Quick answer

Use Labs when you need a multi-part deliverable rather than a quick answer. Write a project brief that states the objective, inputs, deliverables and quality bar. Let it run, then audit the sources, code and numbers before you rely on anything it produced.

What Labs does

Perplexity launched Labs on May 29, 2025 for Pro subscribers. Coverage at the time described it as performing ten minutes or more of self-directed work that combines web browsing, code execution, and chart and image creation to produce:

• Reports and analyses
• Spreadsheets and data files
• Dashboards and charts
• Simple web apps and slideshows

Outputs were described as being organized in an Assets tab (files, charts, images, code) with interactive results in an App tab. Users could pause or adjust the workflow, and Labs was selected from the mode selector on web and mobile. At launch, Pro subscribers were reported to receive 50 Labs queries a month, including follow-ups.

Perplexity also renamed its earlier "Deep Research" feature to "Research" around the time Labs launched, positioning it between quick search and Labs. Names may have shifted again since.

Labs versus search versus Research

If a normal cited answer would do, Labs is overkill and uses a limited quota.

Write a project brief

Objective: Help me decide whether to open a small coffee shop in [neighborhood].
Inputs: Attached is a CSV of my estimated startup costs and monthly expenses.
Deliverables: (1) a two-page market summary with sources, (2) a spreadsheet modeling break-even under three revenue scenarios, (3) one chart of break-even timing.
Quality bar: Use official statistics and reputable sources; label every assumption; flag anything you could not find.
Do not: invent figures. If data is missing, say so and use a clearly labeled placeholder.

Good briefs name deliverables, provide your data, and require assumptions to be visible.

Workflow

1. Scope small first: test with a narrow version of the project to see how Labs handles your topic before spending quota on a large one.
2. Provide inputs: attach files rather than describing data in words.
3. Monitor the run: if it heads in the wrong direction, pause and add instructions.
4. Open the Assets: inspect the spreadsheet formulas, code and sources, not just the summary.
5. Iterate in follow-ups: "Change scenario two to a 10% lower average ticket and update the chart."
6. Finish outside: export files and finalize in your own tools, adding your own analysis.

How to verify what Labs builds

• Trace each key number to a cited source or a stated assumption.
• Inspect formulas and code. Recalculate a few results by hand.
• Check that charts match the underlying data and that axes and units are correct.
• Open sources for the claims that drive your decision.
• Test interactive apps with edge-case inputs before sharing.

Common mistakes

• Launching a huge, vague project and burning through the monthly quota.
• Reading only the summary and never looking at the spreadsheet or code.
• Providing no data, then treating invented or estimated numbers as facts.
• Sharing a generated dashboard without testing it.

Limitations and alternatives

• Autonomous multi-step work can compound small errors across steps.
• Simple web apps and dashboards are prototypes, not production software.
• Quotas and availability are plan-dependent.
• For live coding projects, a dedicated coding tool fits better; for document-only analysis, a source-grounded tool may be more controlled.

FAQ

What is Perplexity Labs?

A Perplexity mode for multi-step projects that can produce reports, spreadsheets, dashboards and simple apps.

How is Labs different from regular Perplexity search?

Search answers questions quickly; Labs works longer and produces files and interactive outputs.

Where do Labs outputs go?

Perplexity describes an Assets tab for files and an App tab for interactive outputs.

Are there usage limits?

At launch, 50 queries per month for Pro were reported. Check current limits.