How to Upload Files to Perplexity and Ask Questions About Them

The short version

Perplexity can read your file and search the web in the same session. That’s what sets it apart: you can ask “Is this quote fair?” and get an answer based on both the quote you uploaded and current prices online.

Step by step

1. Start a new session and select + Attach in the question box, or drag files or a folder in. On mobile, tap + below the search bar to pick a file or take a photo.
2. Check the file: up to 40 MB. Text, code, PDFs, images, audio and video are supported.
3. Ask a specific question. Say what you want from the file and whether to compare it with the web.
4. Follow up. The file stays in context for later questions in the same session.
5. Remove a file if needed: on the web, select the file icon in the question box and the X next to it.

What you can upload

• Documents and PDFs: contracts, reports, manuals, research papers.
• Spreadsheets and data: CSV files and similar, for summaries and comparisons.
• Images: charts, screenshots, photos of a product or a receipt.
• Audio and video: Perplexity transcribes the speech and can label speakers.

Prompts to copy

Check a quote:

Here's a contractor's quote for [job] in [city]. Compare each line to typical local prices
from current web sources. Flag anything that looks high, missing or unusual.

Summarize a report:

Summarize the attached report in 5 bullets for a busy manager.
Then list any claims in it that recent public sources contradict.

Pull out action items:

From this meeting recording, list decisions, action items and who owns each.

Read a chart:

What does this chart show? Explain the trend in plain English and say what it leaves out.

Example

You upload: a 30-page equipment lease and ask, “What are the cancellation terms, fees and renewal dates? Quote the clauses.”

A good result: a short list with each term, the quoted clause and its page or section, plus a note on anything unclear. You follow up: “What questions should I ask the leasing company before signing?”

Mistakes to avoid

• Uploading what you shouldn’t share. Leave out other people’s personal data and anything your contract or employer forbids.
• Making a session public with files in it. Anyone with the link can see the files. Export to PDF instead if you want to share only the answer.
• Assuming it read every page of a long file. Ask about the specific section.
• Uploading photos of people or medical images. Perplexity’s Help Center asks users to avoid both.

Good to know

Uploads aren’t unlimited on any plan. Each upload, including images you paste, counts toward an allowance that frees up about a week after you attached it. Perplexity says it uses file contents only to answer your questions and tasks.

Related: use Perplexity Projects and keep your data private in Perplexity.