AI for Genealogy: Perplexity AI Complete Guide for Genealogy - Master Every Feature to Break Through Brick Walls in Family History Research

Feeling overwhelmed by Perplexity AI? You're not alone. Most genealogists have heard about this powerful AI research tool but don't know where to start—or they've tried it once, got confused by all the buttons and options, and went right back to their comfort zone.

But what if I told you that Perplexity AI could become your most powerful genealogy research tool? That it could help you solve brick walls that have stumped you for years? That it's actually FREE to use and doesn't require a paid subscription to get incredible results?

In this comprehensive 45-minute episode of Ancestors and Algorithms, I take you on a complete journey through Perplexity AI—from absolute beginner to advanced power user. No jargon. No intimidation. Just practical, step-by-step guidance for family historians who want to supercharge their research.

What You'll Learn:

Getting Started (Even If You're Brand New to AI)

• How to access Perplexity (website, apps, and the game-changing Comet Browser)
• Understanding the interface without feeling overwhelmed
• Your first genealogy search in under 60 seconds
• Why Perplexity gives you sources ChatGPT doesn't

Real Brick Wall Breakthrough Stories

• How I solved a 2-year Scottish immigration mystery in 3 minutes using Research Mode
• The "Assisted Emigration Scheme" discovery that changed everything
• Why Perplexity found sources no other tool could locate

The Comet Browser Revolution

• What is Comet and why genealogists are raving about it
• The Comet Assistant that reads every webpage with you
• How to use Background Assistants for multi-tasking research
• Practical examples: analyzing census records, obituaries, and immigration documents
• Why having AI integrated into your browser changes research forever

Real-World Genealogy Applications

• Finding obscure archives and record collections
• Understanding historical context around ancestors' lives
• Translating foreign language documents
• Creating research plans for complex brick walls
• Comparing different historical sources quickly
• Discovering settlement patterns and migration routes

This Episode Is Perfect For:

• Complete beginners who've never used Perplexity before
• Intermediate users who feel like they're only scratching the surface
• Advanced researchers ready to level up with Comet Browser
• Anyone frustrated with traditional research methods
• Genealogists who want to work smarter, not harder

What Makes This Different: This isn't just theory. I walk you through actual genealogy scenarios, show you exactly which buttons to push, give you word-for-word prompts you can copy, and explain why certain features matter for family history research specifically.

Whether you're researching in the United States, Canada, Europe, or anywhere else in the world, these Perplexity techniques will transform how you approach genealogy research.

Connect with Ancestors and Algorithms:

📧 Email: ancestorsandai@gmail.com
🌐 Website: https://ancestorsandai.com/
📘 Facebook Group: Ancestors and Algorithms: AI for Genealogy - www.facebook.com/groups/ancestorsandalgorithms/

Golden Rule Reminder: AI is your research assistant, not your researcher.

Join our Facebook group to share your AI genealogy breakthroughs, ask questions, and connect with fellow family historians who are embracing the future of genealogy research!

New episodes every Tuesday. Subscribe so you never miss the latest AI tools and techniques for family history research.

