; choosing to share with anyone who has the link changes who can read them. See the session and sharing instructions.
Private sharing settings and AI-training settings do different jobs. Review both, and do not share a conversation containing personal information.
A useful first-session goal: ask one question, open two relevant sources and request one clearer explanation. For important health, financial or legal decisions, go beyond the summary to qualified help and authoritative information.
Fact-checked against official Perplexity documentation on 29 October 2026. Labels and allowances may vary. This is a documentation-based beginner’s guide, not a claim of hands-on testing.