--- title: "What is deep research in AI? · Lenexa Learn" description: "Deep research is the mode where ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Perplexity spends minutes reading many sources and hands you a cited report. Here's how it works…" url: https://www.lenexa.ai/learn/explained/what-is-deep-research/ site: "Lenexa Learn" --- Explained # What is deep research in AI? Deep research is the mode where ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Perplexity spends minutes reading many sources and hands you a cited report. Here's how it works, what it costs and when it's worth the wait. **Short answer:** Deep research is a mode in AI assistants where the tool takes its time. Instead of answering in a few seconds, it makes a research plan, runs many searches, reads the pages it finds, and writes you a long report with citations. It usually takes several minutes. ChatGPT and Gemini call it Deep Research, Claude calls it Research, and Perplexity offers it from its mode picker. Regular chat is like asking a friend who knows a lot. Deep research is like asking that friend to go to the library for half an hour and come back with notes. ## How it works Every big version follows roughly the same four steps: 1. **You describe what you need.** The more context, the better: the question, who it’s for, the time frame, and what you’ll do with the answer. 2. **It makes a plan.** ChatGPT and Gemini both show you a proposed research plan first, and you can edit it before the work starts. ChatGPT may also ask you a few clarifying questions. 3. **It researches.** The tool searches, reads, and decides what to look up next based on what it finds. Anthropic describes Claude’s Research as running “multiple searches that build on each other.” 4. **You get a report.** Expect a structured write-up with citations or source links, so you can check where each point came from. Because it plans and acts in several steps on its own, OpenAI calls deep research “agentic.” It’s a small, focused version of the [AI agent](https://www.lenexa.ai/learn/glossary/ai-agent/) idea we cover in [Chatbot vs AI agent](https://www.lenexa.ai/learn/explained/chatbot-vs-agent/). ## How long it takes Plan on minutes. OpenAI says ChatGPT’s deep research may run 5 to 30 minutes. Google says a Gemini report usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes, and longer for complex topics. You don’t have to sit and watch. In ChatGPT you get a notification when the report is ready. In Gemini you can leave the chat, and the mobile app notifies you when it’s done. ## Where you can use it ### ChatGPT Start it by picking **Deep research** from the tools menu (+), from the sidebar, or by typing /Deepresearch in the message box. By default it can use the public web and files you upload. It can also use supported apps you’ve connected, such as Google Drive or SharePoint. OpenAI says it uses those apps to read information, not to make changes. You can also limit it to specific websites, or tell it to prioritize certain sites while still searching the wider web. While it runs, you can follow along and interrupt to change its focus. Finished reports download as Markdown, Word or PDF. **Plans:** Free and Go include limited deep research, Plus includes expanded deep research, and Pro includes the most. OpenAI doesn’t publish a fixed number for each plan. A counter in the app shows how many tasks you have left. Where a plan has a fixed monthly allowance, it resets 30 days after your first use. ### Gemini In Gemini, choose **Deep Research** in the prompt box. Google Search is a source by default. You can add Gmail or Drive (once Google Workspace is connected), upload files, or add NotebookLM notebooks. If you turn Google Search off, it researches only the sources you picked. When the report is ready, you can export it to Google Docs, or turn it into an Audio Overview you can listen to. On the Google AI Ultra plan, reports can also include charts, diagrams and interactive simulators. **Plans:** You need to be 18 or over and signed in. Deep Research uses more of your usage than a normal chat, and there are daily limits on how many reports you can run. Google says AI Pro and AI Ultra get higher limits. Without a paid plan, it may be unavailable when demand is high. ### Claude Anthropic calls its version **Research**. Click the + button in a chat, then Research. Web search has to be turned on for it to work. Research can use the web and the tools you’ve connected, including Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Docs. One catch: if you start Research in the Claude mobile app, it only searches the web and skips your connectors, without telling you. Use the web app or Claude Desktop if you need your own files. Anthropic says Research runs on Claude Opus 5.5, whichever model you’ve picked for the chat. **Plans:** Research is only on paid plans: Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. It shares the same limits as regular chats, but Anthropic warns that it can use them up faster. ### Perplexity Perplexity is built around search, and its in-depth mode lives in the mode selector on the web, on mobile and in the Mac app. Perplexity says Research runs dozens of searches, reads hundreds of sources, and writes a report you can export as a PDF or document, or turn into a shareable Perplexity Page. Free users get limited access, and Pro subscribers get more. ### Grok Grok’s page highlights live search of the web and X, so answers come from current posts and pages rather than only its [training data](https://www.lenexa.ai/learn/glossary/training-data/). SuperGrok adds a multi-agent mode, where several agents work on parts of a hard question at once and merge their findings into one cited answer. For the details on Grok’s plans, see [Grok vs Grok Bot](https://www.lenexa.ai/learn/explained/grok-vs-grok-bot/). ## Side by side | | What it’s called | Free plan? | Can use your own files and apps | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **ChatGPT** | Deep research | Limited | Uploads and supported connected apps | | **Gemini** | Deep Research | Yes, may be paused at busy times | Uploads, Gmail, Drive, NotebookLM | | **Claude** | Research | No, paid plans only | Connectors like Gmail, Calendar, Docs (not on mobile) | | **Perplexity** | Research | Limited | Uploaded documents | Limits change often. Check each company’s own pricing page before you pay for an upgrade to get more reports. Our page on [how much AI costs](https://www.lenexa.ai/learn/explained/how-much-does-ai-cost/) lays out the monthly plans. ## When it’s worth the wait Deep research shines when the answer is spread across many pages and you’d normally open 20 tabs. Good jobs for it: - **Comparing products** before a big purchase, like appliances, software, or insurance options - **Sizing up a company** before a meeting, a job interview, or a partnership - **Getting up to speed** on a topic for a class, a presentation or a client - **Checking what’s changed** recently in a rule, a market or a field you follow Skip it for quick facts, drafting an email, or anything where you need an answer right now. OpenAI’s own advice is the same: use search for quick facts, and save deep research for depth. ## How to get a better report Deep research has its own limits in ChatGPT, and in Gemini and Claude it eats into your usage faster than a normal chat, so a good first ask matters. Our guide to [writing a good prompt](https://www.lenexa.ai/learn/guides/how-to-write-a-good-prompt/) covers the basics. For research, include: - **The decision you’re making.** “Help me choose between these three accounting tools for a five-person shop” beats “tell me about accounting software.” - **Your time frame.** “Changes in the last 12 months” keeps it from mixing old and new information. - **Where to look.** Name the sources you trust, like official sites or government pages. ChatGPT lets you restrict a run to specific websites. - **The shape you want.** A comparison table, a one-page summary, or a list of pros and cons. Read the plan before you hit start. Fixing the plan takes ten seconds. Re-running the whole report takes a lot longer. ## Check the report before you use it A long report with dozens of citations looks very convincing. That doesn’t make every line true. OpenAI says deep research can still [hallucinate](https://www.lenexa.ai/learn/glossary/hallucination/) facts, can struggle to tell authoritative information from rumors, and often fails to show when it’s uncertain. The upside is that the citations make checking much faster. Open the sources behind the numbers, names and dates you plan to rely on, and make sure each page says what the report claims. Our [five-minute fact-check routine](https://www.lenexa.ai/learn/guides/how-to-fact-check-ai-answers/) works well here. If you’re a student, check with your teacher about whether AI research reports are allowed, and cite the original sources, not the report. Teachers and parents can find more on our pages [for teachers](https://www.lenexa.ai/learn/for/teachers/) and [for parents](https://www.lenexa.ai/learn/for/parents/). If you run a business, it’s a solid first pass on competitors and vendors; [AI for small business](https://www.lenexa.ai/learn/for/small-business/) has more ideas. ## A note on privacy When you connect your email, calendar or files, the research tool can read them during the run. Each company handles that data under its own privacy settings. OpenAI, for example, says deep research chats follow the same data controls as your regular ChatGPT chats. Read each provider’s privacy settings before you connect anything sensitive, and only connect what the question actually needs. ## Questions ### Is deep research free? In some apps, yes, with limits. ChatGPT's Free plan includes limited deep research, and Gemini offers Deep Research without a paid plan, though Google says it may be unavailable at busy times. Claude's Research needs a paid plan: Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise. ### How long does deep research take? Minutes, not seconds. OpenAI says a ChatGPT deep research task may run 5 to 30 minutes, and Google says a Gemini report usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes. You can leave while it works and get a notification when it's done. ### What's the difference between web search and deep research? Search is for quick facts and gives you a short answer with links. Deep research plans a set of searches, reads many sources, and writes a longer report with citations. OpenAI's own advice is to use search for quick facts and deep research for depth. ### Can deep research be wrong? Yes. OpenAI says it can still hallucinate facts and struggle to tell authoritative information from rumors. The citations make checking easier, but you still need to open the sources for anything that matters. ### Can deep research read my email or files? Only if you allow it. You can upload files in ChatGPT and Gemini, and each app can use apps you connect, like Gmail or Google Drive. Start with the public web if you're unsure, and add your own sources once you're comfortable. ## Sources - [OpenAI Help, Deep research in ChatGPT](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/10500283-deep-research-in-chatgpt) - [OpenAI Academy, Research with ChatGPT](https://openai.com/academy/search-and-deep-research/) - [OpenAI, Introducing deep research](https://openai.com/index/introducing-deep-research/) - [chatgpt.com/pricing](https://chatgpt.com/pricing) - [Gemini Apps Help, Use Deep Research](https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/15719111) - [Gemini Apps Help, limits and feature availability](https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/16275805) - [gemini.google/overview/deep-research](https://gemini.google/overview/deep-research/) - [Claude Help, Use research on Claude](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11088861-use-research-on-claude) - [claude.com/pricing](https://claude.com/pricing) - [Perplexity Help, What is Research mode?](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/10738684-what-is-research-mode) - [Perplexity Help, What's new in Advanced Deep Research](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/13600190-what-s-new-in-advanced-deep-research) - [x.ai/grok](https://x.ai/grok) [All explained guides](https://www.lenexa.ai/learn/explained/) The daily email ## Get 5 AI use cases every morning A short morning email with five things AI can help with, picked for the groups you choose. 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