> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.parker.work/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Tips for asking Parker

> Write requests that get accurate answers, with example prompts for Salesforce, email, and charts, plus follow-ups, suggestions, commands, and search.

The best requests name **what** you want, **which** records, people, or dates, and **what shape** the answer should take. You don't need special syntax. Write the way you'd ask a colleague, and add detail when the first answer isn't quite right.

## What makes a good request?

* **Name the thing.** "Northwind Supply" finds the account faster than "that distributor we spoke to."
* **Give a time frame.** "Closing this quarter" or "since Monday" narrows the data Parker reads.
* **Say whose data.** "My opportunities" and "all open opportunities" are different questions.
* **Ask for a format.** Ask for a table, a chart, a short summary, or a draft email.
* **One task at a time.** Finish one request, and then ask the next in the same chat.

<Tip>
  Parker's answers come from your live data and can vary from one run to the next. Check important figures against Salesforce before acting on them, and use the sources Parker shows to see where an answer came from.
</Tip>

## Example prompts

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Salesforce">
    <Prompt description="List your pipeline">Which of my open opportunities close this quarter? Show them in a table.</Prompt>
    <Prompt description="Find stale deals">Which of my opportunities haven't had any activity in the last 30 days?</Prompt>
    <Prompt description="Create a task">Create a task on the Northwind Supply opportunity: Call to book a site visit, due this Friday.</Prompt>

    See [Ask about Salesforce](/chat/salesforce-questions) and [Update records](/chat/updating-records).
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Email">
    <Prompt description="Draft a thank-you">Draft a short email to [alex.rivera@example.com](mailto:alex.rivera@example.com) thanking them for their time today.</Prompt>
    <Prompt description="Draft a follow-up">Draft a short follow-up email to the main contact on the Northwind Supply opportunity.</Prompt>

    See [Draft and send email](/email/drafting-email).
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Charts">
    <Prompt description="Chart your pipeline">Chart my open pipeline by stage.</Prompt>
    <Prompt description="Count by stage">How many open opportunities do I have in each stage?</Prompt>

    See [Charts and diagrams](/chat/charts-maps-diagrams).
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## How do follow-ups work?

Parker remembers everything earlier in the same chat. Build on the last answer instead of starting over:

* "Now only the ones over \$50,000."
* "Add the account owner as a column."
* "Turn that into a bar chart."

To ask about one part of an answer, select the text in Parker's reply. A small toolbar appears:

* **Ask Parker** pins the selected text above the chat box, under **From Parker's answer**, so you can type a question about only that part. You can also press **Q**.
* **Explain** asks Parker to explain the selection in more detail.
* **Show records** asks for the records behind it.

<Frame caption="Select text in an answer to ask about only that part.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/fieldko/KGR1Ih_ky0W1HGS1/images/get-started/asking-parker-selection-toolbar.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=KGR1Ih_ky0W1HGS1&q=85&s=d3c3e4537de12bba6e4a81d610a96212" alt="Selected words in Parker's answer with a toolbar above them showing Ask Parker, Explain, and Show records." width="1760" height="200" data-path="images/get-started/asking-parker-selection-toolbar.png" />
</Frame>

Start a new chat when you switch to an unrelated topic. A fresh chat keeps earlier details from steering the new answer.

## Where can I find ideas?

When you open a new chat, Parker may suggest next steps under the chat box, based on your Salesforce data and email. For example, it may point out an opportunity with no recent activity. Select a suggestion to ask Parker about it, or select **Not now** to hide it.

## More ways to ask

* **Thinking.** Turn on **Thinking** under the chat box before you send a message to give Parker more time to reason. Use it for harder analysis.
* **Attach files.** Select **Attach** (the paperclip) to add a file to your message. See [Files and attachments](/chat/files-and-attachments).
* **Slash commands.** Type **/** in the chat box to see commands: **/summarize**, **/rename**, **/pin**, **/search**, **/routine**, **/export**, **/new**, and **/settings**.
* **Stop or queue.** While Parker is answering, select **Stop generating** to stop it. If you type another message, the send button becomes **Queue message**, and your message sends when the current answer finishes.

## How do I find an earlier chat?

Press **⌘K** on a Mac or **Ctrl+K** on Windows, or select **Search & commands** (the search button at the top of the sidebar). In the search box:

* Type words to find chats and pages by their title or content. Before you type, you can select a filter: **Chats**, **Pages**, **Pinned**, **From Parker**, **From me**, or **Past 7 days**.
* Select a result to open it.
* Press **⌘↵** on a Mac or **Ctrl+Enter** on Windows to ask Parker what you typed.
* Type a destination, such as **Routines**, to go there.

See [Keyboard shortcuts](/account/keyboard-shortcuts) for the full list.

## What works less well, and why?

| Request | Why it struggles | Try instead |
| - | - | - |
| "Tell me everything about my accounts." | It's too broad to answer well, and Parker has to guess what matters. | Name the accounts, the time frame, and what you want to know. |
| A record you can't open in Salesforce | Parker uses your own Salesforce access, so it can't see it either. | Ask your Salesforce admin about your access. |
| "Update all my opportunities." | Updates go straight through in **Live** mode, with no confirmation card. | Name the record, the field, and the new value. See [How Parker acts on your behalf](/get-started/how-parker-acts). |
| Several unrelated tasks in one message | Parker may do one well and rush the others. | Send them one at a time. |
| A number you'll present without checking | Figures can be wrong, and the same question can return different results. | Check the source markers and the **Sources** panel. See [How do I check an answer?](/get-started/what-parker-can-do#how-do-i-check-an-answer) |

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Chat overview" href="/chat/overview" icon="message-square">
    Everything you can do in a chat.
  </Card>

  <Card title="What Parker can and can't do" href="/get-started/what-parker-can-do" icon="scale">
    Limits, and how to check an answer.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Keyboard shortcuts" href="/account/keyboard-shortcuts" icon="keyboard">
    Move around Parker faster.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Share and find chats" href="/chat/sharing-and-history" icon="history">
    Share, pin, and find past conversations.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


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