How to prompt Perplexity?

To prompt Perplexity AI effectively, use clear, focused instructions, relevant context, precise keywords, and specify your desired output format. This structured approach maximizes the accuracy and usefulness of Perplexity's responses.​

Key Elements for Effective Prompting Instruction: Clearly state what you want Perplexity to do, such as "Summarize the latest AI market trends for Q3 2025 in a table."

Context: Provide background or specify your audience. For example, "I'm a business analyst researching AI industry investments" helps the model tailor its output.​

Input Data: Include specific data, text, or parameters when relevant, like "Analyze only information from 2024 onward" or "focus on US companies."

Keywords: Use search/research terms that would be relevant on authoritative sites, especially when requesting factual data.​

Output Format: Specify how you'd like the answer to be formatted—such as bullet points, structured lists, tables, or step-by-step instructions.​

Best Practices and Tips Be as Specific as Possible: Vague prompts yield generic results. Add constraints such as timeframes, price ranges, or focus areas for targeted research.​

Test and Refine: Try your prompt, review the output, and then adjust the question if the details or format are not ideal.​

Single Purpose per Prompt: Ask one clear question or make one request at a time for better results, rather than bundling unrelated topics together.​

Use Collections and Spaces: For recurring needs, create custom instructions in Perplexity Collections or Spaces so the AI consistently follows your preferences across threads.