Perplexity Computer can work on a Cloud Desktop, a desktop with its own browser that runs in a secure cloud sandbox, separate from your device. When a task needs a website that does not have a connector, Computer opens the site there and works on the pages directly. You can watch the Cloud Desktop from your task and take control when a step needs you. You can also let Computer sign in with a saved website login or 1Password. Teammates use the Cloud Desktop too: each teammate has its own, so it can keep working on websites for you over time.
Before you start
You need a Perplexity plan that includes Computer. See What is Computer?.
Use Perplexity on the web to watch and take control of the Cloud Desktop. If you started a task in a Perplexity app, open the same task on the web.
To save a website login, you need the username and password you use to sign in to that site.
To sign in with 1Password, you need an individual or family account on 1Password.com in the US and the 1Password app (version 8.12.42 or later) on the device where you approve requests.
Why use the Cloud Desktop?
See what Computer is doing. Follow the pages Computer opens and the actions it takes as they happen.
Step in when a task needs you. Take control to sign in, enter a verification code, or correct a step, then return control so Computer can continue.
Let Computer work on sites that require a sign-in. After you save a login or connect 1Password, Computer can work in account dashboards, customer portals, and member-only pages.
Keep passwords out of the conversation. Computer fills a saved login directly into the site’s sign-in form, so the password isn’t shared with the agent.
Stay in control. Computer asks for your approval before it uses a saved login in a task, unless you set it to Always allow, and 1Password logins are approved in your 1Password app.
Watch the Cloud Desktop
When Computer starts using its desktop, a Desktop section appears in the panel on the right, with a preview of the desktop.
Open the live view. Hover over the preview and select Open. The desktop opens next to the conversation. If the preview shows Connect or Retry, select it.
Use a larger view. Select Open full screen (the diagonal arrows icon).
Follow Computer’s cursor. It is labeled Computer. Cursors of other agents working in the task show each agent’s name.
Open the desktop from the conversation. When Computer shares its desktop in the conversation, hover over the card and select Open desktop.
Each task has its own Cloud Desktop. It stays available for the life of the task. When Computer isn’t using it, the desktop is paused and resumes when it’s needed again.
Take control and return control
Hover over the live view and select Take control.
If Computer is still working, a dialog asks Take control from the agent? Select Take control to confirm, or Keep agent working to cancel.
Use the desktop. It opens full screen while you have control.
Select Return control when you finish. Pressing Escape or selecting outside the desktop also returns control.
When Computer needs you to complete a step, such as signing in or entering a two-factor authentication (2FA) code, it shows a desktop card with a Take control button in the conversation. After you return control, the card shows Done and Computer continues.
Only one person can control a Cloud Desktop at a time.
Use the Cloud Desktop with teammates
Each teammate has its own Cloud Desktop. A teammate’s desktop always appears in its view, while Computer shows its desktop only when it’s using it. The teammate’s cursor shows its name, and its browsing sessions and cookies stay with that teammate. Watching and taking control work the same way as in Computer. So do saved logins and 1Password.
Sign in to websites with saved logins
A website login is a username and password you save so Computer can sign in to a site for you. Saved logins are kept in your Credential vault.
When a task reaches a sign-in page, Computer looks for a saved login that matches the site and asks for your approval before it uses it. If you don’t have a saved login for the site, Computer can request the login from 1Password if you have connected it, or ask you to take control and sign in on the Cloud Desktop yourself. After you sign in yourself, Computer offers to save the login and keeps working.
Before you save a website login, check whether the service has a connector. Connectors are the preferred way to link a third-party service, and Computer uses one when it is available.
Save a login after you sign in
Once you have signed in to a site yourself, Computer offers once to save the login in a secure form in the task.
Check that the form shows the site you expect.
Enter your Username and Password.
Save the login to your Credential vault. Computer uses it from there in future tasks.
You don’t have to save the login. Computer keeps working either way.
Add a login from your Credential vault
Go to Settings > Credential vault.
Select Add credential.
Under Credential type, choose Website login.
Enter a Name you can recognize, the site’s Host, and your Username and Password. The Notes field is optional.
Select Add.
In Host, enter the domain of the page where you sign in, such as accounts.example.com. Computer uses a saved login only on a secure (https) page whose host matches the one you saved. A leading “www” is ignored, so a login saved for example.com also works on www.example.com, but not on accounts.example.com.
Approve each sign-in
Saving a login does not approve its use. Before Computer uses a login saved in your Credential vault, it asks for your approval in the task. The request shows the site and the saved login, for example Sign in to example.com with “Work account”? Select Sign in to approve it for this task, Always allow to let Computer use this login without asking, or Not now to stop the sign-in.
Your approval covers that login for the current task only. New website logins are set to Ask for approval, so Computer asks again in each new task until you choose Always allow. You can change this later for the login in Settings > Credential vault.
