How to Access Perplexity Labs

Perplexity just changed the game for anyone who needs research done fast.

Not just answered — done. Packaged. Delivered.

Perplexity Labs takes a single prompt and turns it into a full project: reports, spreadsheets, dashboards, interactive charts, even lightweight web apps. All backed by live web data, and often completed in under 10 minutes.

The catch? You need to know how to access it. And if you’ve been poking around Perplexity wondering where Labs is hiding, you’re not alone.

This guide walks you through exactly how to find it, use it, and get the most out of it — step by step.

What Is Perplexity Labs?

Perplexity already had two modes before Labs came along:

Search gives you quick, cited answers to specific questions. Fast and reliable.

Research (formerly called Deep Research) digs deeper — analyzing hundreds of sources and generating comprehensive reports in 3–5 minutes.

Labs goes further than both. Instead of answering a question, Labs completes a project. It uses tools like deep web browsing, code execution, and chart and image creation to produce multi-component deliverables from a single prompt. Perplexity describes it this way: “Using Perplexity is like having a dedicated answer machine. Using Labs is like having a team.”

Where Research wraps up in 3–5 minutes, Labs often runs for 10 minutes or longer — doing self-supervised work across multiple steps to produce finished outputs you can actually use.

What can it create? Reports and documents, spreadsheets with auto-populated data, interactive dashboards with filters and charts, simple web apps deployed directly in the browser, and downloadable code files (Python, JavaScript, HTML/CSS).

Each Lab session includes dedicated panes for Tasks, Assets, Apps, Sources, and Code — so you can see exactly what was built and how.

What You Need Before You Start

Perplexity Labs is available exclusively to Perplexity Pro subscribers.

The Pro plan costs $20 per month and unlocks Labs across web, iOS, and Android — with Mac and Windows desktop apps also supported.

The free tier of Perplexity does not include Labs access. If you try to use it without a Pro subscription, the mode simply won’t appear in your interface.

Quick check: Log in to your Perplexity account and look at the bottom of the search bar. If you see a lightbulb icon alongside other mode options, you have access. If not, you’ll need to upgrade to Pro.

How to Access Perplexity Labs on Desktop (Step by Step)

Desktop is the recommended way to use Labs. The full feature set — including app rendering, export options, and multi-tab navigation — works most reliably in a browser.

Step 1 — Log in to your Perplexity Pro account

Go to perplexity.ai and sign in. Make sure you’re logged into the account tied to your Pro subscription, not a free account.

Step 2 — Find the mode selector in the input bar

At the bottom of the main search box, you’ll see a row of icons representing different modes. These include Search, Research, and Labs. The Labs mode is represented by a lightbulb icon.

Step 3 — Click the lightbulb icon to activate Labs mode

This switches your session from standard search or research mode into the Labs project-creation environment. The interface will shift slightly — you’ll notice new panes appear alongside the standard chat thread.

Step 4 — Write a detailed, specific prompt

The quality of your output scales directly with the specificity of your prompt. Vague instructions produce vague results. Instead of “make me a dashboard about sales trends,” try: “Create an interactive dashboard comparing SaaS revenue benchmarks across company sizes from 2022 to 2025, including a chart view and a downloadable CSV.”

Include the year (Labs can sometimes assume the wrong year if you don’t specify), the desired format, the data sources you prefer, and any structural requirements.

Step 5 — Submit and wait for the Lab to complete

Once you hit submit, Labs begins a multi-step workflow. A progress bar at the bottom of the screen shows where it is in the process. For complex projects, this can take 10–30 minutes.

If you need to step away, click “Notify me” — Labs will send a browser notification when the project is finished. Make sure you’ve allowed notifications from Perplexity in your browser settings.

