What Is Perplexity AI and How You Can Use It to Search Smarter

When you’re busy running your business, scrolling through pages of search results isn’t always the best use of your time. That’s where tools like Perplexity AI come in.

Perplexity AI is an AI-powered search assistant that gives you clear, direct answers instead of a long list of links. It’s fast, practical, and surprisingly helpful when you need information quickly. For very small business owners, it can feel like having a mini research assistant who quietly supports you, so you can move forward without wasting (more) hours online.

In this article, we’ll look at what Perplexity AI is, how it works, how to use it in your business, and how to stay safe while doing so.

What Is Perplexity AI?

Perplexity AI is an AI-powered search engine that changes the way you look for information. Instead of giving you pages of links, it searches the web for you and returns clear, sourced answers you can use right away. Each response includes citations and links to original sources, making it easy to double-check the details or explore a topic further.

You type a question, and within seconds, Perplexity gives you a short, actionable explanation, not a long essay and not a list of websites to open. This combination of speed and clarity is what makes it particularly useful for business owners who don’t have the time (or patience) to dig through endless search results.

How Perplexity Works

Instead of matching your keywords to websites like traditional search engines, it uses advanced language models, including GPT and Claude, to understand what you’re actually asking and then finds the most relevant information for you.

Here’s what happens behind the scenes:

1. It understands your question.

Perplexity reads your query the way a human would. It looks at the wording, the context, and what you’re trying to achieve, not just the individual keywords.

2. It searches the web for reliable sources.

Once it understands your question, it scans trusted websites, articles, reports, and documentation to collect the most useful information.

3. It summarizes everything into a clear answer.

Instead of making you open 10 tabs, Perplexity pulls the key points together and gives you a short, easy-to-digest explanation.

4. It shows you where the information came from.

Every answer includes links to the original sources, so you can verify the details, read more, or double-check anything that seems unclear.

Ways to Search With Perplexity

Perplexity offers several search modes, each designed for a different level of depth. You can use the free versions for quick checks or upgrade if you often need longer, more detailed research.

Pro Search is Perplexity’s advanced search option, which digs deeper and pulls information from multiple reliable sources to build a more complete explanation. You can also choose which AI model you want for the answer, the default “Best” option (which selects the right model automatically), OpenAI’s GPT models, Anthropic’s Claude, and others. Thisis helpful when you want a certain style of reasoning or need more accuracy.

Deep Research is what people often compare to having a personal research assistant. Perplexity performs dozens of searches automatically, reads a large number of sources, and presents everything in a structured report. It’s especially useful for bigger questions such as industry trends, competitor overviews, or planning decisions—situations where you want a broader picture without spending hours on manual research.

Labs is part of the Pro plan and is built for more complex tasks. With simple prompts, you can generate reports, spreadsheets, dashboards, charts, and even basic web apps. It turns ideas into working drafts without needing to build everything yourself, which is helpful if you’re short on time or don’t love working with data.

How Much Does Perplexity Cost?

Perplexity has a strong free plan with unlimited basic searches and a small number of Pro Searches each day. For most everyday tasks, this is more than enough.

If you need more power, the Pro plan (around $20/month) gives you faster responses, access to advanced AI models, a high number of daily Pro Searches, file uploads, and tools like Deep Research and Labs. The Max plan adds almost unlimited research and access to the most advanced models, while the Enterprise plans are designed for teams with admin controls and enhanced security.

For most very small business owners, the free plan is a great starting point, and the Pro plan is a natural upgrade if you find yourself relying on Perplexity more often.

What Small Business Owners Use Perplexity AI For

Perplexity AI works well for everyday tasks and for bigger questions where you need a clearer picture before making a decision.

Here are the most common ways very small business owners use it.

1. Quick, reliable research

Suppose you need a fast, factual answer, such as the average hourly rate for a freelancer or the basic rules for digital receipts. Perplexity gives you short explanations with links to the official sources.

2. Learning something new without getting lost online

If you want to understand a tool, a tax concept, or a marketing term without falling into a rabbit hole, Perplexity gives you a clear summary you can actually use. It’s a helpful way to stay informed without spending your whole afternoon researching.

3. Light market research

You can use Perplexity to get a quick sense of market trends, client expectations, pricing ideas, or changes in your industry. It won’t replace professional analysis, but it gives you a good starting point for decisions.

4. Comparing tools and services

Perplexity can compare platforms, software, and pricing models in seconds. Whether you’re choosing between Shopify and Etsy or looking for invoicing tools in the UK, it saves you time.

5. Drafting and rewriting messages

Perplexity is handy for writing or polishing everyday text, anything from a clearer message to a client to a quick summary of a long PDF.

6. Research and reporting

Some business owners use Perplexity to gather information for internal reports, proposals, FAQs, onboarding materials, or documentation. It can pull together the basics quickly, so you start from a strong draft instead of a blank page.

7. Content ideas and marketing support

Perplexity can help you brainstorm topics, outline content, or draft first versions of web pages, newsletters, or social posts. It doesn’t replace your voice or expertise, but it speeds up the early steps.

8. Quick checks for scams or fake information

Because Perplexity shows its sources, you can use it to check unknown company names, suspicious messages, or emails that don’t look quite right. It’s not perfect, but it gives you a fast first check.

Is Perplexity Safe for Business Use?

Perplexity is generally safe to use, as long as you treat it like any other online tool that can read what you type. This means avoiding anything confidential—client information, financial records, internal documents, passwords, or anything that would make you uncomfortable if it ended up in the wrong hands. A simple rule of thumb is this: if you wouldn’t email it to a stranger, don’t paste it into an AI tool. Perplexity may store some queries to improve the service, so keeping your questions broad and non-sensitive is the safest approach for day-to-day business use.

Use Perplexity Safely With Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security

If you use Perplexity at work, you’re still exposed to online scams, phishing, and fake sources. AI tools can accidentally surface harmful sites.

This is where Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security helps. It protects you from:

• fake links and phishing attempts hidden inside search results

• dangerous websites that appear in AI-generated answers

• malware or PDFs you open during research

• email scams pretending to be clients or partners

• data leaks if your accounts are compromised

It’s designed for small teams and businesses for teams without in-house IT. You install it once, and it runs quietly in the background.

If you want to try it, there’s a free trial for 30 days.

FAQs

Is Perplexity AI better than Google?

Perplexity isn’t a replacement for Google, but it’s faster when you want direct answers instead of long lists of links. Google is better for deep browsing, while Perplexity is better for getting clear, sourced explanations in seconds.

Is Perplexity the same as ChatGPT?

Perplexity and ChatGPT are good at different things. Perplexity is better when you want fast, sourced answers that come directly from the web. ChatGPT is better for deeper thinking, writing, planning, and creating content. Many small business owners use both: Perplexity for research and quick facts, and ChatGPT for drafting, brainstorming, and turning ideas into finished work.

Is Perplexity AI free to use?

Perplexity has a free plan with unlimited basic searches and a limited number of Pro Searches each day. Most small business owners will be fine with the free version. You can upgrade later if you need deeper research or advanced tools.

Is Perplexity safe for business use?

As long as you avoid sharing sensitive information. Treat it like any online tool that can read what you type: don’t paste client data, financial records, or passwords. For extra security, pair it with protection tools like Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security.

What can Perplexity AI do for small businesses?

Perplexity helps with everyday research, comparing tools, drafting messages, checking suspicious information, and getting quick answers to business questions. It saves time and reduces the number of tabs you need to open to find reliable information.

Does Perplexity AI store my data?

Perplexity may store some queries to improve the service. That’s why it’s safest to keep questions general and avoid entering confidential or personal information.