You open Perplexity.
You type a question.
You get an answer in seconds.
Meanwhile, in the background, a 22-page rulebook is quietly governing every word you type, every answer it generates, every subscription renewal, every dispute, every complaint, and every bit of content you upload.
Most people never read that rulebook.
You’re not “most people.”
This is the human breakdown of Perplexity’s Terms of Service, not just what the document says, but what those rules mean for you as a user in the messy real world of AI search engines.
The Basic Deal: Your Input, Their Output, and a Surprisingly Strict Rule
Perplexity promises:
“You give us your Input. We generate Output.”
Sounds simple… until you read the fine print.
Anything you type, upload, or paste becomes “Your Content.”
And you promise that:
- You have the rights to upload it
- You’re not breaking any laws
- You’re not violating anyone’s terms
- You’re not asking the AI to produce illegal content
So far, pretty normal.
The curveball:
You cannot publish any Perplexity Output without clearly citing Perplexity, and you can’t pretend the AI didn’t write it.
Perplexity is one of the only AI tools to require attribution as part of the contract.
No “feel free to omit attribution if you’d like.”
No “recommended disclosure.”
It must be disclosed.
For students, writers, marketers, freelancers, corporate employees, this rule matters.
Attribution becomes part of your workflow whether you like it or not.
Why would a company insist on disclosure?
Not out of ethical obligation.
It protects them from claims that their system is being passed off as human expertise.
Age Requirements: Standard but Strategic
You must be:
- 13+ to use Perplexity
- A minor? Then a parent must accept the terms
- Under 13? Completely banned
This has nothing to do with “kid safety content.”
This is about liability.
Kids can’t enter contracts. Perplexity wants contractually safe users.
Your Account: You Own the Risk
Creating an account, or linking Google/Apple, means:
- You’re responsible for all activity
- Your password security is your problem
- If your account gets hacked, you bear responsibility until you notify Perplexity
- If they ban you, you can’t make another account
Subscription Reality Check
If you upgrade to Pro:
- Auto-renew is on by default
- They store your payment method
- You’ll be charged automatically each billing cycle
- No refunds for unused periods
Auto-renewal is framed as “continuity,” but in practice, it’s designed around human forgetfulness.
The Permissions You Get, And the Long List of Things You Can’t Do
Perplexity gives you a personal, non-commercial license.
Not transferable.
Not resellable.
Not modifiable.
And here’s what you cannot do:
- Reverse-engineer the system
- Copy or republish their content
- Use bots, scrapers, or automation
- Circumvent security or content filters
- Violate any laws
- Use the platform in any way not explicitly allowed
This is standard AI-platform self-defense.
Scraping and reverse-engineering could expose model secrets.
Bots could drain resources.
Copyright complications could explode.
The restrictions aren’t about you.
They’re about protecting the system.
The Ownership Puzzle: You Own the Input, but They Get a Giant License to It
Perplexity emphasizes two things:
1. You own Your Content (the Input).
2. They own the AI system that generates Output.
But in order to operate, they demand a very broad license from you:
“Royalty-free, transferable, sub-licensable, worldwide, irrevocable”
as long as your content is stored on their systems.
This license lets them:
- Store your content
- Process it
- Modify it
- Share it with contractors
- Generate Output based on it
- Use it to run any part of the service
This isn’t a data-training clause, that’s handled in the Privacy Policy.
But structurally, the license could support future training unless prohibited elsewhere, which is why the Privacy Policy matters.
The asymmetry no one notices
They can remove your content anytime, for any reason.
You lose access.
But they keep rights to the content as long as it’s stored.
A company with full operational control and revocation power, but a user with limited recourse, that’s the real dynamic here.
Third-Party Models and Materials: The “Not Our Fault” Section
Perplexity uses:
- Third-party software
- Third-party large language models
- Third-party tools
And the ToS spells out clearly:
Perplexity is not responsible for evaluating, guaranteeing, or vouching for any of it.
If Output is wrong because of a third-party model, that’s not their problem.
If a linked page misleads you, that’s not their problem.
They use the ecosystem, but decline responsibility for it.
Disclaimers: The Legal Self-Defense Wall
Here’s the blunt summary:
Perplexity takes no responsibility for… anything.
They disclaim:
- Accuracy
- Reliability
- Availability
- Security
- Non-infringement
- Fitness for any purpose
They warn that Output may be:
- Incorrect
- Biased
- Incomplete
- Unsafe
- Offensive
- Misleading
And they limit their maximum liability to:
$100 or the amount you paid in the last 6 months, whichever is higher.
Meaning:
- Wrong medical info? Not on them.
- Harmful legal advice? Not on them.
- Bad financial guidance? Not on them.
- Lost business deals because of AI? Still not on them.
Perplexity is a powerful tool, but they make it clear the burden of correctness sits entirely on your shoulders.
The Arbitration Clause: The Most Important Section You’ll Never Read
Buried in Section 9 is the landmine:
You give up your right to sue Perplexity in court.
Instead:
- All disputes go to binding arbitration (JAMS)
- No judge or jury
- No class actions
- No collective lawsuits
This is a massive power shift.
Arbitration overwhelmingly favors companies.
It keeps disputes quiet, cheap, and private.
You can opt out, but only within 30 days of creating your account.
Almost nobody knows this rule exists.
Shopping With Perplexity ProShop: Perplexity Stays Out of the Mess
If you buy something in Perplexity’s ProShop:
- You’re buying from the merchant
- Perplexity is just routing the checkout
- They charge your payment method instantly
- They take zero responsibility for your order
Wrong item?Late delivery?
Product never arrives?
Merchant disappears?
Perplexity is not involved.
This is a convenient feature wrapped in a legal moat.
Account Termination: The Ultimate One-Way Door
Break any rule, or get flagged, and Perplexity can:
- Suspend your account
- Delete your account
- Delete your content
- Ban you from re-registering
- Keep enforcing the ToS clauses that benefit them
Your access stops.
Their rights don’t.
What Using Perplexity Actually Means
By using the platform, you are agreeing to:
- Disclose whenever you publish AI-generated Output
- Give Perplexity broad rights to store and process your Input
- Accept that Output may be wrong, unsafe, or harmful
- Resolve disputes through arbitration, not courts
- Never join a class action
- Allow auto-renewing subscriptions without refunds
- Accept strict usage restrictions
- Let the company delete your content
Nothing here is unusual for modern AI companies,
but Perplexity’s mandatory attribution rule and broad Input license stand out.
How You Can Protect Yourself
Based on the actual rules in the ToS:
Don’t upload sensitive data.
Your content gets a broad license.
Save chats elsewhere.
They can delete content anytime.
Disclose AI usage.
It’s not optional.
Cancel subscriptions early.
No refunds means timing is everything.
Opt out of arbitration if you care about your legal rights.
You get only 30 days.
Don’t trust Output blindly.
Perplexity tells you, loudly, not to.