Step 6 — Explore your outputs using the tabs

When the Lab finishes, your results are organized across several tabs:

• Tasks — A log of every step Labs performed to complete your project
• Assets — All generated files: charts, images, CSVs, code files, and documents available for download
• Apps — Interactive web apps or dashboards rendered directly in-browser
• Sources — Every source Labs referenced during research, with links for cross-checking
• Code — The raw code generated (Python, JavaScript, HTML/CSS) if applicable

To download everything, click the Export button at the bottom of the answer to see all available export formats.

How to Access Perplexity Labs on Mobile

Labs is available on both iOS and Android via the Perplexity app. The experience is similar to desktop, with one important caveat: some features — particularly interactive dashboards and full app rendering — work more reliably on desktop.

On mobile:

1. Open the Perplexity app and make sure you’re signed into your Pro account
2. Tap the mode selector above the text input
3. Select Labs from the available modes
4. Enter your prompt and tap submit
5. Use the “Notify me” option if the project will take a while

For complex research or deliverables where you need to download files and interact with dashboards, consider switching to desktop once Labs has finished running.

Why Perplexity Labs Is Missing (And How to Fix It)

If you can’t find the Labs option in your interface, one of these is almost certainly the reason:

You’re on the free tier. Labs is not available without a Pro subscription. The free version of Perplexity only includes basic search.

You’re using an outdated app version. On mobile, go to your app store and check for updates. Labs was a relatively recent addition, and older versions may not include it.

Regional rollout delays. Like many AI features, Labs was rolled out gradually. If you signed up for Pro recently and still don’t see it, try logging out and back in, or clearing your browser cache.

You’re in the wrong mode. The Search and Research modes have their own interfaces. Make sure you’re looking at the mode selector at the bottom of the input bar — not the focus selector (which lets you choose between web, academic, YouTube, etc.).

What You Can Build With Perplexity Labs

Once you’re in, the range of things Labs can create is genuinely broad. Here are some of the most practical use cases:

Market research reports — Perplexity Labs can analyze multiple data sources simultaneously, then generate a formatted report with citations, charts, and a summary. One of the world’s leading investors reportedly uses Perplexity to write their annual memo.

Interactive dashboards — Ask Labs to build a real-time dashboard on any topic — market trends, financial data, news monitoring — and it will generate HTML/CSS/JavaScript that renders directly in the Apps tab.

Spreadsheets with auto-filled data — Specify a topic (e.g., “a comparison of SaaS pricing models across 20 tools”) and Labs will research, structure, and populate the spreadsheet without you lifting a finger.

Presentations and storyboards — Labs can build slide-style presentations and user segment storyboards for product and marketing teams.

Lightweight web apps — Labs can develop and deploy simple interactive tools — calculators, trackers, generators — directly inside the session, shareable via a standalone page.

Academic literature reviews — Enable the Academic focus setting and Labs can pull from peer-reviewed journals and scholarly databases to generate citation-backed research papers.

Perplexity Labs vs. Research Mode: Which Should You Use?

Both modes are powerful, but they serve different purposes.

If you need a comprehensive answer or written analysis, Research is faster and more than sufficient. If you need a finished, shareable, multi-component deliverable, Labs is the right tool.

Tips for Getting Better Results From Perplexity Labs

Always include the year. Labs can default to treating your data as current when it isn’t — and research has shown outputs sometimes reflect the wrong year if you don’t specify. Add “as of 2025” or “include data from 2024–2025” in your prompt.

Be specific about format. Tell Labs exactly what you want: “an interactive dashboard with year filters” is better than “a visualization.” The more structure you define upfront, the less iteration you’ll need afterward.

Keep follow-up edits minimal. Early users have flagged that Labs handles follow-up prompts less smoothly than initial ones. If something needs fixing, ask for the smallest possible change rather than a full rebuild. Targeted edits prevent the AI from overengineering or breaking existing functionality.

Use the Sources tab for verification. Every output is backed by a list of sources Labs accessed during its research. Cross-check key claims here — especially for live data like financial figures or recent statistics — before using outputs in professional contexts.

Pause if needed. If a Lab is running longer than expected or you’ve changed direction, click the pause button or press Esc to stop the process without losing what’s already been completed.