> For the complete user guide index, see [llms.txt](https://portraitresearch.com/documentation/llms.txt).

# Create a Deep Research report

[Canonical page](https://portraitresearch.com/documentation/research/create-a-deep-research-report/)

## Applicability

- **Task:** Produce and verify a scoped Deep Research report
- **Access:** Portrait account; Normal usage and concurrency limits may apply
- **Audience:** Portrait users running Deep Research for the first time
- **Surfaces:** web
- **Workflow status:** current
- **Availability:** Production
- **Content type:** tutorial
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-09-08

This tutorial creates one Deep Research report for a scope you define. A completed run contains a **Portrait Review** and a supporting **Appendix**.

## Before you start

You need:

- a Portrait account with available [Normal usage](https://portraitresearch.com/documentation/more/usage/); concurrency limits may also apply;
- a research question that can be evaluated against a stated scope;
- at least one company;
- any selected Project documents and any My Library notes or uploads associated with the selected companies.

A Project is optional. For a first report, select one covered company and its most recent completed financial year. Ask: *"Explain how revenue and operating margin changed during the selected financial year. Identify the main drivers, cite the supporting evidence, and state any missing data."* Check the company's fiscal dates and the available sources before running.

Duration varies with scope, source volume, and processing. After Portrait accepts the run, you can leave the page and return to its status; closing the page does not cancel the research.

## 1. Start a Deep Research run

Open **Deep Research** and start a new report. Use a Project when the report should share its files and context. The Project's **Research instructions** apply automatically to this Deep Research run; review them before continuing. They do not govern an Easel session merely because it is associated with the Project.

## 2. Select companies

Search by company name or ticker and add the companies that define the scope.


If **Help me choose** is available, describe the businesses you want to examine and review the proposed list before continuing. Remove any company that does not belong in the intended universe.


## 3. Define sources and period

Choose the Portrait sources and coverage period relevant to the question. Add Project documents only when they are part of the evidence you want the run to consider. Deep Research also selects the latest version of your My Library notes and uploads associated with any selected company, using content that has finished processing for research. Review those associations and processing states before running; an unavailable latest version is not replaced automatically with an older one.


Source access depends on your firm's entitlements. The source controls scope supported document searches; they are not an exclusive list of every possible input. Market and financial data can still contribute. Describe evidence restrictions in the question and verify the completed report against them. See [Select Deep Research companies and sources](https://portraitresearch.com/documentation/research/select-companies-and-sources/).

## 4. Write the question

State the required analysis, comparison, period, output structure, and any exclusions. You can start from a [Portrait prompt](https://portraitresearch.com/documentation/research/select-from-prompt-library/) or press **Ctrl + I** (**⌘ I** on macOS) to restructure your draft with [Improve prompt](https://portraitresearch.com/documentation/research/improve-prompt/).


Review the final prompt before running it. Prompt improvement changes the instructions; it does not validate the requested facts or guarantee the result.

## 5. Confirm and run

Before starting, confirm:

- the company list;
- the source set;
- the coverage period;
- the exact question and requested output;
- the project, if one is attached;
- that Project's Research instructions;
- the My Library notes and uploads associated with any selected company.

Start the run. You can leave the page and return to the report when it completes.

## Verify the result

1. Confirm that the title and scope match the companies, period, and question you submitted.
2. Read the Portrait Review, then use the Appendix for supporting detail.
3. Open available citations and compare material figures or quotations with the source.
4. Check whether the report states uncertainty or missing evidence where the source set does not support a conclusion.
5. Refine the scope or rerun the report if a material part of the question was omitted.

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Check | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| A source is unavailable | Your firm's entitlement and the selected source set | Select an available source or contact the team about access |
| The report is too broad | Company count, period, and number of distinct questions | Split the task into narrower runs |
| A conclusion lacks support | The Appendix and available citations | Verify against a primary source; do not rely on an unsupported conclusion |
| The run does not start | Normal usage, concurrency, and account state | Open [Settings → Usage](https://portraitresearch.com/documentation/more/usage/) in the web app or [contact the team](https://portraitresearch.com/documentation/more/contact-us/) |

If progress stops updating or the outcome is uncertain, [check the report's status](https://portraitresearch.com/documentation/research/research-status-and-recovery/) before submitting another run. A tracking failure does not establish that the research failed.

### Next

[Share the report with teammates](https://portraitresearch.com/documentation/documents/sharing/) or [export the report](https://portraitresearch.com/documentation/research/export-output/) or [create a monitor](https://portraitresearch.com/documentation/monitors/create-a-monitor/) for developments that could change the conclusion.