Sign in with 1Password
If you keep your logins in 1Password, connect it once, then approve each request in your 1Password app. Connecting 1Password lets Computer ask 1Password to sign in. It doesn’t give Computer access to your 1Password vaults.
Connect 1Password
Open Plugins in the sidebar (or Customize → Connectors if you don’t see Plugins yet). Find the 1Password connector on Discover or search for it by name, then open its page.
Select Connect.
Sign in to your 1Password account and approve the connection. You return to Perplexity, and the connector shows Connected.
If you connect 1Password while a task is running, start a new task to use it.
Approve a login in 1Password
When Computer needs to sign in to a site, it can request the login from 1Password. The task shows an Approve in 1Password card with the website.
Check the website shown on the card.
Select Approve in 1Password to open the 1Password app on the device you’re using. To approve on another device, select Copy approval link and open the link there.
In 1Password, approve the request within 2 minutes. You can also choose a different Login item or deny the request.
1Password fills and submits the login, and the task shows Login submitted with 1Password. Your approval covers that site for the rest of the task. For a different site or a new task, Computer sends a new request.
Who can use 1Password with Computer
Perplexity plans: Pro, Max, Enterprise Pro, and Enterprise Max.
1Password accounts: Individual and family accounts on 1Password.com in the US. Team accounts, business accounts, and accounts on 1Password.ca or 1Password.eu aren’t supported.
Logins: Login items in your Personal or Private vault, including usernames, passwords, and one-time passwords. Passkeys, Login items that rely on sign-in providers, and shared vaults aren’t supported.
Enterprise organizations: You can use only the connectors your organization has enabled for your role. See Role-based access control for connectors.
Where it works: 1Password sign-in works only in the Cloud Desktop’s browser.
How to verify it worked
While you have control, the live view opens full screen. After you return control, Computer continues the task. A saved login appears in Settings > Credential vault with its name and host, and the 1Password connector shows Connected on its page. After Computer signs in, the live view shows the site signed in to your account.
Managing your logins
Review your saved logins. Go to Settings > Credential vault and select a login to see its details. Passwords are not displayed.
Update a login. Select the login, then select Rotate and enter the replacement username and password. The name and host stay the same.
Remove a login. Select the login, then select Revoke. This prevents future sign-ins with the saved login, but does not sign you out of the website. It cannot be undone.
Disconnect 1Password. Open the Installed tab on the Plugins page (or Customize → Connectors if you don’t see Plugins yet), open the 1Password connector, and select Disconnect.
View or change your 1Password logins. Use the 1Password app to view, list, or change the logins you keep in 1Password.
Limits and privacy
Passwords stay out of the conversation. Computer fills a saved login directly into the site’s sign-in form, so the password isn’t shown in the conversation or shared with the agent. If a site displays your password on the page, Computer can see it.
Secure, matching pages only. Computer fills a saved login only on a secure (https) page whose host matches the one you saved.
Protection after a sign-in. After Computer fills a saved login, it can’t run scripts on that tab or on tabs opened from it for the rest of the task.
Some steps still need you. A saved login holds a username and password only. For steps such as 2FA codes or single sign-on (SSO), Computer asks you to take control.
Saved logins are personal. You can save a website login to your personal Credential vault or use it for a single task. Website logins can’t be shared with a project or your organization.
The live view is on the web. To watch or take control of the Cloud Desktop, open the task in a web browser.
Frequently asked questions
Can Computer see my password?
No. Computer fills a saved login directly into the site’s sign-in form, and 1Password fills its own logins, so the password isn’t shared with the agent or shown in the conversation. If a site displays your password on the page, Computer can see it.
Why does Computer ask for approval before it uses a saved login?
A website login gives access to your account on that site, so new website logins are set to Ask for approval, and Computer asks once in each task for each saved login it uses. To stop the prompts for a login, select Always allow on the request or in Settings > Credential vault.
What is the difference between a website login and a custom API credential?
A website login is the username and password you use on a site’s sign-in page, and Computer uses it only in a browser. A custom API credential, such as an API key or token, authenticates requests that Computer sends to a service’s API. See Using custom API credentials in Computer.
Should I use a saved login or 1Password?
Use a saved login to keep the username and password in your Credential vault. Use 1Password if your logins are already in a supported 1Password account and you want to approve each request in the 1Password app. If you have both for a site, Computer chooses which one to use based on what’s available in the task.
Can I sign in to a website myself?
Yes. Take control of the Cloud Desktop, sign in on the site, then select Return control so Computer can continue. Computer then offers to save the login to your Credential vault for future tasks.
Can Computer keep working while I have control?
No. Computer can’t act on the Cloud Desktop while you have control. Select Return control so Computer can continue.
Why isn’t 1Password offered in my task?
Check that the 1Password connector shows Connected, then start a new task. Computer offers 1Password only when it is working on the Cloud Desktop.
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Need more help?
Contact us via Help > Contact Support. Include the task link if your question is about a specific Computer task.