How to Use Perplexity Instead of Google for Everyday Searches

The short version

Use Perplexity when you want an answer, and a search engine when you want a website. Perplexity’s Help Center puts it this way: traditional search engines give you lots of links to sift through, while Perplexity answers directly and cites its sources.

Step by step

1. Type your question as a question. “How long do I boil an egg for a runny yolk?” rather than “boil egg time”.
2. Read the answer, then glance at the sources. If they’re from sites you trust, you’re done.
3. Follow up instead of searching again. “What about at high altitude?” keeps the context.
4. Use keywords when you just need a fact. Perplexity’s tips say two or three keywords work for a quick answer.
5. Open the source for anything you’ll act on: prices, rules, health advice.
6. Bookmark perplexity.ai or install the app so it’s as easy to reach as your usual search.

When Perplexity is better

• Questions that need several pages: “What’s the difference between a Roth and a traditional IRA?”
• How-to questions: step-by-step answers instead of long blog posts.
• Comparisons: “Which is cheaper to run, a dishwasher or washing by hand?”
• Catching up: “What happened with [news story] this week?”
• Follow-up chains, where each answer leads to the next question.

When a search engine is still quicker

• Going to a specific site, like your bank’s login page.
• Local listings, maps and directions.
• Shopping for the cheapest live listing, though see compare products with Perplexity.
• Very new events, where few pages exist yet to summarize.

Prompts to copy

Replace a search-and-click session:

[Your question]. Give me the short answer first, then the details, with sources.

Get the best links, not just an answer:

What are the 3 most useful official pages for [topic]? Link each and say what it covers.

Settle a debate:

Is it true that [claim]? Answer yes, no or partly, with the best evidence for each side.

Example

Search engine habit: you type “car battery dead cold weather”, open four articles and two forum threads.

With Perplexity: “My car won’t start on cold mornings but runs fine later. Is it the battery? What should I check before buying a new one?” You get the likely causes, cheap checks to try first and citations, then follow up: “How do I test the battery with a multimeter?”

Mistakes to avoid

• Skipping sources for important facts. An answer engine can still summarize a page wrongly.
• Searching signed out. Perplexity keeps logged-out sessions for only 14 days.
• Expecting live inventory or bookings. Check the store or venue itself.

Good to know

If you want Perplexity built into your browser, its Comet browser uses Perplexity as its main search engine. See use the Comet browser.

Related: how to use Perplexity.