🔍 Perplexity 101: Ultimate Guide to Deep Search, Labs, Templates & 53 Pro Prompts

Your complete playbook for transforming how you research with AI's most powerful search engine

What You'll Learn in this Guide

In this guide, you'll discover how Perplexity AI is changing the search experience and why it matters for your productivity.

Key Topics:

• General Search - The everyday Google alternative

• Deep Search - Advanced research capabilities (10 Usecases and prompt templates)

• Model Selection - Choosing from 4 AI models for different needs

• Perplexity Labs & Templates - Creating interactive research projects (23 real-world applications and pormpts)

• Perplexity Templates (20 real-world applications and pormpts)

"I haven't opened Google in 3 months."

That's what a founder told me last week. Here's why.

Let me tell you a truth… We've been trained to accept terrible search experiences because we didn't know better existed.

What Perplexity Actually Is (And Why It Matters) 🎯

Here's what I've learned after 6 months of daily use: Perplexity isn't just another AI chatbot. It's a search-first AI that does what Google should have built years ago.

The fundamental difference:

• Google shows you where information might be

• Perplexity shows you what the information actually is

Founded in 2022 by former Google AI researchers (ironic, right?), Perplexity has already hit 10 million weekly users and a $3 billion valuation. But numbers don't tell the real story.

The Problem Google Created (And Won't Fix)

Think about your last Google search:

• Type query

• Scan 10 results

• Click first link (probably ads)

• Hit back button

• Try second link

• Open 5 tabs

• Piece together an answer

• Still not sure if it's accurate

Google's dirty secret: They make $282 billion/year from keeping you clicking. Why would they want to give you answers faster?

General Search: Your New Default 🔍

This is Perplexity's bread and butter. Every search:

• Scans real-time web data

• Synthesizes multiple sources

• Shows inline citations

• Allows follow-up questions

Real example from my workflow:

Query: "Latest iOS 18 battery drain issues and fixes"

Perplexity returns:

• Current user reports from Reddit (last 24 hours)

• Apple's official statement

• Tested fixes from tech blogs

• Which iPhone models are affected

• Temporary workarounds that actually work

Google would have shown me 15 SEO-optimized articles from 2019.

Deep Search: The Research Game-Changer 🚀

Launched in late 2024, Deep Search is like having a PhD student research assistant.

How it works:

• You ask a complex question

• It generates 5-10 related searches automatically

• Analyzes 30+ sources

• Builds a comprehensive report

• Asks clarifying questions if needed

My actual Deep Search last week:

"Compare Notion vs Obsidian vs Capacities for a second brain system, considering mobile apps, pricing, and plugin ecosystems"

What I got:

• Feature comparison matrix

• Pricing breakdown (including hidden costs)

• Mobile app store ratings and recent reviews

• Plugin availability stats

• Migration difficulty between platforms

• Community size data

• Time saved: 3 hours of manual research.

Perplexity 10 Deep Search Use Cases

Deep Search represents Perplexity's most advanced research capability, performing dozens of searches and reading hundreds of sources to deliver comprehensive reports. These use cases demonstrate high engagement across academic and professional communities.

1. Academic Literature Review Development

Prompt: "Create a comprehensive literature review on [topic]. Identify the 15 most cited articles published in the last 5 years, summarize their key findings, methodologies used, and provide complete publication details (authors, journal, year, DOI). Organize the results by recurring themes and highlight the theoretical frameworks utilized across these studies."

Prompt url: https://getprompts.org/prompts/84540c5b-7199-462e-b1db-b39a442d494f

Source: Learn Prompting + Reddit r/perplexity_ai

1. Competitive SWOT Analysis for Business

Prompt: "Analyze the attached press releases from 3 major automotive competitors (A, B, C) from 2025-Q2. Generate comparative SWOT analyses highlighting technological innovations, supply chain vulnerabilities, and emerging market strategies. Identify potential partnership opportunities between these companies." 7

Prompt url: https://getprompts.org/prompts/3e91b03c-1329-4d00-8b66-b26fc8969c6c

Source: LinkedIn (Ruben Hassid)

3. Financial Market Research & Investment Analysis

Prompt: "Create a dashboard comparing the 5-year performance of a traditional stock portfolio vs. an AI-powered one. Include sentiment impact, macroeconomic trends, and portfolio composition analysis with real-time data."

