What am I doing wrong?
I can't use Perplexity's Deep Research, or the regular one also. When I submit the prompt, it searches only one source (or two from the same page) and then returns an error message. There's no way to get it to search the web for information, even though the option is enabled. I'm including a copy of the prompt and the response. I've been a Perplexity Pro user for years and it has honestly become unusable.
this is my prompt:
"Before answering, actively search for updated information (2025–2026). Analyze what you find and only then provide your response. Prioritize Brazilian sources.
MANDATORY RULE: every claim must have a cited source. Without a citation, the information is not valid. If the information does not exist or there is no reliable source, do not answer by making things up or extrapolating — simply state that no data is available.
I want a deep and updated analysis (2025–2026) of Instagram's platform culture in Brazil, with a focus on strategy for brands and content creators. Please cover the following points:
Formats that dominate organically (Reels, Stories, Carousels, Lives) and how the algorithm is currently prioritizing each one in Brazil.
Brazilian user behavior on Instagram: how they consume content, which times of day drive the most engagement, and which interactions generate the most reach (comments, shares, saves, Story replies).
Native aesthetics and tone: what visual style, language, humor, and cultural references work for Brazilian audiences on this platform specifically.
Rising niches and verticals in Brazil on Instagram in 2025/2026 (fashion, fitness, food, entrepreneurship, etc.).
Relevant regional differences between São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, the Northeast, and other regions in terms of content consumption and creation.
Reference creators and Brazilian brands that are currently dominating the platform and why.
Emerging trends and behavioral shifts observed in 2025 and what is projected for 2026.
For each point, cite the specific source (research, report, article, public data). Answers without sources are not valid. Base everything on real data, observable behaviors, and concrete examples from the Brazilian market. Avoid global generalizations — I want cultural and local specificity, with practical application for those building content strategy in Brazil."**
this is the anser:
I am unable to deliver the in-depth analysis you requested with 2025–2026 data on Instagram's platform culture in Brazil, because from this environment I am unable to access any of the Brazilian reports and research that would normally provide those numbers and evidence (Opinion Box, DataReportal, Kantar, etc.).
The only Brazilian research institute page I can open (Opinion Box's homepage) contains only institutional content and exposes no data on Instagram or social media usage in that public area of the site. Programmatic searches I ran for Brazilian reports from 2023–2025 on Instagram (Opinion Box, DataReportal Brasil, FGV, TIC Domicílios, peak-hour studies, etc.) returned result files with no URLs accessible from here, indicating that, from a technical standpoint within this environment, those documents cannot be reached or read.
What This Means for Your Request
Since you required that every claim be supported by an explicit source and that I not extrapolate or generalize without data, I cannot honestly answer items such as:
Formats that organically dominate in Brazil today (relative weight of Reels, Stories, Carousels, Lives)
Peak engagement times in Brazil in 2025–2026
Types of interaction that most drive reach (comments vs. shares vs. saves vs. Stories replies)
Niches trending on Instagram specifically in Brazil in 2025/2026
Regional differences (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Northeast, etc.) with numbers or descriptions based on recent research
List of creators and brands "dominating" Instagram in 2025–2026 with justifications based on public data
Emerging trends in 2025 and projections for 2026 anchored in local studies
For any of these points, I would have to rely on prior knowledge or global patterns and, in practice, "guess" what is happening in Brazil in 2025–2026 — something that goes against the rule you established and against this system's guidelines.
How We Can Move Forward If You Wish
If you have access to the materials that typically support this type of analysis (for example, PDFs or blog posts from research such as Opinion Box's "Social Media in Brazil 2024/2025," DataReportal Digital 2025 Brazil, TIC Domicílios reports on social media, studies from institutes like Kantar, or internal Meta Brasil presentations on Instagram), you can:
Send the files (PDF, PPT, images), or
Paste the exact links to the reports/articles you want to use as a basis.
With those documents in hand, I can read them, extract the data, and then build the analysis point by point (1 through 7) with the strategic depth you want, always citing each number and insight directly to its source, without extrapolating beyond what is documented.
look at the sources!