Transcript

What if I told you there's an AI tool that can search the entire internet, choose between four different AI brains depending on what you need, create entire research reports while you sleep, and build you a custom spreadsheet to track your findings all in one place? And what if I told you that most genealogists have never heard of it? I'm talking about perplexity AI. And here's the thing, I'll be honest with you, for months I've been intimidated by it. I'd open it up, see all these buttons and options and think, this is too complicated, and go right back to ChatGPT. But then something happened. I forced myself to really learn it. And now, now I use it almost more than any other AI tool for my genealogy research. Today we're doing something different. This isn't just an episode about perplexity. This is a complete user's guide. By the end of this episode, you're going to understand every button, every feature, and exactly when to use each one for your family history research. Whether you're brand new to AI or you've been using ChatGPT for months, I promise you, perplexity is about to become your secret weapon for breaking through brick walls. Welcome back everyone! I'm your host Brian. This is episode 12 of Ancestors and Algorithms, the podcast where family history meets artificial intelligence. If you're new here, welcome! We're all about learning how to safely and effectively use AI tools to supercharge your family history research. And if you've been with us since the beginning, thank you for coming back. Today's episode is special. We're doing a complete deep dive into perplexity AI, and I mean complete. We're going to walk through every single button, every feature, every search mode, and I'm even going to introduce you to something called the Comet Browser. That's going to blow your mind. Now, before we jump in, I need to make something clear. This episode is for everyone. If you've never used perplexity before, perfect. We're starting from absolute zero. If you've tried it once or twice and got confused, perfect. That was me too. And if you're already using it but feel like you're only scratching the surface, perfect. We're going deep today. But here's what we're not doing. We're not just talking about perplexity. We're going to use it. I'm going to walk you through three real genealogy scenarios from beginner to advanced so you can see exactly how this tool works in the real world. Sound good? Let's get started. So let me start with a confession. Six months ago, someone in one of my Facebook genealogy groups posted about perplexity. They were raving about it. It's better than ChatGPT for research, they said. It gives you actual sources, they said. You need to try this. So I did. I went to perplexity. ai, created an account, and... I was immediately overwhelmed. There were buttons everywhere. Search, research, labs. What's the difference? There was a drop-down for models. Which models should I pick? There were all these options I didn't understand, and no clear instructions on where to start. I asked it one question about immigration Got an answer with some links and thought, Okay, this is just Google with an AI rapper. I closed it and went back to ChatGPT where I felt comfortable. But here's the thing. I kept hearing about perplexity. More and more genealogists were talking about it. People were sharing amazing breakthrough stories. I realized I was missing out because I didn't take the time to actually learn the tool. So I made a commitment. I would spend one week, just one week, really learning perplexity. Every button. Every feature. Every search mode. I would force myself to use it for my research instead of defaulting to ChatGPT. And you know what happened? By day three, I had solved a brick wall that had been stumping me for two years. By day five, I was using perplexity more than any other AI tool. By day seven, I was wondering how I ever did genealogy research without it. Let me tell you about that brick wall. I was researching my great-great-grandfather, Thomas McKenzie. I knew he immigrated from Scotland to Canada around 1885, but I couldn't find his immigration record. I'd searched ancestry, family search, Canadian archives, nothing. I'd ask ChatGPT for suggestions, and it gave me some good ideas, but nothing that led to a breakthrough. Then I tried perplexity's research mode. Which I'll explain in detail in a few minutes. I asked it to create a comprehensive research plan for finding Scottish immigrants to Canada in the 1880s who settled in Ontario. What happened next blew my mind. Perplexity didn't just give me an answer. It spent three minutes, yes, I timed it, conducting its own research. It searched dozens of websites. It read through Canadian immigration databases, Scottish immigration records, historical society pages, and academic papers about Scottish settlement patterns in Ontario. Then it gave me a complete research report. With sources. With specific archives to search. With historical context about why Scottish immigrants came to that specific area in that specific time period. With suggestions for alternative spelling and name variations I should try. Within that report was a mention of something called the assisted immigration scheme that operated between Scotland and Canada from 1883 to 1888. I had never heard of it. But because of that mention I found a database of assisted immigrants and there was Thomas McKenzie, clear as day, sailing from