When you search on Perplexity, the interface often shows three to five suggested follow-up questions below the answer. These auto-generated prompts are meant to help you continue your research. But many users find them distracting, especially when they cover irrelevant topics or clutter the screen. This article explains how to disable auto-suggested follow-up questions in Perplexity using the Focus mode settings and account preferences.
Key Takeaways: Turning Off Follow-Up Suggestions in Perplexity
- Focus Mode: Writing or Math: Disables auto-suggested follow-ups because these modes prioritize single-answer precision over conversational exploration.
- Focus Mode: Academic: Reduces but does not fully eliminate follow-ups, as the model still tries to suggest related papers.
- Account Settings > Pro Plan: Some Pro-level features allow you to customize the suggestion behavior through the API or custom instructions.
Why Perplexity Shows Auto-Suggested Follow-Up Questions
Perplexity generates follow-up questions using its language model to predict what you might ask next. The feature is designed to mimic a conversational research assistant. When you ask a question, the model analyzes the answer and produces prompts that continue the line of inquiry. For example, if you ask “What is quantum computing?” Perplexity might suggest “How does quantum computing differ from classical computing?” or “What are the main challenges in quantum computing?”
The root cause of unwanted suggestions lies in the default Focus mode. Perplexity uses different Focus modes to tailor the search and answer style. The default “All” mode enables follow-up suggestions because it aims for broad, exploratory answers. In contrast, modes like “Writing” and “Math” are designed for single, precise outputs and do not generate follow-ups. Understanding this distinction is key to disabling the feature.
Steps to Disable Auto-Suggested Follow-Up Questions
The most reliable method to turn off auto-suggested follow-ups is to switch to a Focus mode that does not generate them. You can also use custom instructions to suppress the behavior on the Pro plan. Follow these steps:
- Open Perplexity in your browser or app
Go to perplexity.ai or open the Perplexity mobile app. Ensure you are signed in to your account. - Locate the Focus mode selector
Below the search bar, you will see a row of buttons: All, Writing, Math, Academic, Video, Social, and more. The default is “All.” - Click Writing or Math mode
Select either “Writing” or “Math.” These modes disable follow-up suggestions entirely. In Writing mode, Perplexity treats your query as a drafting prompt and does not offer conversational prompts. In Math mode, it solves equations without extra suggestions. - Type your question and press Enter
Enter your search query as usual. The answer will appear without the row of suggested follow-up questions below it. - Optional: Use custom instructions on Pro plan
If you have a Perplexity Pro subscription, go to Settings > Custom Instructions. Add a line like “Do not suggest follow-up questions after answers.” This instructs the model to avoid generating prompts even in All mode.
Alternative Method: Use the API to Disable Follow-Ups
If you use the Perplexity API, you can set the follow_up parameter to false in your API request. This is useful for developers integrating Perplexity into custom applications. The API documentation lists this parameter under the response configuration options.
What to Do If Follow-Up Questions Still Appear
If you have switched to Writing mode but still see follow-up suggestions, check these common issues:
“I switched to Writing mode but follow-ups are still there”
This can happen if you are using the mobile app and the mode selector is hidden. On mobile, tap the hamburger menu or the three-dot icon in the top-left corner to reveal the Focus mode options. Ensure the blue highlight is on Writing or Math, not All. Also, some older versions of the app may have a bug where the mode does not apply to the current session. Close the app and reopen it, then select the mode before typing your query.
“Follow-ups appear after I scroll down”
In Writing mode, the answer is typically a single block of text. If you scroll past the answer, you might see a section labeled “Related” or “Continue exploring.” This is not the same as auto-suggested follow-ups. The “Related” section shows links to previous queries you have made or popular searches. To hide this, you cannot disable it in the settings, but you can ignore it by not scrolling past the answer.
“Custom instructions are ignored”
Custom instructions are applied only when you use the Pro model (GPT-4 or Claude-based). If you are on the free plan, custom instructions do not take effect. Upgrade to Pro or switch to Writing mode as a workaround.
Perplexity Focus Modes: Follow-Up Behavior Comparison
| Focus Mode | Follow-Up Suggestions | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| All | Yes, always shown | Exploratory research with multiple angles |
| Writing | No | Drafting emails, reports, or creative content |
| Math | No | Solving equations or mathematical queries |
| Academic | Reduced, but may appear | Research papers and scholarly sources |
| Video | Yes | Finding video content and transcripts |
| Social | Yes | Searching social media posts and discussions |
You can now disable auto-suggested follow-up questions in Perplexity by using Writing or Math Focus mode. This removes the distracting prompts and gives you a cleaner answer interface. For Pro users, custom instructions offer an additional layer of control. Try using Writing mode for your next search to see the difference in output clarity.