DeskPlainDescribe a calculation, get a formula and test it against known answers. Start with the source facts, copy a ready-to-use prompt and check the result before using it.
The useful part of asking AI for a formula is making your rule explicit. A formula that runs without an error can still count the wrong rows. Describe the columns, Excel version and expected treatment of blank cells before asking for a result. Verify it on a copied sample, then inspect the full range.
Prepare the information that matters
Prepare a small fictional or sanitized table with column letters and expected answers. State whether your Excel uses commas or semicolons between arguments. If you do not know the version or separator, ask for clarification rather than assuming that a function is available.
Use a service your organization permits for this material. A pasted excerpt is the assistant's source for this workflow; the prompt does not give it access to files, mail or meetings you have not supplied.
Copy the ready-to-use prompt
The main prompt
Copy this into your AI assistant. Add your notes where marked.
Help me solve the Excel calculation described below. Before proposing a formula, check whether you have the column headings, cell locations, calculation rule, Excel version and argument separator. Ask only for missing details that affect the answer. Return the formula as plain text, explain each argument and work through the sample rows to show the expected result. Include checks for blanks, text values and boundary conditions. Do not use macros or alter the source data. If a function is unavailable in my version, explain that and suggest a supported approach. Do not claim you tested my workbook. TASK AND SAMPLE [Paste the calculation you need, column headings, cell locations and a few sample rows here]
Work through a concrete example
Input to work from
A2:A6 statuses: Open, Closed, Open, Open, Open. B2:B6 amounts: 120, 150, 80, blank, 100. Count Open amounts at least 100.
A useful output to compare against
=COUNTIFS(A2:A6,"Open",B2:B6,">=100") Row 2 qualifies: Open and 120. Row 6 qualifies: Open and exactly 100. Rows 3, 4 and 5 do not qualify. Expected result: 2.
This is an editorial worked example, not a captured response from a particular model. Your assistant may return different wording or make mistakes.
Why these choices matter
The hand-checked result gives you an independent comparison. It includes the boundary value 100 so an accidental greater-than rule would be caught. This is a worked calculation, not evidence that every formula produced by a model is reliable.
Review and improve the first answer
Use this after the first answer, in the same conversation. Keep the original source available.
Re-evaluate the formula on my sample one row at a time. Add test cases for a blank cell, a value exactly on the threshold and a nonmatching status. Give expected results before suggesting any revision.
Ask for a specific correction when the response misses the goal. Changing the requested format can improve readability; it cannot make an unsupported fact true. Return to your source when the answer changes a number, date, responsibility or condition.
Check the result before using it
- Check that all criteria ranges cover the same rows.
- Compare the result with the expected count before copying down or expanding ranges.
- Test blanks, text numbers, exact thresholds and unexpected status values.
- Use the linked Excel guides to check supported syntax and behavior.
Fix the common failure patterns
| What goes wrong | What to change |
|---|---|
| The formula uses the wrong separator | Ask for the syntax your installed Excel accepts. |
| The answer uses an unavailable function | Give your version and request a supported alternative. |
| The total looks plausible | Check individual qualifying rows; plausibility is not verification. |
Apply the verified formula to a copied workbook first. Check a sample at the end of the expanded range as well as the first rows, and keep the hand-calculated cases available when the data changes.
Find another task in the AI at Work prompt library, or continue with the related DeskPlain guides below.
Keep these in mind
- Check that all criteria ranges cover the same rows.
- Compare the result with the expected count before copying down or expanding ranges.
- Test blanks, text numbers, exact thresholds and unexpected status values.
Common questions
Does the prompt run an AI assistant on DeskPlain?
No. This is a library of ready-to-copy prompts. Copy the text, add your source material in your chosen AI assistant and review the answer.
Are the examples real user data or model test results?
No. They are original fictional worked examples showing the intended reasoning and checks. They are not a benchmark or captured model output.
Will the prompt always return a correct result?
No. Review the result against the source and the task-specific checks. Ask about missing information instead of accepting an invented answer.
Sources & further help
Original DeskPlain prompts and fictional worked examples, prepared with AI assistance. Examples illustrate the intended reasoning; they are not captured model responses or a claim of testing across AI products. Read the editorial policy.