Welcome back to The Comet's Tale ☄️!
Greetings again, Comet Explorers! Chris here. 👋🏼
With The Comet’s Tale ☄️ now “comet’ing” at you daily, I’mma stay on top of EVERYTHING (well except Sundays, we all need a break sometimes!) for y’all… because why not continue riding Perplexity’s tailwinds of innovation itself, together as a community?
Workflow Wizardry Week, Part II
I’ve kicked off Workflow Wizardry Week for all you Perplexity and Comet Assistant lovers.
What’s covered today?
🧙♂️ Easy Step-by-Step Automations:
We’ll share simple, real-world examples that connect everyday tools you already use (like Gmail, calendars, and notes) and show you, click by click, how to build automations without any coding needed.
💡 Workflow Ideas from Readers:
See how your fellow subscribers are saving time with practical, creative shortcuts—whether it’s turning emails into to-do lists, summarizing long articles instantly, or automating meeting follow-ups.
✅ The “Set It and Forget It” Starter:
Discover how to build your very first self-running workflow—so tasks happen in the background, even when you’re off the clock.
👀 Sneak Peek—What’s After:
We’ll also give you a glimpse at the advanced stuff coming in Part III, perfect if you want to level up after getting the basics down.
But first, a brief reminder for the newcomers to the fold…
In case you missed it: What actually IS Perplexity Comet? ☄️
Simply put… Comet accomplishes the following:
Instantly reads and digests web pages for you
Cross-examines facts from multiple sources
Delivers real-time, trustworthy fact-checks
Shops smarter, finding deals as you browse
Drafts emails, docs, and summaries with context
Answers questions about anything you see—right on the page
Let The 🧙🏼♂️ Begin!
To charge on with Workflow Wizardry Week, let’s get crackin’ on some 🧙♂️ Easy Step-by-Step Automations:
Remember that in a previous The Comet’s Tale ☄️ edition that we discussed Perplexity now having the ability to have Connectors in our Perplexity News of The Day. (Editor’s Note: I will likely transition this to a feature column once-a-week; stay tuned!)
Why not use these to build some easy step-by-step automations?
Let’s set up a Space to do some work (but don’t forget what we discussed about prompt improvement!)
REMEMBER! Let a Prompt Engineering Gem set your instructions!
My set of custom instructions for the Space:
### 🧙♂️ Perplexity Automation Space – Custom Instructions
**Welcome, Automation Explorer!**
This Space is your no-code launchpad for creating everyday automations with actionable, step-by-step guidance. Here’s how to make the most out of it:
#### 1. **What This Space Does**
- Translates your real-life challenges into automations using tools like Gmail, Calendar, Notes, and more.
- Breaks down solutions into explicit, click-by-click workflows—**no coding knowledge needed**.
- Surfaces time-saving automation recipes with ready-made connector prompts and “Set It & Forget It” blueprints.
#### 2. **How to Ask for an Automation**
When you want to automate something, use this format for best results:
- **Describe your goal in plain English** (e.g., “Whenever I star an email in Gmail, add it as a to-do in Todoist”).
- **Name the apps/services involved.**
- **Mention any special triggers or steps** you want to customize.
> **Sample Prompt:**
> “Show me how to automatically turn new calendar invites into notes in Apple Notes, and have Comet send me a summary each Friday.”
#### 3. **Connector-Powered Automation Prompts**
- “Walk me through building a workflow that syncs meeting notes from Google Calendar to Notion, tagging by project.”
- “How can I automate saving all email attachments from [client] into a Dropbox folder, with notifications in Slack?”
- “Set up a daily report that summarizes all unread emails and action items in my inbox at 5pm.”
#### 4. **Research Mode: Learn from the Workflow Wizards**
- Ask for **step-by-step guides**: “I’m new to this—can you break down how the automation pipeline works?”
- Request **user-inspired recipes**: “What are the most popular quick-start automations for remote teams?”
- Find **advanced shortcuts**: “How do I schedule recurring check-ins, with AI-generated agenda suggestions, using Perplexity connectors?"
#### 5. **Tips for Space Power-Users**
- For best results, structure your requests in **action-outcome format:**
- *“When X happens in [App], do Y in [Tool], then alert me via [Platform].”*
- Want advanced research? Add:
- “Give citation links, compare top three methods, and note any privacy trade-offs.”
#### 6. **Advanced Prompts to Level Up**
- “Triangulate three expert guides for automating travel planning from email receipts to calendar and maps.”
- “Draft an executive dashboard that tracks my most-used workflows and surfaces optimization tips monthly.”
- “What’s the highest-rated automation for syncing newsletter signups from Beehiiv to my CRM—and how do I build it?”
