15 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do with Perplexity

Perplexity AI has quickly gained attention as one of the most versatile AI tools available, merging the best of search engines and AI-driven insight. While many think of it as a more refined version of a traditional search engine, Perplexity’s capabilities stretch far beyond just answering queries. Here are 15 powerful use cases that showcase just how much this tool can do:

1. Track Stocks with Interactive Charts

Financial enthusiasts, rejoice! By simply entering a stock ticker or searching for “[Company] stock,” Perplexity generates interactive stock charts, offering real-time insight into market trends. Whether you’re tracking Tesla’s performance or keeping tabs on lesser-known companies, this feature ensures you stay ahead of the game.

2. Search Beyond Web Results

Perplexity excels at traditional web searches, but it doesn’t stop there. You can use it to search through academic papers, social networks, videos, and even solve complex math problems. It’s a multi-dimensional search engine that gathers insights from a variety of sources, making it ideal for in-depth research or niche inquiries​.

3. Build Timelines

Need to track how a topic evolves over time? Whether it's the fluctuating prices of AI services like ChatGPT or historical events in a specific field, Perplexity can help build detailed timelines that visualize key developments and changes​.

4. Compare Prices

Shopping for the best deal just got easier. Simply ask “Where can I find the best price for [item]?” and Perplexity will search multiple sources to help you find the best price, offering an alternative to traditional price comparison websites​.

5. Track Current Events

Staying up to date with major news is easy with Perplexity. From U.S. Presidential races to natural disasters like hurricanes, you can quickly get summaries and snapshot recaps of the latest events, saving you from information overload while ensuring you don’t miss critical updates​.

6. Research Property Details

Curious about who owns a specific building or when it was last sold? Perplexity can provide detailed property insights, including historical sales data and ownership information. Real estate professionals and curious buyers alike can benefit from this feature.​

7. Optimize Your SEO

Using Perplexity’s API, you can boost your SEO efforts by generating topical maps for keywords, helping you enhance your content strategy. Integrating it into tools like Google Sheets makes it easier to track relevant keywords and improve your website’s search performance​.

8. Create Customized “GPTs” with Collections

Perplexity allows users to create Collections, where you can group related threads and topics together under custom instructions. This feature mimics the functionality of GPTs or Claude Projects, letting you design your own mini-research assistant tailored to specific tasks​.

9. Advanced Reasoning for Pro Users

For those who require more complex reasoning capabilities, Perplexity Pro integrates with o1 to assist users in problem-solving. It’s similar to the functionality of WolframAlpha but with a broader reach thanks to internet-wide data integration​.

10. Set Up Google Alerts with Custom Bots

Tech-savvy users can replicate Google Alerts by creating bots that track specific topics or competitor activities in real-time. While this feature may require some coding skills, it provides a powerful way to monitor ongoing changes and receive instant updates​.

11. Fact-Check Information with Citations

Perplexity is a fantastic tool for journalists, researchers, and anyone looking to fact-check information. Its ability to pull credible sources and cite them makes it a reliable way to verify claims, ensuring accuracy in a world where misinformation spreads easily​.

12. Generate and Debug Code

Developers can leverage Perplexity’s code generation and debugging capabilities to write clean code or fix errors. By entering specific coding challenges, you can receive instant feedback, saving time and effort on repetitive tasks​.

13. Summarize PDFs

Long documents can be a hassle to read through, but Perplexity helps by summarizing complex PDFs into digestible insights. You can even ask follow-up questions to dig deeper into the content, making it an excellent tool for students, researchers, and professionals​.

14. Learn New Skills

Want to master a new hobby or skill? Perplexity acts as a personalized tutor, rounding up learning resources such as online courses, video tutorials, and even quizzes to track your progress. Whether you’re learning a language or perfecting a craft, it helps accelerate skill acquisition​.

15. Plan Your Next Trip

Travel planning just got smarter. Ask Perplexity for destination recommendations, hotel options, local attractions, and even travel restrictions or safety updates. It builds personalized itineraries based on your preferences, ensuring you have everything you need for your next adventure​.

Perplexity’s capabilities go far beyond basic searches, making it an invaluable tool for professionals, hobbyists, and knowledge-seekers alike. Whether you’re tracking stocks, planning a trip, or fact-checking important information, Perplexity is redefining what’s possible with AI-powered search.