Stop using Perplexity just for search

Start shipping applications with Perplexity Labs

What is Perplexity Labs, exactly?

Most people pop into Perplexity, type a question, screenshot the tidy answer, and call it a day. Cool. But that’s like buying a MacBook to use the calculator.

Hidden in the search toggle is Perplexity Labs, a generative playground that turns prompts into complete, hosted mini-apps. No IDE, no Git pushes, no begging a developer friend for “just one more tweak.”

Think of it as the “build-mode” that now sits next to Perplexity’s famous answer box. Instead of a single reply, Labs spins your prompt into complete artefacts – reports, dashboards, spreadsheets or even tiny web apps – and it’s allowed to think for up to ten minutes while it researches, plans, codes and tests behind the scenes.

Launched to Pro users in May 2025, Labs extends the earlier Deep Research feature (which already stitched dozens of searches into a multi-page report) by adding a light app builder. Under the hood, Perplexity’s models can now:

• Write and run Python or SQL to shape that data

• Chain web searches, scrape data and store interim results

• Generate a live preview you can click under the “App” tab.

Prompts that used to stop at “give me an outline” can now end with a working quiz site, a media-kit slideshow, or a board-ready slide deck – all in one shot.

Labs jobs time-out after roughly ten minutes, and today they’re only available to Perplexity Pro subscribers (USD $20/mo). Output is sandboxed, meaning the code runs in Perplexity’s container, so you can’t yet hit private APIs or deploy straight to production, but for internal prototypes, it’s insanely fast.

In short, Perplexity’s search bar just grew a “publish” button - and that’s why those four use-cases in the walkthrough feel like magic rather than hype.

---

1 · Turn Any PDF Into a Click-Ready Quiz

1. Upload a PDF (workbook, white-paper, playbook - anything).

2. Paste the prompt below.

3. In ~9 minutes you get a responsive landing page with animated stats, real-time scoring, adaptive questions, and a shareable link.

Prompt

"Analyze my uploaded PDF material and create a complete interactive quiz-focused landing page. Extract key concepts, statistics, and actionable frameworks, then build a modern HTML page with comprehensive quiz functionality. Include: mobile-responsive layout, animated quiz stats, multiple quiz types (multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, scenario-based), real-time scoring, instant feedback, progress tracking, and adaptive questioning. Add smooth animations, hover effects, and detailed explanations for each answer. Include performance summaries and personalized recommendations based on results."

☑︎ Zero coding required
☑︎ Complete in < 9 minutes
☑︎ Fully functional quiz application
☑︎ Instant knowledge reinforcement

See it live → https://www.perplexity.ai/search/analyze-my-uploaded-pdf-materi-cXB.by3cSdK5gsldiXgjlA?0=c

---

2 · Auto-Generate a LinkedIn Creator Media Kit

1. Profile PDF → LinkedIn > More > Save to PDF

2. Post analytics → Show all analytics > Posts > Export

3. Audience insights → Show all analytics > Audience

4. Past sponsors → Type them in a bullet list

Prompt

"Create a LinkedIn creator media kit presentation based on the attached and following information: Previous partnerships: [Insert]. Audience demographics: [Insert]"

☑︎ Professional media kit layout
☑︎ Audience demographic visualizations
☑︎ Engagement metrics showcase
☑︎ Partnership highlight sections

See it live → https://www.perplexity.ai/search/create-a-linkedin-creator-medi-VNclzvvfQVm04x2UO7Qgjw?0=c

---

3 · Consulting Decks on Demand

Prompt

"Create a crisp, data-driven consulting slide deck. Deliver five slides total with clear takeaway titles and minimalist visuals:

Executive Summary (1 slide)
SWOT Analysis (1 slide)
Porter’s Five Forces (1 slide)
Hofstede Cultural Fit (1 slide)
90-Day Go-to-Market Plan (1 slide)

Key Inputs:
Threats: [Insert]
Scenario: [Insert]
Strengths: [Insert]
Constraints: [Insert]
Launch goal: [Insert]
Weaknesses: [Insert]
Opportunities: [Insert]
Industry clues: [Insert]
Cultural notes: [Insert]."

☑︎ Market sizing data included
☑︎ Strategic recommendations ready
☑︎ Timeline and budget allocations
☑︎ Professional formatting complete

See it live → https://lnkd.in/eB2HxqRR

---

4 · Research-to-Carousel in Nine Minutes

Perplexity’s Research mode + Labs can write, cite, design, and storyboard an entire LinkedIn carousel while you queue your espresso.

1. Launch Research
   Prompt: “Compare and contrast ‘AI agents’ and ‘Agentic AI’ across autonomy, intentionality, architecture, and real-world use.”

2. Pick sources
   Toggle Web, Academic, Social, Finance until the citations feel right.

3. Enable Labs
   Click the magic flask icon. Labs drafts slide headlines, pull quotes, stats, and suggested images.

4. Fire the carousel prompt

Act as a professional LinkedIn carousel strategist, content architect, and visual storyteller. Create an engaging and impactful LinkedIn carousel post with a maximum of 12 slides.

Each slide must contain minimal, high-impact text and use a variety of formats (e.g., bold statements, questions, frameworks, quotes, data points) to keep the viewer engaged from start to finish.

For every slide, include a highly descriptive image.

5. Wait ~9 minutes - Labs assembles copy, visuals, and references.

6. Copy-paste the output into Canva or Figma. Brand-colour swap. Done.

Always run a human pass. Publish only on topics you can stand up and defend - Labs writes fast, but you own the credibility.

---

Why Perplexity Labs?

• Speed – idea → live app in one sitting

• Citations baked in – every claim links to a source

• Zero setup – no domains, deploy scripts, or servers

• Iterative – tweak the prompt, regenerate, compare versions

Once you feel it, Google Docs starts to look like a typewriter.

---

Try It Tonight

1. Open Perplexity, click Labs.

2. Pick one micro-problem you handle weekly - client onboarding quiz, sponsor deck, weekly analysis.

3. Paste the matching prompt above.

4. Ship the result before you log off.

Then hit reply and tell me what you built. I read every note, and the smartest hacks always make it into future editions (with full credit, of course).

Stay curious, stay human, and keep shipping.

— Charlie