How to Use Pro Search in Perplexity (There's No Toggle Anymore)

The short version

Pro Search is Perplexity’s more thorough search, and it now runs by itself. Instead of a quick answer from one or two sources, it reads a wider set of sources and breaks your question into steps. If you’ve read older guides that say “toggle on Pro Search”, that switch is gone.

Step by step

1. Select Search in the question box. That’s the default mode.
2. Leave the model on Best, or pick one from the model menu if your plan allows it. See choose a model in Perplexity.
3. Ask a question with some depth: a comparison, a “how does”, a question with conditions.
4. Watch the steps. Perplexity shows how it broke the question down and which sources it read.
5. Follow up in the same session. Pro Search keeps the context of earlier questions.
6. Switch to Deep Research from the Search menu if you want a long report rather than an answer.

When Pro Search helps

According to Perplexity’s Help Center, a basic search is best for quick facts, while Pro Search is best for “research, analysis, and complex questions where depth, accuracy, and source transparency matter most”. Good fits:

• Comparisons: two products, two plans, two cities.
• Multi-part questions: “Which … and how much … and what are the rules?”
• Planning: a trip, an event, a project timeline.
• Unclear topics, where the question itself needs breaking down.

Prompts to copy

A comparison:

Compare [A] and [B] for [my situation]. Table: cost, main differences, downsides, best for.
Then tell me which one you'd pick and why, in two sentences.

A multi-step question:

I want to [goal] in [place] by [date]. What are the steps, what do they cost,
and which ones take the longest? Cite official sources for any rules or fees.

A plan:

Plan a 3-day trip to [city] in [month] for [who]. Include opening hours and ticket prices,
and flag anything that needs booking ahead.

Example

You ask: “Should a small bakery in Oregon accept tips on its card reader? What are the tax and wage rules?”

A good result: Perplexity splits this into tax treatment, state wage rules and employer obligations, searches each, and answers with citations to the IRS and Oregon’s labor agency. You follow up: “Make a checklist for the owner.”

Mistakes to avoid

• Spending free Pro Searches on simple facts. On the free plan you get 3 a day.
• Expecting a report. Pro Search answers; Deep Research writes reports.
• Looking for the toggle. If an old guide tells you to turn it on, skip that step.

Good to know

On paid plans, Pro Search limits are weekly, described as “average use” on Pro and “advanced use” on Max. On the free plan, basic searches are practically unlimited, so you can keep asking after your 3 Pro Searches are used up.

Related: use Deep Research and use Perplexity for free.