---
title: "MS Copilot - What Is A Prompt"
slug: "ms-copilot-what-is-a-prompt"
tags: ["calltower", "public"]
updated: 2026-09-18T14:01:17Z
published: 2026-09-18T14:01:17Z
canonical: "learn.calltower.com/ms-copilot-what-is-a-prompt"
---

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

# MS Copilot - What Is A Prompt

## What Is A Prompt?

- **A prompt** is the question or instruction you enter in the text box. This is what Copilot will respond to.
- **Use natural language**. Don’t feel like you need to break your idea or question down into keywords.
- Classic search is about keywords to get a list of sources. **Chat is about using detailed questions or statements to generate a custom response for you**.

![clipboard_e59885c691449511117ad471af6b902f2.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/4662144b-ab1f-4796-8b7b-e9f9c609894f/Images/Documentation/clipboard_e59885c691449511117ad471af6b902f2.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-05T05%3A45%3A41Z&se=2026-11-05T06%3A45%3A41Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=mADJl5otJxaFfUZIsSrV9ENz7BAfLzBHrJqtKPteVxM%3D)

## What Makes An Effective Prompt?

**Effective:**

- Specific and detailed
- In full sentences, with instructions
- States the tone, purpose, preferred format, etc.

***Example:*** *Recap the findings of the article I've copied below and include the top 3 concerns. Provide the answer in two to three paragraphs and use a business tone.*

**Less Effective:**

- Vague
- Just a few words
- No context on the preferred output

***Example:*** *Recap article.*

The recap may be more vague than desired or in a format that you were not seeking.

But there is no "wrong" prompt because natural, conversational language is welcome. Experiment away!