Prompt url: https://getprompts.org/prompts/1dea4c7f-ff17-479b-97f1-cfb23d74e502

Source: Perplexity Official Blog

4. Research Gap Identification for Academic Studies

Prompt: "Analyze recent publications on [topic] from the past 3 years. Identify specific research gaps, unexplored questions, or methodological limitations in existing studies. Provide evidence for each gap identified and suggest potential research questions that could address these gaps."

Prompt url: https://getprompts.org/prompts/4e3be44c-6aa3-4fd9-8df2-420d064fa3ce

Source: LinkedIn (Tim Donovan - Marketing Professional)

5. SEO Content Strategy & Blog Post Creation

Prompt: "Research and create an SEO-optimized blog post about [topic]. Include keyword analysis, competitor content review, search intent mapping, and create a comprehensive content outline with meta descriptions and internal linking strategy."

Prompt url: https://getprompts.org/edit-prompt/6017dbbc-c174-4cb2-8fe6-5f00c3358f28

Source: YouTube (Julian Goldie SEO)

6. White Paper Development for Thought Leadership

Prompt: "Create a comprehensive white paper on [industry trend]. Research current market conditions, gather expert opinions, analyze case studies, and develop actionable insights for business leaders. Include executive summary, methodology, and recommendations." 5

Prompt url: https://getprompts.org/prompts/e3d5b92d-2ed4-4cc5-a522-311e1f725bcc

Source: LinkedIn (Tim Donovan)

7. Healthcare Research & Medical Literature Analysis

Prompt: "Conduct a systematic review of recent medical literature on [condition/treatment]. Analyze clinical trial results, treatment efficacy, side effects, and emerging therapeutic approaches. Summarize findings for healthcare professionals."

Prompt url: https://getprompts.org/prompts/ac8f906f-2fc4-44b6-97b3-e01b0423bbbe

Source: AI Tools Club

8. Technology Trend Analysis & Future Forecasting

Prompt: "Analyze emerging trends in [technology sector] for the next 5-10 years. Research current developments, patent filings, funding patterns, and expert predictions. Create a comprehensive forecast with timeline and impact analysis." 16

Prompt url: https://getprompts.org/prompts/fd4b7bac-1fcf-4748-891a-b58c73949c60

Source: Reddit r/perplexity_ai

9. Legal Research & Case Law Analysis

Prompt: "Research legal precedents related to [legal topic]. Analyze recent court decisions, regulatory changes, and their implications for businesses. Provide comprehensive overview with citations and practical applications."

Prompt url: https://getprompts.org/prompts/b6e1131f-6249-4c70-b016-cc3bdb48895c

Source: LinkedIn (Research Prompts Collection)

10. Current Affairs & News Analysis

Prompt: "Provide comprehensive analysis of [current event/topic]. Research multiple perspectives, fact-check claims, analyze implications, and provide balanced overview with source verification and timeline of events." 1112

Prompt url: https://getprompts.org/prompts/b25a0b97-50af-449f-9d16-31bb4aa4ca47

Source: Reddit System Prompt Analysis

Model Selection: Choose Your Fighter 🧠

Unlike ChatGPT's one-size-fits-all approach, Perplexity lets you choose from multiple AI models:

• GPT-3o (OpenAI)

  • Best for: Complex reasoning, coding

  • Speed: Medium

  • My use: Technical documentation, API questions

• Claude 3.5 Sonnet (Anthropic)

