How to Use Perplexity AI for Free to Get Answers You Can Check

Open Perplexity and find the question box

Go to perplexity.ai in your browser, or open the Perplexity app. Look for a large text box in the middle of the screen, usually with faint wording like "Ask anything" or a similar invitation to type. That box is where you type your questions. You may also see a small search icon or a microphone nearby; you can ignore those for now.

When you tap or click into the box, a blinking cursor should appear and your on-screen keyboard should slide up on a phone. Nothing answers yet, and that is normal.

If the page looks different, for example it opens a news feed or a sign-in screen first, look for a button labeled something like "Sign in" or "Continue without signing in," or for a search bar at the top of the page. Apps and websites change their layouts often, so trust the purpose of the box over its exact position.

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Ask a plain-English question

Type your question the way you would say it to a friend. You do not need special keywords. Include enough detail that the answer is useful, such as where you live if it matters, or what you are trying to decide. Avoid asking for medical, legal, or financial decisions, because this tool can explain general information but should not replace a professional.

Then press Enter on a keyboard, or tap the arrow or send button usually found on the right side of the box.

After you send it, the answer usually starts to appear word by word, and a short list of sources may show up near the top or alongside the text. If nothing happens, check that you have an internet connection and try again. If the answer misses the point, rephrase with more detail and ask again.

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Spot the numbers next to the claims

This is the most important habit in this guide. Read the answer and look for small numbers, usually in square brackets like [1] or as tiny raised digits, placed right after a sentence or a fact. These are citations: each number points to a source the answer relied on.

Perplexity often shows the full source list too, sometimes as a row of cards or a numbered list above or below the answer. Look for a heading or a row of clickable titles with web addresses or site names underneath.

Pick one claim from the answer that matters to you, and notice which number sits next to it. That number is your starting point for checking.

If you can't find any numbers, the answer may have been written without visible sources in that moment. Treat it as a starting idea rather than a fact, and ask a follow-up such as "Can you list the sources for each point?"

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Tap a source and find the claim on the page

Tap or click the number, or the source title linked to it. The source should open in a new tab or a page you can return from. Look at the site name, the page title, and any date shown near the top.

Now find the claim. On a computer, press Ctrl+F on Windows or Command+F on a Mac, type a few key words from the claim, and see whether they appear. On a phone, many browsers let you open the page menu and choose "Find in page" or a similar option. Search for a distinctive word from the sentence, not the whole thing, because wording on the page is often different.

Read the paragraph around the match. Does the page actually say what the answer said? Sometimes the source is real and relevant, but it supports only part of the claim, or says something slightly different. That gap is exactly what you are looking for.

Pages get updated, and the citation may be attached to a broader article. Note it as "not confirmed yet" and check another source.

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Judge the source before you trust it

A source can be real and still be weak. Before you rely on a claim, ask yourself three quick questions. Who published this page? Is it the organization the fact is about, such as a government office, a university, or the company itself, or is it an unknown blog? When was it published or last updated? And does it show its own sources, or does it just state things with confidence?

Official pages and well-known institutions are often a good starting point, but even they can be outdated, so the date matters. For everyday questions, two or three independent, reputable sources that agree are a stronger signal than one page alone.

The answer to a follow-up like this can help you sort the list, but still open the sources yourself. Perplexity may describe a source inaccurately, so the page itself is the final judge.

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Ask a follow-up to dig deeper, then save what you verified

Once you've checked one or two claims, you can keep the conversation going. Ask for more detail, a different angle, or a narrower focus. This is a normal part of using the tool, and you can also ask it to clarify which sources back which points.

Keep a simple note of what you verified. A notes app or a piece of paper works fine. Write the question, the claim, the source name, and whether it matched the page. This habit keeps you from forgetting what you checked, and it makes it easy to show someone else where a fact came from.

If a follow-up answer adds new claims, repeat Steps 3 through 5 for anything important to you. You don't need to check every small detail, only the ones you plan to act on or repeat to others.