• VERIFIED
  • LINKED
  • STRUCTURED
  • HUMAN

How to generate cited research reports with your AI

Connect Perplexity AI to your agent to turn web searches into structured, evidence-based documents.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How can I get my AI to write research reports with citations?

Your agent uses deep web searching to find sources and then builds a report where every claim is backed by a clickable URL. You'll get a structured document that you can verify instantly.

The research outcomes

What you'll receive

The agent delivers these specific results after processing your request.

VERIFIED

Fact-checked data

The agent pulls information from the live web. You get a report where every fact is tied to a specific source.

LINKED

Direct source URLs

Every citation includes a URL. You can click through to the original website to check the context yourself.

STRUCTURED

Organized reports

The agent organizes findings into logical sections. It turns raw search data into a readable document.

HUMAN

Final review needed

The agent provides the research and the links, but you decide if the synthesis meets your specific needs.

The workflow

What your AI does when the request arrives.

The agent moves from broad searching to specific citation management.

  1. Scour the web

    The agent performs an exhaustive search across the live web to find relevant information on your topic.

    deep_research

  2. Build the report

    It gathers the findings and organizes them into a coherent response with embedded citations.

    chat_with_citations

  3. Refine the details

    You can ask for more depth on a specific finding or request a change to the report's structure.

    follow_up

  4. Verify sources

    The agent maintains the link between the text and the source URL for every claim made.

    chat_with_citations

Try it

Copy these to start.

Paste these prompts into your chat to begin.

Starting points

These are templates. Swap out the bracketed text for your actual research topic.

Perplexity AI Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_lW0xnD7wkhoOhFgYCfH30bKS54sVQUOFu0ibRfR1/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Perplexity AI capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity-ai-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_lW0xnD7wkhoOhFgYCfH30bKS54sVQUOFu0ibRfR1/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • Conduct deep research on the current state of solid-state battery commercialization and provide a report with citations.

  • Search for the latest regulatory changes regarding carbon credits in the EU and summarize them with source URLs.

  • Research the historical impact of the Silk Road on Central Asian trade and create a structured report.

  • Find recent peer-reviewed studies on the efficacy of CRISPR in treating sickle cell anemia and list the sources.

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect Perplexity AI once, then ask.

Just click the link to connect your account. Your credentials stay encrypted, and you can start prompting immediately.

Connect Perplexity AI to your AI

FAQ

How this task behaves

  • 01

    Can the AI write the report without searching the web?

    No. The agent relies on the deep search capability to find real-time information and specific URLs.

  • 02

    Will the AI automatically save the report to my hard drive?

    No. The agent generates the report within your chat interface. You must copy or save it yourself.

  • 03

    Does the AI verify if the URLs are still active?

    The agent provides the URLs it finds during the search, but it does not perform a secondary check to see if a website has gone offline since the search.

  • 04

    Can I ask the AI to change the formatting of the report?

    Yes. You can use follow-up prompts to request different structures, such as turning a report into a bulleted list.

  • 05

    Can the AI browse private databases or paywalled sites?

    No. The agent can only access information that is available on the public web through its search tools.

  • More questions about Perplexity AI? The Connector page answers them. See everything the Perplexity AI Connector can do

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