Explore Perplexity Labs
Features, Use Cases, and Prompting Strategies
Introduction to Perplexity Labs
Perplexity Labs represents a significant evolution in how AI assists with complex projects. Where traditional AI tools focus on answering questions, Perplexity Labs is designed to transform ideas into complete projects with multiple components.
Launched in May 2025, Perplexity Labs is available exclusively for Pro subscribers ($20/month) and acts as the next step beyond Perplexity’s existing Search and Research features.
Search
Quick answers to specific questions
Research
Comprehensive analyses with citations (3-5 minutes)
Labs
Complete projects with multiple components (10+ minutes)
What is Perplexity Labs?
Perplexity Labs is a productivity tool that tackles complex projects on your behalf. It can craft everything from reports and spreadsheets to dashboards and simple web applications – all backed by extensive research and analysis.
Unlike regular Perplexity search which provides answers to specific questions, Labs goes much further by creating complete projects with multiple components:
- Creates fully-formed deliverables rather than just answers
- Performs 10+ minutes of self-supervised work
- Generates files, presentations, images, and interactive elements
- Produces downloadable assets for immediate use
Pro subscribers receive 50 Labs queries per month and can access Labs from the mode selector in the input bar on Web, iOS, and Android (with Mac and Windows apps coming soon).
Key Features
- Code Generation & Execution
- Report & Document Creation
- Spreadsheet Development
- Data Visualization & Dashboards
- Simple Web Applications
- Asset Organization & Export
How Perplexity Labs Works
- User Request: You submit your project idea or requirements
- Research Phase: Labs conducts deep web searches to gather information
- Processing: It analyzes and structures the data appropriately
- Code Generation: Creates necessary code for your specific project needs
- Asset Creation: Produces charts, images, documents, and other required files
- Web App Development (if needed): Builds interactive HTML/CSS/JavaScript applications
- Organization: Compiles all assets into accessible formats
- Delivery: Presents results with options to view, download or export
Comparing Perplexity’s Three Modes
Best Use Cases for Perplexity Labs
Financial Analysis
Create sophisticated finance dashboards that visualize your investment portfolio, analyze budget trends, or track personal finances.
Sample Prompt:
“Create an interactive personal finance dashboard to track my monthly expenses, savings, and investment growth using this CSV data of my transactions from the last 6 months.”
Travel Planning
Generate comprehensive travel itineraries with interactive maps, daily schedules, budget estimations, and local recommendations.
Sample Prompt:
“I need a 7-day Japan itinerary covering Tokyo and Kyoto. Create an interactive travel guide with day-by-day plans, accommodation options, must-see attractions, and a budget tracker.”
Data Analysis
Analyze large datasets to extract insights, identify patterns, and create visualizations that effectively communicate findings.
Sample Prompt:
“Analyze the attached sales data from my Shopify store with 6,000+ orders. Create a dashboard that shows seasonal trends, top-selling products, customer demographics, and shipping logistics patterns.”
Interactive Mini Apps
Develop small, focused web applications for specific needs like calculators, visualization tools, or interactive educational content.
Sample Prompt:
“Build a retirement calculator web app that allows users to input their current age, retirement age, savings, and expected growth rates to visualize their projected retirement income with adjustable parameters.”
Report Generation
Create detailed reports with text, charts, graphs, and images based on research and analysis.
Sample Prompt:
“Create a report that correlates each arrival of Halley’s Comet with significant events on Earth throughout history.”
Project Planning
Develop timelines, task lists, resource allocations, and Gantt charts for project management.
Sample Prompt:
“Help me plan a website redesign project with task breakdowns, timeline estimates, and resource allocations for a 3-month schedule.”
Meal & Nutrition Planning
Generate customized meal plans with nutritional analysis, shopping lists, and recipe instructions.
Sample Prompt:
“Create a 7-day gluten-free meal plan under 2000 calories per day with shopping list and nutritional breakdown.”
Additional Practical Applications
- Flashcard generation for students from lecture/textbook notes
- Marketing campaign development with content calendar
- Resume analysis and improvement recommendations
- Staff scheduling and resource allocation tools
- Market research and competitor analysis dashboards
- Interactive educational content and learning modules
- Legal compliance checklists and regulation summaries
- Product comparison and feature analysis tools
Strengths and Limitations
What Perplexity Labs Excels At
- Complex Data Analysis
Processing large datasets and extracting meaningful insights with visualizations
- Research-Intensive Projects
Gathering, synthesizing, and organizing information from multiple sources
- Interactive Tools
Creating simple interactive web applications with functional controls
- Time-Intensive Tasks
Handling projects that would typically require hours or days of manual work
- Visualization Creation
Generating charts, graphs, tables and visual representations of data
- Multi-Component Deliverables
Projects requiring multiple interconnected parts or file types
Limitations and Considerations
- Complex Enterprise Applications
Not designed for creating sophisticated, production-ready software applications
- Commercial Image Generation
Generated images are for personal, non-commercial use only according to Terms of Service
- Data Hallucinations
May occasionally provide inaccurate information or charts that should be verified
- Limited Format Options
Some file types (like native PowerPoint) may not be directly available for download
- Real-Time Data Integration
Cannot connect to live data feeds or APIs without manual intervention
- Limited Query Allowance
Pro subscribers are limited to 50 Labs queries per month
When to Use Each Perplexity Mode
| Mode | Best For | Time to Complete | Output Type |
|---|---|---|---|
Search | Quick factual queries and direct questions | Seconds | Text-based answers |
Research | In-depth information gathering and analysis | 3-5 minutes | Comprehensive text reports with citations |
Labs | Complete projects with multiple components | 10+ minutes | Interactive tools, reports, dashboards, apps, spreadsheets, assets |
Best Prompting Strategies for Perplexity Labs
The Two-Step Prompting Framework
“Learn all you can about [TOPIC]”
This first step prompts Perplexity Labs to research thoroughly and gather comprehensive information about your topic. It allows Labs to build a knowledge foundation before creating your project.
