Perplexity offers two features for organizing your search results and conversations: Collections and Spaces. Many users see both options in the interface and wonder which one to use and whether one replaces the other. The short answer is that Spaces is the newer feature that fully replaces Collections, though Collections still exist for legacy use. This article explains the differences between the two features, why Perplexity introduced Spaces, and how to migrate your existing Collections to Spaces.
Key Takeaways: Collections vs Spaces in Perplexity
- Spaces replace Collections: Perplexity introduced Spaces as the successor to Collections, adding collaboration and custom AI instructions.
- Collections are read-only now: You can still view and access old Collections, but you cannot create new ones or edit existing ones.
- Migrate Collections to Spaces: Use the built-in migration tool to copy your Collection content into a new Space without losing data.
What Are Perplexity Collections and Spaces
Perplexity Collections was the original method for grouping related searches and threads into folders. You could create a Collection, add multiple searches to it, and view them together. Collections worked like bookmarks for your Perplexity activity. They did not support sharing or custom instructions.
Spaces is the newer feature that replaces Collections. Each Space acts like a dedicated workspace for a specific topic or project. You can invite other users to collaborate in real time. You can also set custom AI instructions for each Space, such as defining the tone, focus, or domain of answers. Spaces is available to all users, but the number of Spaces you can create depends on your plan: Free users get one Space, Pro users get unlimited Spaces.
The key distinction is that Spaces is a full replacement, not an optional alternative. Perplexity stopped allowing new Collection creation in mid-2024. Existing Collections remain visible and accessible, but you cannot add new threads to them or edit their names. To organize new content, you must use Spaces.
Key Differences Between Collections and Spaces
The table below summarizes the most important differences between the two features. Use this to understand which capabilities you gain by moving to Spaces.
| Item | Collections (Legacy) | Spaces (Current) |
|---|---|---|
| Create new items | No — disabled since mid-2024 | Yes — unlimited for Pro, 1 for Free |
| Collaboration | No — personal only | Yes — invite others via link or email |
| Custom AI instructions | No | Yes — set tone, format, focus per Space |
| Thread organization | Flat list of threads | Nested threads with drag-and-drop reorder |
| Sharing | Read-only link to entire Collection | Share individual threads or entire Space |
| Search within | No global search across Collections | Yes — search across all Spaces or within one |
Why Perplexity Replaced Collections With Spaces
Perplexity introduced Spaces to meet user demand for more structured and collaborative workspaces. Collections were essentially folders with no extra functionality. Users wanted to customize how the AI responded in different contexts. For example, a researcher might need answers in academic format, while a marketer might prefer bullet points and actionable tips. Spaces allows you to set these preferences per workspace.
Another reason was collaboration. Teams using Perplexity for research or content creation needed a way to share threads and work together in real time. Collections only offered a static link that showed all threads without context. Spaces supports live collaboration, comments, and version history.
The change also simplified the user interface. Having two separate features for organizing content confused many users. By consolidating into Spaces, Perplexity reduced confusion and allowed for faster feature development. The company has stated that all future organizational features will be built on Spaces.
How to Migrate Collections to Spaces
If you have existing Collections, you can move their content into Spaces without losing any data. Follow these steps to complete the migration.
- Open the Collections page
Go to the Perplexity web app and click the Collections icon in the left sidebar. This shows all your legacy Collections. - Select a Collection to migrate
Click on the Collection name to open its thread list. You will see a banner at the top that says “Collections are being replaced by Spaces. Migrate now.” Click the Migrate button inside that banner. - Choose a destination Space
A dialog appears asking you to select an existing Space or create a new one. If you are a Free user, you can only migrate to your single Space. Pro users can create a new Space specifically for this Collection. - Confirm the migration
Click the Migrate button again to start copying all threads from the Collection into the chosen Space. The process takes a few seconds depending on the number of threads. - Verify the content
Open the target Space and check that all threads appear correctly. You can now delete the original Collection if you no longer need it. Perplexity recommends keeping Collections until you confirm the migration worked.
Common Issues When Moving From Collections to Spaces
Migrated Threads Look Different in Spaces
After migration, some threads may appear with a slightly different layout in Spaces. This is because Spaces uses a newer rendering engine. The content and search results remain identical. If you notice missing images or broken formatting, refresh the page or clear your browser cache.
Cannot Find the Migrate Button
If you do not see the migration banner, your Collection might already be linked to a Space. Check the Space list in the left sidebar. If the Collection name appears there, the migration already happened automatically. You can also contact Perplexity support to trigger a manual migration.
Free User Wants More Than One Space
Free accounts are limited to one Space. If you have multiple Collections, you must merge them into that single Space. You can organize threads within the Space using drag-and-drop. To get individual Spaces for each topic, upgrade to Perplexity Pro.
Perplexity Collections vs Spaces: Feature Comparison
| Feature | Collections | Spaces |
|---|---|---|
| Creation date | 2022 | 2024 |
| Maximum items per user (Free) | Unlimited (legacy) | 1 Space |
| Maximum items per user (Pro) | Unlimited (legacy) | Unlimited Spaces |
| Custom AI instructions | Not supported | Supported per Space |
| Real-time collaboration | Not supported | Supported |
| Thread search | Not supported | Supported within Space |
| Export format | No export option | Export as PDF or Markdown |
Now you know that Spaces fully replaces Collections in Perplexity. You can migrate your old Collections to Spaces to take advantage of custom AI instructions and collaboration features. If you have not yet started using Spaces, open the Collections page and click the Migrate button to get started. As a next step, try setting a custom instruction in your Space to control how the AI responds for a specific topic. This gives you much more control compared to the static folders you had with Collections.