How to use Perplexity
system prompts and Spaces

Why Perplexity needs a different approach to system prompts

A Perplexity system prompt is a set of instructions stored in a Space that tells Perplexity how to search, what sources to prioritize, how to format citations, and how to structure its research output - before it begins any search or response. Perplexity searches the web as part of every response by default, making it an AI search engine rather than a pure language model.

This means the techniques that work for ChatGPT system prompts work poorly for Perplexity. A ChatGPT master prompt focused on tone and role still helps, but the highest-value instructions for Perplexity are about how to handle search results, citations, source quality, and information recency.

How to add a system prompt to Perplexity

Method 1 - Spaces (recommended)

Create different Spaces for different research domains - each with its own tailored instructions. Requires Perplexity Pro ($20/month). See the Perplexity Spaces documentation.

Method 2 - Perplexity API

{
  "model": "sonar-pro",
  "messages": [
    { "role": "system", "content": "YOUR MASTER PROMPT GOES HERE" },
    { "role": "user",   "content": "Your research query" }
  ]
}

What makes a strong Perplexity system prompt

Search behavior instructions

Perplexity needs explicit guidance about how to search: "When researching any topic, prioritize sources published in the last 12 months unless historical context is required. For statistics and data, require sources with clear methodology. Prefer peer-reviewed papers, official reports, and established news organizations over aggregators and blogs."

Citation format and uncertainty handling

Tell Perplexity exactly how you want citations formatted. Include instructions for conflicting sources: "When sources disagree, present the most credible perspective first and note the disagreement. Flag any information you cannot verify with a current source."

Common questions

Can I use Perplexity without a Pro subscription?

The free tier does not include Spaces with persistent Instructions. For persistent system prompts you need Perplexity Pro ($20/month) or the API.

How is Perplexity different from ChatGPT with web browsing?

ChatGPT with web browsing searches occasionally when it judges it is needed. Perplexity searches for every response by default and is built specifically as a search-first model with significantly more consistent citation handling for research tasks.