Ever wished you had a research assistant on call 24/7? With Perplexity AI and n8n, you can build your own automated research powerhouse. This guide will show you how to connect these tools and unlock a world of information at your fingertips.

💡 Why This Matters:

In today’s fast-paced world, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. Whether you’re a business owner researching competitors or a content creator looking for fresh ideas, efficient research is key. This method helps you automate the heavy lifting, freeing up your time and brainpower for more important tasks.

🔑 Unlocking Perplexity’s Power in n8n:

While n8n doesn’t natively support Perplexity (yet!), there’s a clever workaround using HTTP requests. Think of it like building a bridge between two powerful platforms. Here’s how:

1. Get Your Perplexity API Key:

• Sign up: Create a free account on Perplexity AI.
• Find Your Key: Navigate to the API section and copy your unique API key.

2. Set Up the HTTP Request in n8n:

• New Workflow: Create a fresh workflow in your n8n dashboard.
• Add HTTP Node: Search for “HTTP Request” and add it to your workflow.
• Import cURL: Instead of manually inputting everything, grab the cURL snippet from Perplexity’s API documentation and paste it into the HTTP node’s “Import cURL” section.

3. Craft Your Research Prompt:

• Customize: Within the HTTP node, locate the “user” prompt section. This is where you’ll tell Perplexity what to research.
• Example: Let’s say you want to research companies. Your prompt could be: “You are researching companies and their websites. Find things to complement them on or things of importance worth mentioning. For example, if they have awards, mention that, or if they are hiring, point it out.”

4. Connect to Your Data Source:

• Choose Your Tool: n8n integrates with countless tools. For this example, we’ll use Google Sheets to store a list of websites we want to research.
• Add Google Sheets Node: Incorporate a Google Sheets node to your workflow and connect it to your spreadsheet containing the websites.

5. Link Everything Together:

• Connect the Nodes: Connect the output of your Google Sheets node (containing the websites) to the input of your HTTP request node (which sends the research requests to Perplexity).
• Map the Data: Ensure you correctly map the website data from Google Sheets to the appropriate field in your Perplexity prompt.

6. Run and Automate:

• Test: Execute your workflow to make sure everything is working smoothly. You should see Perplexity’s research results populate in your n8n workflow.
• Automate: Set your workflow to trigger automatically whenever a new website is added to your Google Sheet.

🚀 Resources:

• Perplexity AI: https://www.perplexity.ai/ – The AI-powered search engine.
• n8n: https://n8n.io/ – The free and open-source workflow automation tool.

✨ Level Up Your Research Game:

By connecting Perplexity’s AI smarts with n8n’s automation capabilities, you’ve built a powerful research assistant that works tirelessly in the background. Use this newfound power to explore new ideas, analyze competitors, and stay ahead of the game. Happy researching!