Get AI to Write Excel Formulas From Plain English

ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini and other AI assistants are good at Excel formulas when you give them context. This three-part prompt gets a working formula the first time, and the check at the end catches the times it does not.

1. Describe your columns

Say exactly what is in each column and where the data starts.

My sheet: Column A = Name, Column B = Date, Column C = Amount. Data is in rows 2 to 500.

2. Say the result you want

Describe the answer in plain English, including where it should go.

In F2, I want the total of Amount for dates in March 2026.

3. Ask for one formula and a short why

Say your Excel version (Excel 365, Excel 2019, Google Sheets) and ask for a single formula plus a one-line explanation, so you can spot mistakes.

I use Excel 365. Give me one formula and explain it in one sentence.

4. Test before you trust it

For the example above you will usually get a SUMIFS with two date conditions. Check the result against 3 rows you can add up by hand before you rely on it.

=SUMIFS(C2:C500, B2:B500, ">="&DATE(2026,3,1), B2:B500, "<"&DATE(2026,4,1))

FAQ

Is it safe to paste my spreadsheet into AI?

Do not paste confidential or personal data. Describe the columns instead, as in step 1, or use made-up sample rows.

The formula returns an error. What now?

Paste the exact error and the formula back to the AI, and tell it your Excel version and regional settings (some regions use ; instead of , between arguments).