Perplexity Spaces let you organize your research, projects, and documents in one place. By default, Perplexity indexes the content of your Spaces so that search results can include answers from those sources. If you want to keep a Space private and prevent its content from appearing in search results or being used to train Perplexity’s models, you must disable web indexing for that Space. This article explains how to turn off indexing for a specific Space and what happens when you do.
Key Takeaways: Disable Web Indexing for a Perplexity Space
- Space Settings > Visibility > Web Indexing: Toggle off “Allow indexing” to prevent the Space from appearing in search results.
- Space Settings > Visibility > Web Indexing: Toggle off “Allow indexing” to prevent the Space from being used for model training.
- Space Settings > Visibility > Web Indexing: Toggle off “Allow indexing” to remove the Space from public visibility entirely.
What Web Indexing Does in Perplexity Spaces
Web indexing is a feature that allows Perplexity to scan and store the content of your Spaces. When indexing is enabled, the content of your Space can appear in search results when someone asks a question that matches the Space’s topic. This makes your Space discoverable by other Perplexity users who might benefit from your research or documents.
However, indexing also means that the content of your Space can be used to train Perplexity’s machine learning models. If you are working on sensitive projects, proprietary research, or personal documents, you may want to disable indexing to keep that content private. Disabling indexing does not delete your Space or its content. It only prevents the Space from being searchable and from contributing to model training.
When You Might Want to Disable Indexing
You should disable indexing for a Space if:
- You store confidential business data, legal documents, or trade secrets.
- You use the Space for personal journaling or diary entries.
- You collaborate on a project that should not be publicly known.
- You want to keep your research methods or findings private.
Steps to Disable Web Indexing for a Specific Space
You must be the owner of the Space to change its indexing settings. If you are a collaborator, ask the Space owner to make the change.
- Open the Space you want to modify
Go to your Perplexity account and click on the Space from your list of Spaces. The Space opens in the main workspace. - Click the gear icon
In the top-right corner of the Space window, click the gear icon to open Space Settings. A dropdown menu appears. - Select “Visibility”
From the dropdown menu, choose “Visibility.” This opens the visibility settings for the Space. - Toggle off “Allow indexing”
In the Visibility settings, find the option labeled “Allow indexing.” Click the toggle switch to turn it off. The toggle changes from blue to gray when disabled. - Confirm the change
A confirmation dialog appears asking if you are sure you want to disable indexing. Click “Disable indexing” to confirm. The Space will no longer be indexed.
Common Issues and Limitations
Indexing Toggle Does Not Appear
If you do not see the “Allow indexing” toggle in the Visibility settings, you may not be the Space owner. Only the owner can change indexing settings. If you are the owner and still do not see the toggle, your account may be on a plan that does not support this feature. Check your subscription level in Settings > Account > Subscription. The indexing toggle is available for Pro and Enterprise users. Free users cannot disable indexing.
Space Still Appears in Search After Disabling Indexing
After you disable indexing, it can take up to 24 hours for Perplexity to process the change and remove your Space from search results. If the Space continues to appear after 24 hours, contact Perplexity support. Also, if you have shared the Space with others via a direct link, that link will still work. Disabling indexing does not revoke access for existing collaborators.
Disabling Indexing Does Not Delete the Space
Some users think that disabling indexing will delete the Space. It does not. The Space remains fully accessible to you and any collaborators you have invited. You can continue to add, edit, and delete content inside the Space. The only change is that the Space will no longer be searchable by others on Perplexity.
Perplexity Space with Indexing vs Without Indexing
| Item | Indexing Enabled | Indexing Disabled |
|---|---|---|
| Search visibility | Space appears in Perplexity search results | Space does not appear in search results |
| Model training | Content may be used to train Perplexity models | Content is not used for model training |
| Collaborator access | Collaborators can still access via direct link | Collaborators can still access via direct link |
| Content editing | You can edit content normally | You can edit content normally |
| Data deletion | You must delete the Space to remove content | You must delete the Space to remove content |
Disabling web indexing for a Perplexity Space gives you control over who can discover your content and how it is used. You can now keep sensitive research, personal notes, or proprietary documents private while still using the Space for your own work. As a next step, consider reviewing the visibility settings for all your Spaces to ensure each one matches your privacy needs. If you need to share a Space privately without indexing, use the direct link sharing option instead of making the Space public.