Guide

How to get Excel and Google Sheets formulas from ChatGPT

Describe what you want in plain English and get a working formula, an explanation, and a fix when it errors.

Most spreadsheet problems are really 'which function does this?' problems. An assistant is excellent at answering that, if you give it your headers.

1. Plain-English formula

In [Excel/Google Sheets], my columns are [headers]. Write a formula that [goal]. Explain how it works and how to copy it down.

Paste three anonymised sample rows for better results.

My formula [formula] returns [error]. Sample values: [paste]. Explain why and fix it.

Most errors are ranges, text-vs-number issues or missing matches.

This column contains [examples]. Write formulas to trim spaces, fix capitalisation and standardise dates.

Do this in a helper column, then paste as values.

I want to see [question] from columns [headers]. Tell me exactly how to set up the pivot table.

Rows, columns, values, filters: ask for all four.

Test on a copy of your file, and check results against a few rows you calculate by hand.