Glasgow to Quebec City in April 1885. That's when I realized Perplexity isn't just another AI chatbot. It's a research command center. It's like having a professional genealogist, a research librarian, and an internet detective all working together for you. And here's what makes Perplexity unique. AI is your research assistant, not your researcher. Perplexity embodies this perfectly. It doesn't make up information. It searches real sources and shows you where it found everything. It doesn't replace your research. It amplifies it. So today, I'm going to teach you everything I learned in that week. I'm going to show you why Perplexity might just become your favorite genealogy research tool. Alright, let's start from the very beginning, and I mean the very beginning. First things first, how do you access Perplexity? Option 1, the website. Go to perplexity. ai in any web browser. That's P-E-R-P-L-E-X-I-T-Y dot A-I. You can use it right there in your browser. No download required. Option 2, the apps. Perplexity has apps for iPhone, Android, Mac, and Windows. Just search for Perplexity in your app store. Option 3, the Comet browser. We'll talk about this later. Now, here's the beautiful part. You can use Perplexity for free. You don't need a paid subscription to get started. The free version is actually really powerful. When you first open Perplexity, you'll see a clean interface with a search box in the middle. It looks simple, but don't let that fool you. There's a lot of power hiding behind that simplicity. You can use Perplexity without an account, but I recommend creating one. It's it lets you save your search history and organize your research. You can sign up with Google, Apple, or email. Now, let's talk about what you're looking at. When you look at Perplexity, here's what you'll see. In the center, a search box where you type your questions. On the left, a sidebar with three main sections. Home, your main dashboard. Discover, trending topics and example queries. Spaces, where you can organize research projects. Think of these like folders. Below the search box, in the bottom left, you'll see three buttons. Search, this is the default mode, quick answers. Research, this creates comprehensive reports, formerly called Deep Research. Labs, this creates entire projects like spreadsheets and reports. It's pro subscribers only. Below the search box, in the bottom right, you'll see four more buttons. Sources, toggle to show where information comes from. Models, choose which AI brain to use. Attach files, upload documents, photos, and PDFs. Dictation, use voice input instead of typing. I know that's a lot. I know that's a lot, but here's the good news. For basic genealogy research, you'll only need to understand two things to start. Number one, the search box, where you're typing. Number two, the search versus research buttons, which mode to use. Everything else, you'll learn as you go. Let's do your first search right now. Open perplexity. Open perplexity. Make sure search mode is selected at the bottom left. Now type this question. Quote, what immigration records are available for Scottish immigrants to Canada in the 1880s? End quote. Hit enter and watch what happens. Within seconds, perplexity will give you an answer. But notice something important. Every piece of information has a link next to it. Those are citations. Those are links to where perplexity found that information. Click on one of those links. It takes you directly to the source. This is huge for genealogy. We're not just getting AI-generated answers. We're getting researched information with receipts. This is what I mean when I say perplexity is different from ChatGPT. ChatGPT is brilliant for creative thinking and brainstorming. But perplexity is built for research. It's built for finding real information from real sources. Free vs. Pro, what do you get? Let me quickly break down what's available at each level because this matters for genealogists. The Free version, you get unlimited basic searches, five pro searches per day. These use more powerful AI models. Limited file uploads. All the core features we're talking about today. Pro version is $20 a month or $200 a year. You get hundreds of pro searches per day. Unlimited file uploads. That's perfect for analyzing documents. Access to advanced AI models. ChatGPT 5, Claude Sonnet 4.5, Gemini 2.5 Pro, and Grok 4. For creating reports and projects. And a $5 monthly API credit. The max version is $200 a month. You get everything in the pro, unlimited labs usage, and priority access to new features. For most genealogists starting out, the free version is plenty. You can do serious research with five pro searches a day. But if you find yourself using it constantly, like I do, the pro version is absolutely worth it. Just a little side note. If you come join my Facebook group, Ancestors and Algorithms, AI for Genealogy, I have two posts in there to show you how to sign up for Perplexity Pro free for 12 months. So come on over and join the group. Alright, now that we've covered the basics, let's dive into the real power of Perplexity, the different search modes. Let me introduce you to Sarah. Sarah is brand new to genealogy and brand new to AI. She just started researching her grandmother's family and she's feeling overwhelmed. Sarah knows her great-grandmother was named Mary Sullivan, born around 1890 in Boston. But that's about all she knows. She's never used AI before and she's