  • Best for: Writing, analysis, nuance

  • Speed: Fast

  • My use: Newsletter drafts, strategy docs

• Sonar Large (Perplexity's model)

  • Best for: General search, speed

  • Speed: Fastest

  • My use: Quick facts, daily searches

• Sonar Huge (New flagship)

  • Best for: Research projects

  • Speed: Slow but thorough

  • My use: Market analysis, deep dives

Mastering Perplexity Labs and Templates: Your Ultimate Guide 🎯

Perplexity Labs and Templates transform scattered research and repetitive prompts into automated, high-impact projects—empowering you to go from idea to polished deliverables in minutes, not hours.

The Old Routine—and Why It Fails

For too long, information work has felt like busywork:

• Hopping between Google searches, PDF downloads, manual data wrangling.

• Copy-pasting findings into spreadsheets or slide decks.

• Repeating the same prompt tweaks for every new topic.

By the time you finish, your screen time has skyrocketed, anxiety has crept in, and you wonder if you actually learned anything.

What Perplexity Labs and Templates Really Are

Perplexity Labs is your automated research engine and project studio in one. Instead of simply answering a single query, Labs:

• Crafts multi-component deliverables (reports, dashboards, mini-apps) using deep web browsing, code execution, and chart/image creation.

• Organizes all outputs—HTML/CSS/JS assets, spreadsheets, images, and source citations—within a unified Assets tab, ready for download or embed1.

• Lets you monitor progress, skip or refine tasks, and iterate on the fly.

To streamline your workflow, Perplexity has developed pre-built templates that integrate seamlessly with Labs, making complex research tasks accessible with just a few clicks.

Perplexity Templates are pre-built prompt recipes for common workflows (e.g., market overviews, competitive analyses, product profiles). From Sales & Marketing to Education and Finance, Templates provide:

• Expert-crafted custom instructions you can launch instantly from the Spaces → Templates menu.

• A starting point you can duplicate into your own Space, tweak tone, scope, and formatting, then reuse across projects.

Why It Matters: From Doom-Scrolling to Done-Scrolling

• Focus on Outcomes: Labs frees you from manual “research plumbing,” so you spend time on strategic insights, not screen hops.

• Consistency & Speed: Templates ensure every report follows a proven structure—no more reinventing the wheel each morning.

• Signal Over Noise: Automated tasks run on real-time data without rabbit holes. You get only what you ask for, formatted exactly how you need it.

Core Features Breakdown

Perplexity Labs 🚀

• Multi-Asset Generation: Builds interactive dashboards, mini-apps, and formatted documents in one session.

• Deep Toolset: Combines LLM reasoning, web scraping, Python/JS code, and chart/image creation.

• Full Traceability: Every asset links back to its sources and code, making audits and edits a breeze.

Perplexity Templates 📑

• Curated Prompt Library: Dozens of templates for tasks like “Investor Profile Builder,” “Weekly Industry Pulse,” or “Course Module Outlines.”

• One-Click Duplication: Copy any Template into your Space, then customize instructions, model selection, and data sources2.

• Cross-Model Flexibility: Work seamlessly with GPT-4o, Claude Sonnet, or Perplexity’s Sonar models—each template adapts to your model of choice.

To learn more about labs and templates, check this article out

Best Practices & Tips

• Be Specific: Clearly define what to include—and exclude—in both Labs prompts and Templates.

• Choose Your Model: Use GPT-4o for complex logic, Claude Sonnet for polished writing, and Sonar Large for bulk research.

• Iterate & Refine: After each run, tweak your custom instructions to improve relevance and formatting.

• Leverage Assets: Download Charts, CSVs, and code snippets from Labs for further internal analysis.

P.S. Since you’re a Perplexity Pro subscriber, you have unlimited Template access and 50 Labs queries per month—use them to automate your toughest research tasks. Ready to reclaim your time? Start with one Template today and watch your productivity skyrocket.

23 Real-World Use Cases for Perplexity Labs