How to use Computer Skills

​

What are skills?

Skills are more than reusable instruction sets — they deploy agents. A skill gives Perplexity Computer a methodology for a type of task. Computer then dispatches dedicated sub-agents to carry the work out, often several in parallel, each handling one part of the task and reporting back. The result is consistent, high-quality output for that type of task.

Skills operate similarly to AI workers you can recruit for specific jobs. When you need a presentation built, a dataset analyzed, or research conducted, you don’t install software — Computer deploys the right specialist agents for the task and coordinates their work.

For example, the Slides skill directs Computer through building polished presentations. The Research skill deploys research sub-agents that work through a rigorous multi-round methodology in parallel, with source validation and citations.

Skills activate on demand based on your query. They are part of Perplexity Computer, so they are available on every plan that includes Computer. You can open them from the Skills page, or they activate automatically when relevant during a conversation.

​

Skills work together

Computer often combines multiple skills — and the sub-agents each one deploys — to complete a complex task. For example, a research project might use the Research skill to run several research agents in parallel to gather information. Computer can then hand off to the Research Report skill to format findings, or pass to the Slides skill to create a presentation. Computer orchestrates these agents automatically behind the scenes.

​

Creating your own skills

Computer includes a suite of built-in skills out of the box. However, if these don’t match your specific workflow, you can create custom skills to tailor Perplexity’s behavior for your own workflows. There are two ways to do this:

​

Create with Perplexity

This is the easiest way to get started and doesn’t require any technical knowledge.

​

Upload a skill

If you prefer to import existing skills, you can upload them directly:

​

File requirements:

• Upload a .zip file with a SKILL.md file at the root level, or upload a .md file directly

• SKILL.md must include a YAML frontmatter block with a name and description

• Maximum file size: 10 MB

​

Example SKILL.md format:

---
name: weekly-summary
description: >-
  Summarize the week's key events into a concise executive briefing. Use when
  asked for a weekly summary, week-in-review, or status update.
---

## Instructions

1. Gather the most important events and updates from the past week
2. Organize by theme or priority
3. Write a concise summary with key takeaways
4. Include action items if applicable

​

Tips for writing effective skills:

• The description field is critical — Perplexity uses it to decide when to activate the skill, so include keywords and trigger phrases (e.g., “Use when asked to create a presentation”)

• The name must be lowercase with hyphens only (e.g., my-custom-skill), between 1 and 64 characters

• Include clear step-by-step instructions in the body of the file

• Add examples of expected inputs and outputs whenever possible

​

How to verify it worked

A skill you create or upload appears under My Skills on the Skills page. Open it to confirm the name and description are correct, since the description is what Computer matches against when it decides whether to activate the skill.

​

Managing skills

​

Browsing and searching

The Skills page has two tabs:

• My Skills — Skills you’ve created or uploaded

• Perplexity Skills — Perplexity’s built-in skill library

Use the search bar to find skills by name or description across both tabs.

​

Viewing skill details

Click a skill to open a detailed view that shows its name and description.

​

Deleting skills

You can delete skills you’ve created from the My Skills tab. You cannot delete built-in Perplexity Skills.

​

How skills work during a conversation

When you start a task in Perplexity Computer, relevant skills load automatically based on what you’re asking for. Computer recognizes the type of work and deploys the right agents and capabilities for it.

​

Examples:

• Ask to “create a presentation about Q1 results” → The Slides skill activates

• Request “a detailed analysis of renewable energy trends” → The Research skill kicks in

• Say “show me a chart of monthly revenue” → The Chart skill handles visualization

Your custom skills work the same way. Once created, they’re available in future conversations and will activate when their description matches what you’re asking for.

Skills can collaborate. When a task needs multiple capabilities, skills — and the agents they deploy — work together seamlessly. You maintain full control — skills only activate when they’re relevant to your current task.

​

Need more help?