nervous about doing something wrong. This is where Perplexity shines for beginners. Let me walk you through exactly what Sarah should do. Step 1. Open Perplexity and make sure Search mode is selected. Sarah opens Perplexity. ai. She sees the search box. At the bottom left, she sees three options, search, research, and labs. Search is already highlighted. Perfect. That's the beginner-friendly mode. Step 2. Ask a clear specific question. Sarah types, quote, Where can I find birth records for someone born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1890, end quote. She hits enter. Within three seconds, Perplexity gives her an answer with multiple sources. The answer mentions Massachusetts vital records with a link to the state archives. FamilySearch. org with specific record collections, the Boston Public Library genealogy resources, Ancestry.com collections for Massachusetts. Each piece of information has a little link next to it, a citation. Sarah clicks on Citation 1, and it takes her directly to the Massachusetts State Archives website. Step 3. Follow-up questions. Here's something beautiful about Perplexity. It remembers the conversation context. Sarah doesn't have to repeat herself. She asks, quote, How much do these records cost to access, end quote. Perplexity already knows she's asking about the Massachusetts vital records she just learned about. It tells her, FamilySearch is free. Massachusetts State Archives charged $32 per record. Ancestry requires a subscription. Sarah asks, quote, Can you show me how to search FamilySearch for Mary Sullivan, end quote. Perplexity gives her step-by-step instructions with screenshots from FamilySearch's actual help documentation. Step 4. Understanding the Models button. Now, Sarah notices that Models button is in the bottom right. She clicks it, and sees something called Best is selected. Best is perfect for beginners. It automatically chooses the right AI model for her question. She doesn't need to think about it. let's say Sarah wants to try something more powerful. She has five pro searches available today. She's on the free plan. She clicks "Models" and selects "GPT5" from the ProSearch models selection. She asks the same question about finding Mary Sullivan's birth record. This time, GPT5 gives her an even more detailed answer, with specific search strategies, alternative name spellings to try, and common pitfalls to avoid when searching Boston records from that era. The difference? The Pro models are smarter, more thorough, and better at complex reasoning, but they count against her daily limit. Step 5: Saving Important Findings. Sarah found something useful: the direct link to Massachusetts' vital records. She wants to save this for later. In Perplexity, every search creates a thread, like a conversation. She can: Click the "Share" button to save the link. Go to her sidebar and see all her past threads under "Home." Create a space specifically for her Sullivan Family Research. To create a space: Click "Spaces" in the left sidebar. Click "New Space." Name it "Sullivan Family Research." Now all her searches about the Sullivans can be organized in one place. What Sarah Learned in 15 Minutes. Without any prior A. I. Experience, Sarah found multiple sources for Boston birth records. Got step-by-step instructions for searching them. Learned about free versus paid options. Discovered family search collections she didn't know existed. Organized her research in a space for easy reference. And here's the best part: She has citations for everything. When she finds Mary Sullivan's birth record, she can cite Perplexity's research as part of her research log, with all the sources linked. Remember our golden rule: A. I. is your research assistant, not your researcher. Sarah still needs to go to FamilySearch and actually search the records. But Perplexity just saved her hours of figuring out where to search and how to search effectively. Now let's level up and see what intermediate users can do. Meet Michael. Michael has been doing genealogy for five years. He's comfortable with ancestry and family search. He's used ChatGPT a few times. He's heard about Perplexity and wants to understand what makes it different. Michael has hit a brick wall. His great-great grandfather, Heinrich Schmidt, immigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in the late 1850's. But Michael can't find the immigration record. He's tried all the usual databases with no luck. This is where Perplexity's research mode becomes a game changer. Research mode is different from basic search mode. When you click Research at the bottom left of your search box, Perplexity transforms into something much more powerful. Here's what happens. Perplexity performs dozens of searches automatically. It reads hundreds of sources. It reasons through the information, refining its research plan as it learns. It takes two to five minutes to complete. It creates a comprehensive research report with all sources cited. Think of it like this: search mode is asking a librarian a quick question. Research mode is hiring a research assistant for the afternoon. For a genealogist, research mode is gold. Let me show you why. Step 1: Michael activates research mode. Michael clicks the research button at the bottom left of his search box. The interface changes slightly. Now he's ready for deep research. He types this query: "Create a comprehensive research plan for finding German immigration records