“Now create an interactive web app that [uses user input]”
The second step directs Labs to transform that knowledge into a specific deliverable with interactive functionality. This is where you specify exactly what you want created.
Prompt Structure Best Practices
Essential Elements to Include
- Clear Instruction
Be explicit about what you want Perplexity Labs to create
- Context
Provide background information and purpose
- Specific Inputs
Include any data, parameters, or content needed
- Output Format Preferences
Specify how you want the results delivered
- Interactive Elements
Detail any user interaction features you want included
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Vague Requests
Avoid unclear or ambiguous instructions
- Overloading with Requirements
Don’t include too many features in one project
- Missing Context
Providing too little background information
- Expecting Production-Ready Output
Remember Labs creates prototypes, not finalized products
- Skipping Verification
Always check data accuracy in generated outputs
Interactive Prompt Template
I need you to learn about [TOPIC] with particular focus on [SPECIFIC ASPECTS]. After gathering this information, create a [PROJECT TYPE] that includes [KEY FEATURES]. The final output should have: 1. [COMPONENT 1] 2. [COMPONENT 2] 3. [COMPONENT 3] Make it interactive by adding [INTERACTIVE ELEMENT] that lets users [USER ACTION]. Please organize the assets so that I can easily [INTENDED USE].
Example Prompts That Work Well
Financial Dashboard
“Learn all you can about personal finance tracking best practices, budgeting strategies, and investment visualization techniques. Now create an interactive financial dashboard that uses monthly expense data to show spending patterns, savings rate, and investment growth projections. Include: 1. A pie chart breaking down expenses by category 2. A line graph showing income vs. expenses over time 3. A projection calculator for retirement savings Make it interactive by adding sliders that let users adjust savings rate and expected investment returns to see how their financial future changes. Please organize all assets so I can download the complete dashboard for offline use.”
Market Research Report
“Learn all you can about the electric vehicle market in the United States, focusing on consumer preferences, pricing trends, and market share by manufacturer for the past 5 years. Now create a comprehensive market research report with the following components: 1. Executive summary with key findings 2. Data visualizations showing market growth and trends 3. Competitor analysis with feature comparison tables 4. Price point analysis across different vehicle categories Include interactive elements that allow filtering the data by year, manufacturer, and price range. Please format this as both a downloadable report and an interactive web dashboard.”
Educational Interactive Tool
“Learn all you can about how solar eclipses work, their different types, and notable eclipses throughout history. Now create an interactive educational web application that demonstrates solar eclipse mechanics. Include: 1. An animated visualization showing how eclipses occur 2. A timeline of past and future notable eclipses 3. A calculator that predicts visibility for a user’s location Make it interactive by allowing users to manipulate variables like observer location, time, and date to see how eclipse visibility changes. Please ensure all scientific data is accurate and cited appropriately.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Pro subscribers receive 50 Labs queries per month. This includes both initial queries and follow-ups within existing Labs Threads. You’ll be notified when you’re approaching your monthly limit.
Perplexity Labs typically performs 10 minutes or more of self-supervised work to assemble information. The exact time depends on the complexity of your request and can range from a few minutes to nearly an hour for very complex projects.
Yes, if you no longer want to perform a Labs search, you can click on the pause button or hit the Esc key on your keyboard.
Use Research mode for comprehensive answers to in-depth questions, typically delivered within 3-5 minutes. Use Labs mode when you need more advanced outputs like file generation, dashboards, or mini-apps, which typically take 10+ minutes to create.
Yes, you can click on the Export button at the bottom of the answer to see all export format options. Additionally, all files created during your workflow are organized in the “Assets” tab, where you can view and download them individually.
Yes, Perplexity Labs can develop and deploy simple interactive web apps directly within an “App” tab using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This enables the creation of basic dashboards, calculators, and websites without requiring external development tools.
No, images generated through Perplexity are for personal, non-commercial use only according to their Terms of Service.
Yes, you can enable notifications via a button in the interface. Make sure you have allowed notifications from Perplexity in your browser settings.
Ready to Try Perplexity Labs?
Access Labs with a Perplexity Pro subscription for $20/month
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