Use Perplexity 'Deep Research' for expert level research

Foundational

Some questions deserve more than a quick answer. Whether you're researching for a blog, planning a campaign, or exploring a complex trend, you’ll eventually hit a moment where you need real depth. That’s where Deep Research shines — helping you generate expert-level reports in minutes, without ever leaving your flow.

What You’ll Learn in This Guide

  • What Deep Research is and how it works
  • How to toggle it on and off mid-conversation
  • How to use Deep Research as part of a larger workflow
  • How to craft high-quality prompts that yield better reports
  • Real-world use cases across industries
  • Exporting and sharing results

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Some questions deserve more than a quick answer. Whether you're researching for a blog, planning a campaign, or exploring a complex trend, you’ll eventually hit a moment where you need real depth. That’s where Deep Research shines — helping you generate expert-level reports in minutes, without ever leaving your flow.

What You’ll Learn in This Guide

  • What Deep Research is and how it works
  • How to toggle it on and off mid-conversation
  • How to use Deep Research as part of a larger workflow
  • How to craft high-quality prompts that yield better reports
  • Real-world use cases across industries
  • Exporting and sharing results

What is Deep Research?

Deep Research is Perplexity AI’s most powerful research mode. Instead of giving you a fast summary, it acts like a research assistant:

  • It performs dozens of searches
  • Reads hundreds of sources
  • Reasons through the content
  • And produces a well-structured, source-backed report — typically in under 4 minutes

This makes it ideal for complex questions, competitive analysis, trend mapping, and structured thinking.

But here’s the key difference: you don’t have to leave your conversation to use it. You can turn Deep Research on for depth, then switch it off to explore, reflect, or create — all in the same thread or Space.

Plans & Access

Using Deep Research in Your Workflow

You don’t need to treat Deep Research as a separate tool. You can use it mid-conversation, as part of your thinking process.

Step 1 – Turn Deep Research ON

  • Ask your big, structured question. Example: “What are the top emerging content strategies for AI startups in 2025?”

Step 2 – Review the Research

  • Perplexity Deep Research takes some time to research and lists its tasks. You can choose to get notified when the research is done.
  • As the research progresses, Perplexity adds sources you can review and tasks that you can follow along with.

Once a report is generated, you can:

  • Download as PDF for internal docs
  • Publish as a Perplexity Page
  • Share via link with colleagues or collaborators
  • Copy excerpts directly into Spaces, documents, or follow-up threads

‍

Step 3 – Turn Deep Research OFF

‍

  • Switch back to regular mode. Now you can use the findings to:
    • Summarize in your own words
    • Ask for formats like lists, slides, or outlines
    • Continue the conversation with lighter follow-ups
  • Example: “Turn the top 3 datapoints into a LinkedIN carousel post.”

This toggle-on/toggle-off rhythm keeps you in flow — combining analysis and creativity in one place.

‍

Crafting Great Deep Research Queries

The better the input, the stronger the report. Here’s how to write prompts that get expert-level results:

Ask a clear, focused question

Avoid: “Tell me about AI.”Use: “What are the major AI safety concerns raised in 2024 by global regulators?”

Add context or constraints

  • Time: “...since 2021”
  • Region: “...in Southeast Asia”
  • Format: “...structured as a timeline and include citations”

Use structured formats

  • “Compare OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind on revenue and research focus.”
  • “Provide a SWOT analysis of Tesla’s current position in EV markets.”
  • “What’s the step-by-step impact of the EU AI Act on startups?”

Request comparisons or decision support

  • “Which AI model is best for research-heavy workflows: Claude, GPT-4, or Sonar?”
  • “List pros and cons of fine-tuning vs RAG for enterprise use cases.”

Follow up intelligently

  • “Summarize the top 3 arguments and provide counterpoints.”
  • “Now rewrite this for a C-suite audience.”
  • “Create a 1-page brief from this report.”

‍

Real-World Use Cases

Deep Research shines in multi-layered thinking and cross-domain exploration. Here are a few real scenarios:

  • Market Intelligence
  • “Compare Perplexity, You.com, and Arc Browser’s positioning in the AI search space.”
  • Strategic Planning
  • “What are the top trends shaping the future of decentralized social media?”
  • Investor Briefs
  • “Analyze OpenAI’s business model and its competitive risks in 2025.”
  • Academic Review
  • “Summarize the latest research on the neurological impact of cold exposure.”
  • Content Strategy
  • “What formats are driving highest engagement on LinkedIn for tech brands?”

‍

Wrapping Up

Deep Research doesn’t just give you answers — it gives you confidence, speed, and structure. It’s your built-in analyst, capable of condensing hours of research into minutes.