#### 7. **The Comet’s Wizard Hat: Secret Pro Moves**
- **Ask for a “Set It & Forget It” workflow:**
- “I need reminders to follow up on unanswered emails every 48 hours—build the flow and show me a test-run.”
- **Request a viral trend breakdown:**
- “What’s going viral in automation this month? Show examples and how to replicate the best one.”
#### 8. **Troubleshooting & Clarity**
- If you’re stuck, just type:
- “Diagnose why this workflow didn’t run and suggest the fix.”
- To explore further:
- “Suggest 2-3 alternative connectors for the same automation, with pros/cons.”
***
**Final Note:** Every workflow you build in this Space is a step toward “Wizard-level” automation. Use clear goals, name your tools, and don’t be afraid to ask for breakdowns or roadmaps!If you’re not familiar with Markdown format, run a Perplexity prompt for Sonar that says, “Explain in non-technical terms why all my generative AI instructions should be in Markdown format or JSON schema. What is this format, and this schema?”
Here, I’ll have The Comet Assistant help me out…
When I receive a calendar invite that contains the word ‘demo’ or ‘client’ in the title, automatically extract the meeting details, summarize the key invite info into a bullet point note, draft a personalized confirmation email to the organizer, and save the note in a [Notion/Apple Notes] database—then alert me on Slack with a recap.
Let the MAGIC BEGIN! ✨🤩
Doing its thinga-majig… (spelling? 🤣)
AND TA-DA! 🧙🏼♂️
Again, we’re rocking 48 citable sources with Sonar ALONE!
Imagine this cranked up to Deep Research? What could it do? Curious to Comet-fy it and crank it up to 11? Hit me back with the results, and I’ll shout you out! It’s a click-by-click, no-code step-by-step list of what it is you need in order to make it happen for you!
Don’t let some “engineer” fool you into thinking this is some secret sauce. All it requires is a little formatting and knowing where to look 👀.
💨 Comet’s Tailwinds 💫
Your daily dump of fun Comet Tailwinds to try out:
I. Perplexity Search (Sonar)
Prompt:
Invent a headline for tomorrow’s biggest news in my industry—then Sonar-scan 5 obscure blogs and 3 global outlets to justify that headline as tomorrow’s truth. Cite evidence and debunk the top 2 counter-narratives.
Why use it?
Sonar 2025 isn’t just real-time, it’s speculative—crushing bias by scraping off-the-radar sources and tracking viral signals before they trend. If mainstream AI is a loudspeaker, Sonar is a directional mic for what’s coming next.
Tip:
Try “Opposite Day”: Ask Sonar to flip your default assumptions, then auto-generate a debate between your position and the reverse—watch fresh insights emerge and blindspots get shattered.
II. Perplexity Deep Research
Prompt:
“Simulate a ‘Shark Tank’ pitch by picking a future tech trend. Auto-assemble a dossier: competitor kill-sheet, patent minefield analysis, niche meme mapping, and three VC rebuttal drills sourced from 2025’s deal memos.”
Why use it?
Deep Research now auto-retrieves underground reports and original PDFs, stacking them into “battle decks”—perfect for startup-grade due diligence or crushing academic busywork with one click.
Tip:
Use “Backdating Mode” (limit your search years!) to force Deep Research to only scan citations from before your selected date—timemachineing your research for crystal-clear before/after analysis.
III. Perplexity Labs
Prompt:
Prototype a viral product in 15 minutes: Have Labs ‘hack’ together a landing page, a fake Reddit feedback thread, a soundbite from a rival CEO, and chart the first-day hype using public search + X data. Results as a shareable ‘launch simulator’ kit.
Why use it?
Labs is a playground that fuses automation with simulation—generate mock data, build one-click dashboards, run scenario visualizations, or A/B test prompts in real-time with live result sandboxes.
Tip:
Fork any Labs workflow and instantly regress-test with yesterday’s data snapshot. Perfect for A/B-ing launches, reverse-engineering influencer virality, or uncovering “what would have happened if…
Tailwinds are for risk-takers. Try these, remix, and drop your best results for a chance to headline the next issue!
🛸 Comet’s Cosmic Curios
Here’s what’s pinging The Comet’s Tale ☄️ radar as far as … well, let’s call them curious … uses of AI.
“Italian Brainrot” – The Meme That Took Over AI Art in 2025
Move over, “Hug My Younger Self”—the bizarre hit of September is Italian Brainrot, a meme-driven craze where creators use AI art generators to hybridize eye-popping, absurd Italian-inspired images and animations. From a “ballerina with a coffee mug head” spinning through a cartoon Rome, to walking sharks in streetwear, and muscular fruit rapping in fake Italian accents, these surreal mashups are everywhere from TikTok to YouTube.
