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Maximize your searches with Perplexity’s Focus feature

The Rundown: Perplexity's Focus feature allows you to fine-tune your search by narrowing down the sources, for more targeted and relevant results.

🧰 Who is this useful for?

  • Researchers & students needing academic sources
  • Writers & professionals generating focused content
  • Tech enthusiasts & analysts looking for accurate data
  • Casual users filtering through online discussions


STEP 1: Accessing Perplexity

Start by visiting Perplexity. Log in to your account or create a new one for free if you haven’t already. Once logged in, you’ll be taken to the main dashboard.

Note: You don’t even need to create an account to access Perplexity.

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STEP 2: Locating the Focus Feature

On the main dashboard, you’ll see the search bar prominently displayed. Below the search bar, there's an option labeled “Focus”. This feature allows you to narrow down your search scope, ensuring you get the most relevant results for your query.

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STEP 3: Understanding Focus Categories

Clicking on “Focus” will present you with several categories to choose from, including:

  • All: Searches across the entire internet for comprehensive results.
  • Academic: Targets published academic papers, perfect for scholarly research.
  • Writing: Generates text or allows for chat without web searching.
  • Wolfram|Alpha: Uses the computational knowledge engine for precise calculations and data.
  • YouTube: Helps you discover and watch videos related to your query.
  • Reddit: Searches for discussions and opinions on Reddit, great for community insights.

Choose the category that best suits your needs. For instance, if you’re conducting academic research, select the “Academic” option. This will tailor your search results to include only scholarly articles and papers.

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STEP 4: Conducting Your Search

After selecting the appropriate focus category, enter your query into the search bar. For example, if you’re researching quantum computers, you might use the Academic setting and type:

“Impacts of quantum computers on traditional cryptography”

 Or use the Wolfram|Alpha setting and ask for:

“Derivate of (x+1)^2”

The search results will now be filtered according to the focus category you selected. This means you’ll receive more relevant and specialized information, which can save you time and increase the quality of your research.

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