> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://documentation.deepmask.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Web Search

> Enable Perplexity-powered web search in any chat to get cited, real-time answers grounded in current information without leaving the conversation.

DeepMask integrates Perplexity-powered web search directly into your AI conversations, delivering real-time, cited answers grounded in the latest information without leaving the chat. When web search is active, the model retrieves current content from the web before composing its response, so you get answers that go beyond the model's training data — including breaking news, recent research, live pricing, or any fast-moving topic.

## How to enable web search

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open a chat">
    Start a new chat or continue an existing one. Web search can be toggled at any point during a conversation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Toggle Web Search">
    In the chat toolbar below the message input, click **Web Search** to activate it. The toggle highlights when enabled.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send your message">
    Type your prompt and send it. The model searches the web, retrieves relevant sources, and includes citations in its response.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  You can turn web search on or off between messages. Disable it when your question relies on the model's existing knowledge rather than current data — this tends to produce faster responses.
</Tip>

## What cited answers look like

When web search is active, the model's response includes numbered references to the sources it consulted. You can see which websites informed the answer and follow links to read the original content directly.

<Note>
  Citations are included automatically when web search is enabled. You do not need to ask the model to provide sources — they appear inline with every web-informed response.
</Note>

## When to use web search

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Current events and news" icon="newspaper">
    Ask about recent developments, policy changes, or events that occurred after the model's training cutoff. Web search ensures the answer reflects what is happening now, not what the model learned months or years ago.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Market and competitive research" icon="chart-line">
    Look up current pricing, product releases, company news, or industry reports. The AI synthesizes multiple sources into a single, coherent summary with citations you can verify.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Real-time data and statistics" icon="database">
    Request the latest figures — exchange rates, population data, software version numbers, regulatory thresholds. Web search fetches live data rather than relying on potentially outdated training information.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Academic and technical research" icon="graduation-cap">
    Find recent papers, documentation updates, or technical specifications. Web search surfaces content published after the model's knowledge cutoff so your research stays current.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Fact-checking and verification" icon="circle-check">
    Cross-reference claims or double-check figures against live sources. The model retrieves and cites the sources it used, so you can review the evidence directly.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Privacy and data handling

<Info>
  Web search queries are processed through Perplexity's infrastructure. Like all DeepMask features, your conversation data is never used to train AI models. DeepMask is fully GDPR compliant and EU-hosted.
</Info>