He hits enter and then he waits". This is important. Research mode is not instant. "Michael sees a progress indicator showing perplexity is working. It says things like: searching for German immigration records. Reading sources about Pennsylvania German settlements. Analyzing 1850s passenger lists. Compiling research strategies. This takes about three minutes. Michael goes and makes himself a sandwich. Step 2: the research report arrives. When perplexity finishes, Michael gets a comprehensive report. I'm talking multiple pages of information organized into clear sections. Section 1: Overview of German immigration to Pennsylvania in the 1850s. You get historical context about why Germans immigrated there. Major ports of entry: Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York. Settlement patterns in Pennsylvania. Common occupations in communities. Section 2 Available Record Collections Specific databases on Ancestry, FamilySearch, MyHeritage. German immigration records. Some are still in Germany. Ship passenger lists with date range. Naturalization record locations. Section 3. Search Strategies for Heinrich Schmidt. Alternative spellings. Schmidt, Schmidt, Smith. Given name variations. Henry, Henrich, Heinrich. Common indexing errors for German names. Tips for searching when exact dates are unknown. Section 4. Next Steps. Prioritized list of records to search first. Additional resources. German genealogy societies. Pennsylvania archives. Research timeline recommendations. Every single statement has citations. When perplexity Philadelphia was the second largest port for German immigrants in the 1850s, there's a citation to a historical society website, an academic paper, or a genealogical reference book. Step 3. Exporting and saving the report. At the bottom of the research report, Michael sees an export button. He can download this as a PDF file. A PDF file, a text document, or convert it to a perplexity page to share with others. Michael exports it as a PDF and saves it in his Heinrich Schmidt research folder. Now he has a permanent reference guide for his research. Step 4. Understanding AI models for deeper research. Here's where it gets interesting. Michael is on the pro plan, so he has access to different AI models. He clicks models and sees. Sonar, perplexity's own model. GPT-5, OpenAI's latest. Claude Sonnet 4.5, Anthropic's best. Gemini 2.5 Pro, Google's most advanced. Claude Sonnet 4.5, Thinking. And grok 4. Michael has a hunch. He read that Claude Sonnet 4.5 is particularly good at analyzing documents and complex reasoning. He clicks models, selects Claude Sonnet 4.5 under pro search models, and asks, Quote, Based on the research plan you just created, what is the single most likely place I'll find Heinrich Schmidt's immigration record, and why? End quote. Claude Sonnet 4.5 thinks for a moment, then gives a detailed analysis. It weighs the evidence from the research report, and concludes that Philadelphia passenger lists from 1852 to 1854 are most likely, because, The Bremen to Philadelphia route was most popular for Palantinoid Germans. Schmidt family members appeared in Pennsylvania census records in 1860. The Hamburg to New York route wasn't well established until later. This is AI reasoning at its best. It's not making up information. It's synthesizing the research to help Michael prioritize his search strategy. In about 20 minutes of perplexity, Michael got a comprehensive research plan with dozens of sources, identified the most likely records to search first, learned historical context about his ancestors' immigration, organized everything into a professional research report. Could he have done this without AI? Eventually, yes. But, it would have taken days or weeks of research. Perplexity compressed that into 20 minutes. Now, let's see what advanced users can do with perplexity. Meet Dr. Elena Martinez. She's a professional genealogist with 20 years of experience. She's well-versed in AI tools, and wants to use perplexity to its absolute maximum potential for a particularly challenging case. 

