AI WORLD HQFact-Check Online Claims with Perplexity's Sources
Learn to use Perplexity to quickly trace the origins of social media claims and evaluate their reliability before you share them.
This guide was written by AI. It passed automated fact and quality checks, and our editor spot-checks published guides every day.
See AI World HQ first on GoogleAdd us as a preferred source and our stories show up higher in Google’s Top Stories.Add on GoogleIn our busy online world, information flies around faster than ever. Sometimes, a post on social media might sound convincing but isn't quite right. This guide will show you how to use Perplexity, an AI assistant, to quickly check the facts and understand where information truly comes from. By the end, you'll be able to confidently verify claims, helping you decide what's reliable to share. While Perplexity is excellent at finding and compiling information, remember it doesn't perform human critical analysis or judgment; it's always up to you to evaluate the original sources.
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- A device with internet access (computer, tablet, or smartphone).
- Access to Perplexity, either through its website (perplexity.ai) or its mobile app. A free account is sufficient for this guide.
- Roughly 5-7 minutes of your time.
Open Perplexity
First, let's get Perplexity ready. Open your web browser and type perplexity.ai into the address bar at the top of the screen, then press your keyboard's Enter key. If you're on a mobile device, find and launch the Perplexity app. Once loaded, you'll typically see a clean, simple screen featuring a prominent search bar right in the middle, often displaying placeholder text like "Ask anything..." or "Search the web". This is your main input area, waiting for your questions.
However, you should always find a clear, large text box or search bar positioned centrally, as it's the most obvious place to type your query.
The specific layout might vary slightly depending on whether you're using the website or the app, or due to recent updates.
you see the Perplexity interface with a clear text input area, ready for you to type your question.
Review the summary and its citations
After a brief moment, Perplexity, acting as an AI assistant (a computer program designed to help with tasks and provide information), will present you with a summary answer. This is the AI's best attempt to directly address your question, drawing information from various online sources. Read through this summary carefully. You'll typically find a concise answer, along with key facts or explanations. Notice that within the summary, there will be small numbered references, like [1], [2], or [3], next to specific pieces of information. These numbers are crucial because they point directly to the original sources Perplexity used.
Regardless of the exact appearance, the core information and the numbered references should be clearly visible, usually appearing immediately below your initial question.
The summary might be formatted as a series of bullet points, a few longer paragraphs, or a mix of both.
you see a generated answer to your query, complete with small, numbered citations embedded within the text.
Examine the source list
This is where Perplexity truly shines for transparency and fact-checking. Scroll down slightly below the main summary answer. You'll find a dedicated section, typically labeled "Sources" or "References." Here, you'll see a list of the actual websites or articles that Perplexity consulted to formulate its answer, corresponding to the numbers you saw in the summary. For each source, there will usually be a title, a brief description of the content, and the website's address. This transparency (showing you exactly where the information came from) is vital because it lets you see where the information originated, not just what the AI says.
On a mobile device, you might need to tap an "Expand Sources" or a similar button to reveal the full list. Just look for a distinct section that clearly lists external website links.
The sources might be displayed as small, clickable cards, or as a simple list.
you see a list of external website links, each labeled with a number that corresponds to the citations in the AI's summary.
Dive into an original source
To truly verify a claim and understand its context, it's essential to go directly to the original source. Click on one of the numbered source links from the "Sources" section that seems most relevant to the claim you're checking or appears to be from a reputable (trustworthy and respected) organization. This action will open that original webpage in a new browser tab or sometimes within Perplexity itself (depending on your device settings). Now, you can read the information in its original context. Check if the information presented by Perplexity accurately reflects what the source says, look for publication dates, the author, and whether the website itself appears trustworthy (e.g., is it a known news organization, a research institution, or a personal blog?). Comparing the AI's summary with the actual source helps you confirm its accuracy.
You might also have the option to right-click (on a computer) or long-press (on a phone) the link to copy its address, then paste it directly into a new browser tab yourself.
If clicking a link doesn't open a new tab, check your browser's pop-up blocker settings, as they can sometimes interfere.
you are actively viewing the actual website or article that Perplexity used, allowing you to read the original information.
- Not checking the sources thoroughly: It's tempting to just read Perplexity's summary and assume it's entirely correct. The AI compiles information, but it can sometimes misinterpret or give too much weight to less reliable sources. Always click through to the original sources to verify the context and content yourself.
- Being too vague with your question: Asking broad questions like "Tell me about this news" might not yield precise fact-checks. Instead, provide the specific claim or statement you want to investigate. Being specific helps Perplexity pull more relevant information.
- Ignoring source reliability: While Perplexity provides sources, it doesn't always rate their trustworthiness. A quick check of a source's website (e.g., is it a well-known news organization, a research institution, or just a personal blog?) and its publication date is crucial for deciding if the information is truly reliable.
Find a recent claim or statistic on your social media feed that caught your eye, perhaps something surprising or highly shared. Type that exact claim into Perplexity's search bar and hit Enter. Once you have the summary, scroll down and click on the first source link provided to see where the information originally came from.
❓ Quick questions
How long does this take?
About 6 minutes — the guide has 6 steps, and you can tick each one off as you go.
Which tool do I need?
This guide uses Perplexity — but the approach works very similarly in other AI assistants.
Do I need to prepare anything?
- A device with internet access (computer, tablet, or smartphone).
- Access to Perplexity, either through its website (perplexity.ai) or its mobile app. A free account is sufficient for this guide.
- Roughly 5-7 minutes of your time.
What mistakes should I avoid?
- Not checking the sources thoroughly: It's tempting to just read Perplexity's summary and assume it's entirely correct. The AI compiles information, but it can sometimes misinterpret or give too much weight to less reliable sources. Always click through to the original sources to verify the context and content yourself.
- Being too vague with your question: Asking broad questions like "Tell me about this news" might not yield precise fact-checks. Instead, provide the specific claim or statement you want to investigate. Being specific helps Perplexity pull more relevant information.
- Ignoring source reliability: While Perplexity provides sources, it doesn't always rate their trustworthiness. A quick check of a source's website (e.g., is it a well-known news organization, a research institution, or just a personal blog?) and its publication date is crucial for deciding if the information is truly reliable.
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