Perplexity Computer now runs jobs on a schedule, which is more than can be said for the reminder you keep snoozing
By Brett Gavaghan, Founder of Adaptd ·
On 5 October Perplexity added Automations to Computer, its AI agent. You can set it to work on a schedule or when something happens in your connected apps, and it can stop for your review before anything important.
The short version
- Perplexity Computer can now run tasks automatically on a schedule or when an event happens in an app you have connected.
- Automations arrived on 5 October 2026 in Computer on the web, alongside GPT-6.1 Sol for eligible paid subscribers.
- Start with one read-and-draft job, such as summarising slow customer replies, and keep the review step switched on.
Most AI tools still wait for you to type something. Perplexity's latest update gives its Computer agent a calendar and a bit of initiative, which is either handy or slightly unnerving depending on how tidy your inbox is.
What are Perplexity Automations?
Perplexity Automations are tasks that Perplexity Computer runs by itself, either on a schedule or when something happens in an app you have connected.
Each automation can use Perplexity's Memory, Skills and connectors, build on what earlier runs found, and pause for your review before it takes a consequential action. Perplexity's own business examples include drafting a recovery plan when a supplier emails about a delay, and summarising an account and drafting a next step when a priority customer hasn't replied in four days.
Who can use it, and when?
Perplexity Automations are live now in Computer on the web, announced on 5 October 2026.
The same update added inline charts and 3D visuals to Computer threads, and brought OpenAI's GPT-6.1 Sol to eligible paid subscribers. GPT-6.1 Sol also now powers Computer's Light effort setting for quicker everyday jobs.
Should your business use it?
Businesses already paying for Perplexity Computer should try one automation, because the follow-up jobs it targets are the ones that slip through the cracks.
My advice: give it a read-and-draft job first, like the four-day customer follow-up, and leave the review step on so nothing gets sent without you. Watch it for a couple of weeks before you let it near anything with a dollar sign. The best automation is the one that does the boring bit while you're busy, and still asks before it does anything you'd have to apologise for.
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Wondering what this means for your business?
That's exactly what the discovery call is for.