Perplexity Collections (now Projects): reusable research workspace (2026)

Many people still search for «Perplexity Collections», but the current product is called Projects (formerly Spaces). The official guide is at https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/10352961-what-are-spaces. If you already ran the research-with-sources flow, a Project is the next step: a persistent workspace where you group threads on the same topic, optionally with instructions and files, so you can return tomorrow without digging through History. It does not replace opening sources. It holds the map.

1. Steps 1

   Decide whether the topic deserves a Project

   Before you create anything, ask: will you run more than two queries on the same subject in the next week? For a one-off question, stay on a loose thread and open sources as in the previous tutorial. For a product brief, a new market, or a report that grows over several sessions, use a Project. Write the scope in one line: topic, geography if it matters, and the work's deadline.

   What you should see: A one-line scope in a notes app. A clear decision: Project yes or loose thread.

2. Steps 2

   Open Projects and create a new one

   In Perplexity, open Projects in the left sidebar. Click + New project (you can also use the + hover option on the Projects header). Use a concrete title: «Product LLM criteria 2025-2026», not «Research». If there is a description field, note what decision this material will support. In the Project's Settings tab, if Instructions appears, paste analyst rules: «Split fact, estimate and opinion. Ask for a date on each source. Do not write the final essay.» Perplexity can also suggest a title and instructions if you create a Project from an existing session.

   What you should see: An empty Project with a specific title. A Settings tab with Instructions if your account shows them.

3. Steps 3

   Start the first thread inside the Project

   With the Project open, write the first question from there — not from the global home box if you can avoid it. Use the analyst formula: a narrow question, a year, exclusions. Example: «What criteria did product teams publish in 2025-2026 for choosing an LLM in Europe, and which trade-offs do they name? Exclude affiliate lists.» Ask for 5-7 dated sources before you ask for conclusions. Each search inside the Project is saved as a thread (session) in the Project list.

   What you should see: A new thread listed inside the Project, with numbered citations in the answer.

4. Steps 4

   Add a thread you already had in History

   If you started outside the Project, do not throw it away. Open the thread from History in the sidebar, click the three-dot menu, and choose Add it to a project (Perplexity's help center documents this wording). Select the Project you created. The thread keeps its messages and citations; only its logical folder inside Perplexity changes.

   What you should see: A brief confirmation and the thread visible in the Project list.

5. Steps 5

   Organize a second query without mixing the topic

   Inside the same Project, open a new thread (do not stretch the first one if the question is different). Second-round example: «Of those sources, which mention cost per token or latency as a decisive criterion?» or «What could you not verify in the previous round?» Each thread has a role. You can Pin important Projects for quick access. Avoid one chat with ten follow-ups that mix sub-questions.

   What you should see: Two or three threads in the Project, each with a title that describes its role.

6. Steps 6

   Optional: Project files and instructions

   If the topic needs it, upload reference files in the Project's Files tab (PDF, CSV, etc.). Project instructions apply to new searches inside it. Perplexity's plan documentation states that the Individual Pro plan allows up to 50 persistent file uploads per Project; on Free, upload limits are lower and share a rolling weekly allowance — check the help center before a deadline. Files add context; they do not replace opening web sources cited in a thread.

   What you should see: Files tab with one or two documents and Settings with Instructions visible.

7. Steps 7

   Return to sources and draft the brief elsewhere

   Open the thread that matters most. Same as perplexity-investigacion-con-fuentes: pick two primary sources, note title, author and date in your external doc. The Project brings you back to the thread with its citations; it does not replace reading the PDF or report. In your doc, write: thesis in one sentence, 4-6 bullets citing the sources you opened, a Gaps section, brief date. The Project stays as your thread index for the next session.

   What you should see: Two source tabs open, dated notes elsewhere, and the Project with readable threads as the map.