Research and Compare Vendors Before You Switch

1. Go to perplexity.ai and sign up with your email, Google, or Apple account.
2. No payment info is needed for the free tier.

What you should see: A search bar front and center, styled more like a question box than a typical search engine.

1. Instead of typing a few keywords, ask the way you'd ask a knowledgeable colleague.
2. Include your real criteria: headcount or volume, budget range, and any must-haves.

What you should see: A written answer with numbered citations like [1] and [2] scattered through the text. Troubleshooting: A vague question gets a vague answer. If the response feels generic, add the specifics you left out the first time and ask again.

1. Click any numbered citation to open the original source it came from.
2. Confirm the claim actually says what Perplexity summarized it as saying, especially for pricing or specs.

What you should see: The source page opening in a new tab, ideally the vendor's own pricing or spec page rather than a secondhand blog post. Troubleshooting: Perplexity has been reported to state incorrect product specs in side-by-side comparisons. Treat every number in the answer as a claim to verify, not a fact to repeat.

1. Stay in the same conversation and ask a narrower question based on what you just learned.
2. Perplexity keeps the source set and context from the earlier question, so you don't have to restate everything.

What you should see: A more specific answer that builds on the first one, without you re-explaining your original criteria.

If you're revisiting vendor decisions regularly (say, every contract renewal cycle), a Space keeps the research organized.

1. Look for a Spaces option, usually in the sidebar.
2. Create one named for the category you're tracking, like "Office Supply Vendors."
3. Run future research inside that Space so past findings stay together.

What you should see: A dedicated workspace where new searches on the same topic build on prior ones instead of starting over.