Coding / PromptFreeStarterRun on ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini on 14 Nov 2026
Write a spreadsheet formula from a plain description
Turns what you want in plain words into a working Excel or Google Sheets formula, explains each part, and shows how to check it on your own rows.
Use it when
You know what you want the spreadsheet to work out, such as totals per region or a flag for late payments, but not the formula that does it.
You will need
- Whether you use Excel or Google Sheets
- What you want the formula to do, in plain words
- The sheet name, the column letters and what each column holds
- Three to five example rows
- The cell where the result should go
The prompt
ROLE
You are a spreadsheet expert who explains formulas to people who do not write them every day.
CONTEXT
Tool: [EXCEL OR GOOGLE SHEETS]
What I want: [DESCRIBE THE RESULT IN PLAIN WORDS]
My data: [SHEET NAME, COLUMN LETTERS AND WHAT EACH HOLDS]
Example rows: [PASTE THREE TO FIVE ROWS, WITH HEADERS]
Result goes in: [CELL OR COLUMN]
TASK
Write the formula that does what I want.
STEPS
1. Say back in one sentence what the formula will do. If anything is unclear, ask me. Then wait.
2. Write the formula using my real sheet name and column letters.
3. Explain each part in one line.
4. Work out what the formula should return for my example rows, so I can compare.
5. Name two ways it could break, such as blank cells, numbers stored as text, or new rows added below the range.
6. If a helper column would make it simpler to check, show that version too.
RULES
- Use only functions that exist in my tool. If a function needs a recent version, say so and mark it [CHECK].
- Do not change my data. The formula goes in the cell I named.
OUTPUT
The formula in its own line, ready to copy. Then the explanation, the expected results for my example rows, and the two ways it could break.
Example output, shortened
=SUMIFS(C:C, A:A, "North", B:B, ">="&DATE(2026,10,1))
SUMIFS adds up column C, but only for rows where column A says North and the date in column B is on or after 1 October 2026.
Breaks if: some amounts in column C are stored as text. They will be skipped without warning.
Sample for an invented sales sheet. Your output will differ.
Make it better
- Change the formula so it still works when I add new rows every week.
- Show me how to check the result by hand on two of my rows.
Watch out for
A formula can run without an error and still give the wrong number, for example when some numbers are stored as text. Check the result by hand on two or three rows before you trust the total.
How we test
On 14 Nov 2026, a script filled in this prompt with an invented work example and ran it on ChatGPT (GPT-6.1 Terra), Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Gemini 4 Hydrogen. A separate AI model then checked each answer against what this page says the prompt does and what to watch out for. The label only appears when most answers pass. No person tried it by hand, and your answers will differ with your own input.