The app can work directly with files and folders on your computer. You decide which folders it can use.
Choose and manage folders
Choose a focused project folder or another location containing the files you want Perplexity to use.
To select a folder from the request input, open the folder picker in the request field. From there you can choose a recently used folder or add another folder.
Removing a folder from the current request only deselects it for that request — it may still appear in your list of recent folders. To fully remove the app’s access to a folder, go to Settings:
Mac: Settings → Permissions
Windows: Settings → Devices → Local file system access
Within the selected folder, Perplexity can find, read, create, and change files without requesting access each time. Access outside that folder may require a separate prompt. Sensitive actions may still require approval.
The app may also ask you to add a folder when a request needs local files.
Find and understand files
Examples:
“What’s clogging up my Downloads? Show me the biggest junk files."
"Find all Excel files on my Desktop modified in the last week and give me a one-line summary of each."
"Find every file larger than 100 MB across my Desktop, Downloads, and Documents, sort by age, and recommend which to archive or delete.”
Organize and clean up files
Examples:
“Move all screenshots from my Downloads into a new Screenshots folder on my Desktop."
"Find duplicate PDFs in Downloads, keep the newest copy of each, and move the others into a folder called Possible duplicates."
"Find files in Downloads that have not been opened in a year and suggest which ones I can remove."
"Delete the files in Possible duplicates after I approve the list.”
Before asking Perplexity to move or remove many files, carefully review the approval prompt. It states whether the deletion is permanent — deleting local files does not always send them to Trash and may not be recoverable. Back up anything important before approving.
Create and edit files
Examples:
“Write me a packing checklist for a 4-day trip to Sacramento, CA, and save it as a Word document on my Desktop."
"Create an Excel inventory of the PDFs in this folder with columns for filename, date, and a one-line summary."
"Update the budget spreadsheet in this folder with a new column showing the difference between planned and actual spending."
"Turn the meeting notes in this folder into a Markdown project brief and save it beside the originals.”
Include the file type and destination when they matter.