Search Features Intermediate

Perplexity offers more than basic search. Master advanced features like file uploads, image analysis, citation management, search history, and sharing to become a power user.

File Uploads

Perplexity Pro users can upload files for AI analysis. Supported file types include:

File Type What Perplexity Can Do
PDFs Summarize, extract key points, answer questions about content, find specific information
Images Describe content, read text (OCR), identify objects, analyze charts and graphs
Documents Analyze Word docs, summarize content, extract data, compare documents
CSV/Data Analyze data sets, identify patterns, create summaries, answer statistical questions

To upload a file, click the paperclip icon in the search bar, select your file, and then type your question about the uploaded content.

Understanding Citations

Citations are what make Perplexity trustworthy. Every factual claim in an answer is backed by a numbered source:

  • Inline citations: Numbers like [1], [2], [3] appear in the answer text next to the relevant claim
  • Source cards: At the top of the answer, you see cards showing the source title, domain, and favicon
  • Click to verify: Click any citation number or source card to open the original web page
  • Multiple sources: A single claim may have multiple citations [1][3] when corroborated by several sources
Verification Habit: Develop the habit of clicking citations for important claims. While Perplexity is generally accurate, always verify critical information by reading the source material directly.

Image Search & Analysis

Perplexity can both search for images and analyze images you provide:

Searching for Images

Ask for images in your query, and Perplexity will include relevant images in the answer. For example: "Show me the architecture of a transformer neural network."

Analyzing Images

Upload an image and ask questions about it:

  • "What plant is this?" (with a photo of a plant)
  • "Translate the text in this image" (with a screenshot)
  • "What does this chart show?" (with a graph or data visualization)
  • "Identify the landmarks in this photo" (with a travel photo)

Search History & Library

Perplexity saves all your search threads in your Library:

  • Thread history: Every search creates a thread you can revisit and continue later
  • Search & filter: Search through your past queries to find previous research
  • Delete threads: Remove individual threads or clear your entire history
  • Share threads: Generate a shareable link for any search thread

Sharing Results

Share your Perplexity research with others in several ways:

Method How Best For
Share link Click Share and copy the URL Sending to colleagues, linking in documents
Copy answer Click Copy to copy formatted text Pasting into emails, reports, or chat
Export Export as markdown or text Including in documentation or notes

Try It Yourself

Practice these features: (1) Upload a PDF document and ask Perplexity to summarize it, (2) Run a search and click on three different citations to verify the claims, (3) Share a search thread with a colleague using the Share link.

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