What makes it cosmic:
Hand gesture overload: The memes exaggerate classic Italian hand motions and phrases—sometimes paired with nonsense words—for instant shareability and worldwide laughs.
AI remixes everywhere: The wild style encourages mass remixing, from fan art to viral music videos and playable animations, all riffing on “Italian Brainrot” madness.
Meta humor wins: Beyond visuals, users poke fun at the very fact that AI is spawning ridiculous new aesthetics and viral microcultures at breakneck speed.
Prompt to riff on in Perplexity:
"Generate a series of AI memes blending classic Italian street scenes with surreal objects—think ‘spaghetti fountain in the Colosseum’ or ‘Mona Lisa doing the Italian hand gesture on a scooter’—captured in the style of a ‘fake influencer’s travel vlog gone beautifully wrong.’ Summarize the top three meme spin-offs in circulation."
This format is perfect for a roundup, or could even inspire a mini-meme contest among readers—because who doesn’t want their next Zoom background to be a cappuccino-headed ballerina?
💬 Cosmic Q&A
Each day, I’ll answer a hand-picked reader’s question.
Today?
Q: How do I go from “just asking questions” in Perplexity to actually getting competitive, B2B-grade research results that beat Google or ChatGPT?
- Ben
A: Great question, Ben! The leap from “basic questions” to “pro-grade workflows” is exactly where Perplexity shines. Here’s how to level up:
Don’t settle for links or summaries:
Instead, prompt Perplexity to synthesize, cross-compare, and cite results in live tables, SWOTs, and “fact vs. hype” breakdowns. For instance:
“Side-by-side, how do the top 3 SaaS contract management tools stack up for law firms in 2025? Cite reviews, user forums, and analyst PDFs.”Switch to Deep Research Mode:
This taps Perplexity’s ability to automate long-form synthesis, find hidden reports, and even export “investor brief” formatted outputs in one click.
Pro tip: Use “Focus” filters to scan just academic, gov, or financial sources as needed.Go Multi-Step:
Ask follow-ups! Perplexity remembers your thread, so build layered exploration:“Show the last 6 months’ pricing shifts for SaaS X.”
“Explain the cause behind last quarter’s surge, citing funding news.”
“What are analysts predicting for Q4?”
Verify and Remix:
Don’t forget: Every claim is cited. Click those citations, copy a chunk, and feed it into Labs for deeper language analysis or shareable graphics.
Bottom line?
Perplexity stops being “just a search tool” the moment you treat it like your own digital analyst—direct it, challenge it, and use its citation engine to punch way above your research weight class
🔮 What’s Next—A Look Forward
Part III of Workflow Wizardry Week will supercharge your automations—no matter your skill level! Here’s what you’ll unlock:
⚡ Multi-App, No-Code Business Workflows:
Connect tools like Notion, Slack, and Zapier into power automations for your business or team—featuring branching logic, approvals, and error handling. 🤖
🧠 AI-Augmented Super Templates:
Level up with advanced Perplexity templates to automate deep research, newsletter building, competitor tracking, and more—using Labs, Sonar, and Deep Research for lightning-fast results. 🚀
🔁 Workflow Studio: Reusable Power-Flows:
Follow a step-by-step guide to create your own “gets-better-every-run” automations—complete with triggers, automation, and team-ready feedback loops. 🛠️
Want to see your own workflow featured? Hit reply and share a challenge or time-consuming task—we might build a solution just for you next week!
If you’re reading this far, congrats! You just received thousands of dollars worth of free information…at least, if most of the social sector is to be believed when it comes to prompting value (spoiler alert: it isn’t 🤣).
I hope with Workflow Wizardry Week, we’re Comet isn’t just a tool; it’s a playground for explorers, tinkerers, and the quietly bold—people who’d rather build the map than wait for directions. It holds real value. Here, every question is an opportunity, every workflow a spark, and every reader a fellow astronaut in this experiment we call “progress.”
Where other newsletters toss you links and wish you luck, we hand you the launch codes and say, “Strap in.”
Curiosity fuels the ride; Comet powers the mission, Perplexity drives the Curiosity. Revolutions!
Keep experimenting, keep sharing, and—if you want tomorrow’s spotlight—hit reply and show us where your story lifts off.
See you in tomorrow’s astral adventure!
-Comet on! ☄️💫
Chris Dukes
Managing Editor, The Comet's Tale
Founder/CEO, Parallax Analytics
Beta Tester, Perplexity Comet
https://parallax-ai.app
[email protected]
P.S. - Struggling with something specific? Want to see something featured in the Workflow Wizardry Week? Hit reply. If multiple people have the same challenge, it’ll become featured in a future issue.