AI is very good at Excel formulas, if you tell it enough about your sheet. Vague questions get formulas for a sheet that isn’t yours.
The prompt that works
“`text
I use Excel 365. Columns: A Date, B Region, C Customer, D Amount (rows 2-500).
I want the total Amount for Region “North” in September 2026.
Give the formula for cell F2 and explain it in two lines.
“`
Include: Excel version (365 has FILTER/XLOOKUP; 2016 doesn’t), column letters and headers, the row range, and the exact goal.
Test it
Pick 3 rows where you know the right answer.
Check the formula gives that answer.
Try an edge case (blank cell, text number, missing customer).
When it’s wrong
Paste the formula, the result you got and what you expected: “This returns 0 but should be 1,28,500. Column A dates are real dates.” Usually one round fixes it.
💡 Ask “explain each part” for formulas you’ll maintain. If you can’t explain it, you won’t be able to fix it next quarter.
⚠️ Don’t paste real customer data to get a formula. Describe the columns or use made-up sample rows; the formula is the same.