And when used in flow with your conversation, it becomes even more powerful — helping you go from question → analysis → action in one continuous stream.

Next time you hit a research wall, toggle it on. When you're ready to build, toggle it off. Either way, you stay in control — and Deep Research keeps you thinking like an expert.

Some questions deserve more than a quick answer. Whether you're researching for a blog, planning a campaign, or exploring a complex trend, you’ll eventually hit a moment where you need real depth. That’s where Deep Research shines — helping you generate expert-level reports in minutes, without ever leaving your flow.

What You’ll Learn in This Guide

  • What Deep Research is and how it works
  • How to toggle it on and off mid-conversation
  • How to use Deep Research as part of a larger workflow
  • How to craft high-quality prompts that yield better reports
  • Real-world use cases across industries
  • Exporting and sharing results

What is Deep Research?

Deep Research is Perplexity AI’s most powerful research mode. Instead of giving you a fast summary, it acts like a research assistant:

  • It performs dozens of searches
  • Reads hundreds of sources
  • Reasons through the content
  • And produces a well-structured, source-backed report — typically in under 4 minutes

This makes it ideal for complex questions, competitive analysis, trend mapping, and structured thinking.

But here’s the key difference: you don’t have to leave your conversation to use it. You can turn Deep Research on for depth, then switch it off to explore, reflect, or create — all in the same thread or Space.

Plans & Access

Using Deep Research in Your Workflow

You don’t need to treat Deep Research as a separate tool. You can use it mid-conversation, as part of your thinking process.

Step 1 – Turn Deep Research ON

  • Ask your big, structured question. Example: “What are the top emerging content strategies for AI startups in 2025?”

Step 2 – Review the Research

  • Perplexity Deep Research takes some time to research and lists its tasks. You can choose to get notified when the research is done.
  • As the research progresses, Perplexity adds sources you can review and tasks that you can follow along with.

Once a report is generated, you can:

  • Download as PDF for internal docs
  • Publish as a Perplexity Page
  • Share via link with colleagues or collaborators
  • Copy excerpts directly into Spaces, documents, or follow-up threads

‍

Step 3 – Turn Deep Research OFF

‍

  • Switch back to regular mode. Now you can use the findings to:
    • Summarize in your own words
    • Ask for formats like lists, slides, or outlines
    • Continue the conversation with lighter follow-ups
  • Example: “Turn the top 3 datapoints into a LinkedIN carousel post.”

This toggle-on/toggle-off rhythm keeps you in flow — combining analysis and creativity in one place.

‍

Crafting Great Deep Research Queries

The better the input, the stronger the report. Here’s how to write prompts that get expert-level results:

Ask a clear, focused question

Avoid: “Tell me about AI.”Use: “What are the major AI safety concerns raised in 2024 by global regulators?”

Add context or constraints

  • Time: “...since 2021”
  • Region: “...in Southeast Asia”
  • Format: “...structured as a timeline and include citations”

Use structured formats

  • “Compare OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind on revenue and research focus.”
  • “Provide a SWOT analysis of Tesla’s current position in EV markets.”
  • “What’s the step-by-step impact of the EU AI Act on startups?”

Request comparisons or decision support

  • “Which AI model is best for research-heavy workflows: Claude, GPT-4, or Sonar?”
  • “List pros and cons of fine-tuning vs RAG for enterprise use cases.”

Follow up intelligently

  • “Summarize the top 3 arguments and provide counterpoints.”
  • “Now rewrite this for a C-suite audience.”
  • “Create a 1-page brief from this report.”

‍

Real-World Use Cases

Deep Research shines in multi-layered thinking and cross-domain exploration. Here are a few real scenarios:

  • Market Intelligence
  • “Compare Perplexity, You.com, and Arc Browser’s positioning in the AI search space.”
  • Strategic Planning
  • “What are the top trends shaping the future of decentralized social media?”
  • Investor Briefs
  • “Analyze OpenAI’s business model and its competitive risks in 2025.”
  • Academic Review
  • “Summarize the latest research on the neurological impact of cold exposure.”
  • Content Strategy
  • “What formats are driving highest engagement on LinkedIn for tech brands?”

‍

Wrapping Up

Deep Research doesn’t just give you answers — it gives you confidence, speed, and structure. It’s your built-in analyst, capable of condensing hours of research into minutes.

And when used in flow with your conversation, it becomes even more powerful — helping you go from question → analysis → action in one continuous stream.

Next time you hit a research wall, toggle it on. When you're ready to build, toggle it off. Either way, you stay in control — and Deep Research keeps you thinking like an expert.