Dr. Martinez has a client who's hit a massive brick wall. The client's ancestor, James Sullivan, supposedly fought in a civil war, but they can't find any military records. The client's family has always said James was with an Ohio regiment, but searches of Ohio's civil war records showed nothing. Dr. Martinez suspects either, 1. James served under a different name, 2. James was actually with a different state's regiment, 3. The family story is inaccurate, 4. The records are misindexed. This requires advanced, multi-layered research. Let's see how Dr. Martinez uses perplexity like a pro. Dr. Martinez has perplexity pro, which gives her 50 lab queries per month. Labs is the most powerful mode. It can create entire projects, spreadsheets, and research documents. She clicks Labs at the bottom left instead of Search or Research. Labs mode can do things like create comprehensive spreadsheets and analyzing data, build interactive research dashboards, generate detailed reports with charts and visualizations, develop research strategies across multiple sources. She types this complex query. Quote, create a comprehensive research strategy spreadsheet for finding a Civil War soldier named James Sullivan, who supposedly served with an Ohio regiment between 1861 and 1865. Include, one, all possible name variations and spellings. Two, Ohio regiments that fought in major battles. Three, adjacent state regiments that recruited from Ohio border counties. Four, specific databases and record types to search. Five, timeline for systematic searching. Six, documentation tracking system. Export as a usable spreadsheet. End quote. Labs mode goes to work. This takes longer than research modes, about five to ten minutes. Dr. Martinez can see it's searching Civil War databases, reading regimental histories, analyzing name variation patterns, creating data structures. When Labs finishes, Dr. Martinez gets an actual downloadable spreadsheet with multiple tabs. Tab one is the name variations. A table with every possible spelling variation of James Sullivan. Tab two is the Ohio regiment's timeline. A chronological list of Ohio regiment's width. Regiment numbers and commanders. Regiment numbers and commanders. Battles they participated in. Casualty rates to prioritize high documentation regiments. And known roster availability. Tab three is border state analysis. Counties in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and West Virginia that border Ohio with notes about which state's regiments recruited there. Tab four, the research plan goes a pre-built tracking system with columns for date searched, databases checked, regiment unit searched, results found or not found, and next steps. This is incredible. Perplexity didn't just give information, it created a working research tool. Here's where Dr. Martinez's experience shines. She knows different AI models have different strengths. For historical context and analysis, she uses Claude Sonnet 4.5 thinking. She asks, quote, Analyze the most likely scenarios for why James Sullivan's Ohio Civil War service isn't appearing in standard records. Consider historical indexing practices, border state recruitment, name variations, and possible alternative explanations, end quote. Claude thinking mode takes extra time to reason through this. She can actually see it thinking, working through different hypotheses before answering. After about 90 seconds, it presents a detailed analysis ranking the most likely scenarios. For finding specific database information, she uses Gemini 2.5 Pro. She asks, quote, What specific online databases, both free and paid, contain Ohio Civil War pension records, and what are the exact search strategies for each, end quote. Gemini is particularly good at Google-related searches and database information. It gives her detailed instructions for Fold 3, NARA, Ohio Historical Society, and Family Search Collections. For creative problem solving, she uses GPT-5. She asks, quote, If James Sullivan did serve in the Civil War but isn't in Ohio records, what are three unconventional research strategies I haven't considered, end quote. GPT-5 suggests checking newspaper casualty lists. Soldiers were reported before official rosters. Looking at Grand Army of the Republic, post-war organization memberships. Searching for James' siblings, or father, if they served, James likely served in the same unit. Dr. Martinez creates a dedicated space called Sullivan's Civil War Project. Within this space, she organizes all her James Sullivan searches, saves the lab-generated spreadsheet, keeps track of which AI models gave the best results, and documents her research process. She invites her client to the space so that they can both see the research progress in real time. Yes, spaces can be shared. Using the lab's generated spreadsheet and GPT-5's suggestion about sibling searches, Dr. Martinez finds that James Sullivan's brother, Thomas, served in the 82nd Ohio Infantry. She searches that specific regiment's roster and finds J. Sullivan, Company K, enlisted Columbus, 1862. Just J. Sullivan. That's why her searches for James weren't working. He was indexed only with his first initial. She now uses perplexity to find the 82nd Ohio Infantry's complete service records, locate James' pension application, pull up the regiment's battle history to verify the family's story. Within two hours of strategic perplexity use, a brick wall that had stumped the family for decades, was completely demolished. Here are some advanced features that Dr. Martinez uses. Number one, the dictation button. When she's reviewing documents and thinking out loud, she uses voice input instead of typing. Much faster for complex queries. Number two, the sources toggle. She keeps sources visible at all times so she can immediately verify every piece of information. She can click any source to see the full original context. Number three, thread management. She reviews her past successful searches and copies the query structures that worked. She's building a personal library of effective genealogy prompts. Number four, export everything. Every research report gets exported as PDF. Every breakthrough search gets saved. She maintains a complete research trail. Alright, now I want to blow your mind with something most people don't know about. Perplexity has created its own internet browser. It's called Comet and it's specifically designed to integrate AI into everything you do online. Here's the game-changing part for genealogists. Imagine you're on Ancestry.com or FamilySearch. org looking at a record and you have a question about it. Instead of opening a separate tab for Perplexity or ChatGPT, what if you could just ask an AI assistant right there in your browser's sidebar while looking at the record? That's Comet. Comet is a web browser built on Chromium, the same technology as Google Chrome. That means it works exactly like Chrome. Same speed, same compatibility. All your Chrome extensions work in Comet. You can import all your bookmarks, passwords, and history from Chrome. It feels instantly familiar. But here's what makes it special. Perplexity AI is built directly into the browser. When you open Comet, there's a sidebar on the right. This is your AI assistant and it can see whatever webpage you're looking at. Let's say you're on FamilySearch looking at a German baptismal record from 1756. You're not sure what some of the abbreviations mean. In Comet, you simply click the sidebar and ask, quote, What do these abbreviations in this German church record mean, end quote. The Comet assistant sees the exact page you're analyzes the document, explains the abbreviations, provides historical context, all without you needing to copy and paste or take screenshots. Let's go through some real genealogy scenarios in Comet. Scenario 1. You're on Ancestry looking at a census record. You wonder, quote, Based on this 1920 census, where else should I search for this family, end quote. Comet assistant sees the census, analyzes the information, location, neighbors, and occupations, and suggests city directories for that location, church records based on the neighborhood's demographics, school records if there are school-aged children, immigration records if the family shows recent arrival. Scenario 2. You're reading a genealogy society website. The article mentions a record collection but doesn't link to it. You ask, quote, Where can I access the record collection mentioned in this article, end quote. Comet searches for that collection and gives you direct links to family search, ancestry, or archives, where it's available. You're comparing two different trees on ancestry. You see conflicting information about an ancestor's birth date. You ask, quote, Which of these birth dates is more likely to be accurate and why, end quote. 

