Getting the Best Answers from Comet

Comet transforms browsing from navigation to cognition, letting you browse at the speed of thought. 

Unlike traditional search, Comet's assistant understands context, interacts with your open tabs, and turns entire browsing sessions into seamless conversations. Success with Comet depends on how you communicate with it—here's how to craft prompts that amplify your intelligence and deliver exactly what you need.

From Browsing to Thinking

Comet powers a fundamental shift from browsing to thinking. Tabs that once piled up waiting for your return now join one intelligent interface that understands how you work. Instead of being trapped in long lines of tabs and hyperlinks, you can ask questions anywhere they occur to you and let Comet execute complete workflows while keeping perfect context.

The key is understanding that with Comet, you don't search for information—you think out loud. This requires a different approach to prompting than traditional search engines.

Essential Prompt Techniques

Be Specific About Your Goal

Comet transforms complex workflows into fluid conversations, but vague prompts lead to generic responses. Define exactly what you want to achieve and in what format.

Weak: "Help me with my emails"

Strong: "Find all unanswered emails from the last 3 days that require a response and draft brief replies"

Leverage Context Awareness

Comet can see everything you're browsing and understands how your mind works. Use the @tab feature to reference specific pages while working across multiple contexts.

Example: "Compare the pricing information in @tab1 and @tab2, then create a summary table highlighting the key differences"

Structure Multi-Step Workflows

Comet collapses complex workflows into single, seamless interactions. Break requests into clear sequential steps for best results.

Example: "First, analyze this product page for key features. Then, find three competitor products. Finally, create a comparison table with pros and cons for each"

Real-World Examples

Research & Analysis:

• "Compare what I'm reading to something I already read and find hidden connections"

• "Extract all pricing tables from these vendor pages and create a comparison spreadsheet"

• "Ask Comet what I'm missing from this analysis and suggest counterpoints"

Productivity & Action:

• "Book a meeting based on something I saw in this email thread"

• "Brief me for my day using information from my calendar and recent emails"

• "Group these 15 tabs by topic and close any that aren't relevant to my current project"

Content Processing:

• "Transform this 90-minute video into a timeline with key insights"

• "Explore ideas from this article and compare it to my original research focus"

For Important Decisions:

• "Compare insurance plans with verified pricing and coverage details"

• "Help me understand this company well enough to make an investment decision"

• "Analyze this contract and highlight potential concerns with citations"

Comet is built on Perplexity's dedication to accurate and trustworthy answers. Accurate answers are the foundation of decision-making. This is especially important when Comet acts as your second brain for critical decisions.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

When Responses Are Too Generic

Problem: Comet gives broad, unfocused answers

Solution: Add specific constraints and treat Comet like a specialized assistant

Instead of: "Tell me about this company"

Try: "As my research assistant, give me a 200-word investor-focused overview of this company's main products and recent developments"

When Tasks Don't Complete Successfully

Problem: Complex workflows get interrupted or incomplete

Solution: Think of Comet as conducting browsing sessions—break complex requests into conversational steps

Example: "Let's find the best restaurant for tonight. First, show me Italian options downtown with availability. Then help me compare reviews and make a reservation at the top choice."

When Context Gets Confused

Problem: Comet references wrong information across multiple tabs

Solution: Be explicit about context and priority—remember Comet sees everything you're browsing

Example: "Using only the 2024 financial data from @tab3, ignore other years and focus on quarterly growth trends"

From Consumption to Curiosity

Comet transforms any webpage into a portal of curiosity. Your prompts should embrace this by asking questions that follow your natural thought patterns rather than predetermined search paths.

Curiosity-Driven Prompts:

• "What connections exist between this article and my research from last week?"

• "What questions should I be asking about this topic that I haven't considered?"

• "Help me explore the implications of this idea across different industries"

Advanced Techniques

Conversational Refinement

Research is more like a conversation with Comet. If the first response isn't quite right, provide specific feedback about what to adjust.

Follow-up: "That summary was helpful, but make it more technical and include specific data points. Also, focus only on the environmental impact section"

Context Highlighting

Highlight specific text before prompting—Comet understands you're referring to selected content and can provide instant explanations.

Best Practices for Thinking Out Loud

1. Embrace natural curiosity: Ask questions as they occur to you. Comet follows non-linear thought patterns

2. Think in workflows: Structure prompts around complete tasks, not just individual searches

3. Use conversational language: Comet understands natural speech and often performs better than simple keyword searches

4. Reference your context: Mention what you're looking at, thinking about, or trying to accomplish

5. Iterate naturally: Refine and build on responses through conversation

6. Trust the agent: Let Comet handle complex tasks while you focus on what matters

The Future of Prompting

As Comet continues to evolve, your prompting will become even more conversational and intuitive. The internet has become humanity's extended mind, and Comet makes your interactions with it as easy and responsive as human thought itself.

Start with these techniques, but remember that genuine curiosity doesn't follow predetermined paths. The best prompts with Comet are the ones that let you think at the speed of your curiosity, transforming every webpage into an opportunity for deeper understanding and meaningful action.