Here's something I personally love. A lot of genealogical information is behind paywalls on Ancestry.com or other subscription sites. When you use Comet and the Comet Assistant, you can ask questions about what you're looking at on those sites. The AI can see the page because you have access to it and help you analyze it, even though that information isn't freely available on the internet. For example, you're on Ancestry looking at a will that requires a subscription to view. You ask Comet, quote, Summarize the key genealogical information in this will and identify any unexpected bequests, end quote. Comet reads the will that's on your screen and provides the summary. This is incredibly valuable for locked content. This is recent news. As of October 2, 2025, Comet became completely free for everyone to download and use. Previously, it was only available to Perplexity Max subscribers that paid $200 a month. You can download it right now at perplexity. ai forward slash Comet. Getting started with Comet. Number one, go to perplexity. ai forward slash Comet. C-O-M-E-T. Download for Mac or Windows. Install it. It takes about two minutes. Import your bookmarked passwords from Chrome if desired. Start browsing. The Comet assistant is in the right sidebar. Here's some features specifically for genealogists. Tab memory. Comet remembers what you discussed about each webpage, so if you return to that record later, your notes are still there. Email assistant. If you're emailing cousins about genealogy, Comet can help draft emails based on the research you've been doing. Real-time context. As you browse from family search to ancestry to find a grave, Comet maintains context across all those sites. A word of caution. With great power comes great responsibility. The Comet assistant is incredibly helpful, but remember our golden rule. AI is your research assistant, not your researcher. Just because Comet tells you something about a record doesn't mean you skip the verification step. Always check primary sources, verify AI interpretations, document your research properly, and follow genealogical proof standards. Comet makes research faster and easier. It doesn't make it less rigorous. Here's my honest opinion. If you do a lot of genealogy research online, Comet is worth it. You don't have to abandon Chrome completely. Install Comet and use it specifically for your genealogy research sessions. Keep Chrome for everything else if you want. to Google. The integration of AI directly into your browsing experience is incredibly powerful for research. Once you get used to just asking questions about what you're looking at without switching tabs or taking screenshots, it's hard to go back. All right, we've covered a lot today. Your head might be spinning. That's okay. Let me give you a simple action plan. This week's homework is three levels. Level one, complete beginner. Go to perplexity. ai right now. Create a free account. Ask one question about your family history research. Click on the citation links to verify sources. That's it. Just get familiar with the interface. Level two is intermediate. Use perplexity's research mode to create a research plan for one of your brick walls. Export the report as a PDF. Save it in your genealogy files. Then, try to follow at least one suggestion from the report this week. Level three is advanced. Download the Comet browser. Import your Chrome bookmarks. Spend one research session using Comet instead of your regular browser. Use the Comet assistant to help you analyze at least three documents or records. Notice how having AI integrated into your browsing changes your research flow. Before we wrap up, remember what I said at the beginning of this episode? Seven months ago, I was intimidated by perplexity. I saw all these buttons and features and I thought it was too complicated. But here's what I've learned. You don't need to understand every feature to get value from perplexity. Start simple. Use basic search mode. Click on citations. Follow the sources. As you get comfortable, try research mode. Experiment with different AI models. Download Comet if you want to level up further. 

Perplexity is brilliant at finding information, suggesting strategies, and organizing research. But you still need to verify sources, evaluate evidence, and apply genealogical proof standards. Perplexity makes you a better, faster, more effective genealogist. But it doesn't replace the genealogist. Next week, we're tackling something that's been keeping a lot of you up at night. AI hallucinations. What happens when AI confidently tells you something about your family history that's completely wrong? How do you spot these mistakes before they spread? And why my AI errors actually be your biggest breakthroughs in disguise? Final thoughts. If you found this episode helpful, please do three things. 1. Subscribe to Ancestors and Algorithms wherever you listen to podcasts. 2. Leave a review. It helps other genealogists find us. 3. Share this episode with someone who's frustrated with their family history. 3. You can find me on Facebook. Email me at ancestorsandai at gmail.com And join our Facebook group, Ancestors and Algorithms AI for Genealogy, where we're all learning AI genealogy together. Remember, your ancestors left clues. AI helps you find them faster. But you're still the detective. Thanks for spending the last 45 minutes with me. Now, go break down some brick walls. I'm your host, Brian, and this is Ancestors and Algorithms, where family history meets artificial intelligence.