{"id":68824,"date":"2026-11-06T13:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-06T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=68824"},"modified":"2026-11-04T16:52:43","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T11:22:43","slug":"chatgpt-for-excel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/","title":{"rendered":"ChatGPT for Excel: Get Formulas From ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini (With Examples)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>ChatGPT for Excel is now two things: OpenAI&#8217;s official add-in that works inside Excel and Google Sheets, and the plain trick of asking ChatGPT in a chat window to write a formula you paste into a cell. This guide compares ChatGPT, Copilot in Excel and Gemini in Google Sheets for writing formulas, explaining errors and cleaning data, then gives 10 worked formula examples and a prompt template you can copy.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/chatgpt-for-excel.webp\" alt=\"ChatGPT for Excel: orange and blue 3D bar chart on a white grid\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-68820\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/chatgpt-for-excel.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/chatgpt-for-excel-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/chatgpt-for-excel-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/chatgpt-for-excel-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/chatgpt-for-excel-768x403.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> To get Excel formulas from AI, describe your columns and the result you want in plain English, for example &#8220;Column B is Region, column C is Sales. Total the sales for West.&#8221; Any chat AI (ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini) will return a formula such as =SUMIFS(C:C,B:B,&#8221;West&#8221;). For AI that works inside the workbook, install the ChatGPT add-in from Excel&#8217;s Add-ins menu or the Google Workspace Marketplace, use Copilot in Excel with an eligible Microsoft 365 plan, or click Ask Gemini in Google Sheets with an eligible Google plan. Always test the formula on a few rows before you trust it.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aedb52ddad4d\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aedb52ddad4d\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#ChatGPT_for_Excel_Copilot_and_Gemini_compared\" >ChatGPT for Excel, Copilot and Gemini compared<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#Option_1_Ask_ChatGPT_in_a_chat_window_works_everywhere_free\" >Option 1: Ask ChatGPT in a chat window (works everywhere, free)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#Option_2_The_ChatGPT_add-in_for_Excel_and_Google_Sheets\" >Option 2: The ChatGPT add-in for Excel and Google Sheets<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#How_to_install_it\" >How to install it<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#Option_3_Copilot_in_Excel\" >Option 3: Copilot in Excel<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#Option_4_Gemini_in_Google_Sheets\" >Option 4: Gemini in Google Sheets<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#10_worked_examples_prompts_and_the_formulas_AI_should_give_you\" >10 worked examples: prompts and the formulas AI should give you<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#1_Total_sales_for_one_region\" >1. Total sales for one region<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#2_Count_rows_that_match_two_conditions\" >2. Count rows that match two conditions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#3_Total_for_one_month\" >3. Total for one month<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#4_Average_for_one_person\" >4. Average for one person<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#5_Percentage_change_between_two_numbers\" >5. Percentage change between two numbers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#6_Flag_overdue_items\" >6. Flag overdue items<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#7_Tiered_commission\" >7. Tiered commission<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#8_Clean_messy_names\" >8. Clean messy names<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#9_Pull_out_the_first_name\" >9. Pull out the first name<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#10_Look_up_a_value_and_hide_NA_errors\" >10. Look up a value and hide #N\/A errors<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#Copy_this_prompt_template\" >Copy this prompt template<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#How_to_use_AI_to_fix_formula_errors\" >How to use AI to fix formula errors<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#Which_one_should_you_use\" >Which one should you use?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#Safety_tips_before_you_paste_data_into_AI\" >Safety tips before you paste data into AI<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#Is_ChatGPT_for_Excel_free\" >Is ChatGPT for Excel free?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#Can_ChatGPT_read_my_Excel_file\" >Can ChatGPT read my Excel file?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#Is_ChatGPT_or_Copilot_better_for_Excel\" >Is ChatGPT or Copilot better for Excel?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-26\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#Can_ChatGPT_write_Excel_macros_and_VBA\" >Can ChatGPT write Excel macros and VBA?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-27\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/chatgpt-for-excel\/#Why_does_the_formula_from_ChatGPT_show_NAME\" >Why does the formula from ChatGPT show #NAME?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"ChatGPT_for_Excel_Copilot_and_Gemini_compared\"><\/span>ChatGPT for Excel, Copilot and Gemini compared<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>All three can write a formula from a plain-English request. The real differences are where they run, what they cost and whether they can change your sheet for you.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Tool<\/th>\n<th>Works in<\/th>\n<th>Edits the sheet itself?<\/th>\n<th>Who can use it<\/th>\n<th>Best for<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>ChatGPT (chat window)<\/td>\n<td>Any spreadsheet: you copy and paste<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>Anyone, including the free plan<\/td>\n<td>Quick one-off formulas, learning how a function works<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>ChatGPT for Excel and Google Sheets (add-in)<\/td>\n<td>Excel and Google Sheets<\/td>\n<td>Yes, after asking you<\/td>\n<td>Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu plans (usage limits are lower on cheaper plans)<\/td>\n<td>Building and fixing whole sheets, explaining a messy workbook<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Copilot in Excel<\/td>\n<td>Excel for Microsoft 365 (Windows, Mac, web, iPad) and Excel 2024<\/td>\n<td>Yes (adds formula columns and rows)<\/td>\n<td>Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium, or a work Copilot licence<\/td>\n<td>People who already pay for Microsoft 365<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Gemini in Google Sheets<\/td>\n<td>Google Sheets<\/td>\n<td>Yes (formulas, tables, charts, pivot tables)<\/td>\n<td>An eligible Google Workspace or Google AI plan<\/td>\n<td>Google Sheets users with a Gemini plan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Option_1_Ask_ChatGPT_in_a_chat_window_works_everywhere_free\"><\/span>Option 1: Ask ChatGPT in a chat window (works everywhere, free)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This is the method most people mean by &#8220;ChatGPT for Excel&#8221;, and it works with any version of Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice or Numbers. You don&#8217;t install anything.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Open <a href=\"https:\/\/chatgpt.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ChatGPT<\/a> (the free plan is enough). New to it? Our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/10\/how-to-use-chatgpt\/\">how to use ChatGPT<\/a> covers the basics.<\/li>\n<li>Describe your sheet: the column letters, what each column holds, the row where data starts, and which program you use (Excel 365, Excel 2016, Google Sheets).<\/li>\n<li>Say exactly what result you want and in which cell.<\/li>\n<li>Copy the formula into the cell, press Enter, and check the answer against two or three rows you can work out by hand.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The catch: ChatGPT can&#8217;t see your file in this method, so it guesses from your description. If the formula returns an error, paste the error and the formula back into the chat and ask it to fix it.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Option_2_The_ChatGPT_add-in_for_Excel_and_Google_Sheets\"><\/span>Option 2: The ChatGPT add-in for Excel and Google Sheets<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>OpenAI launched ChatGPT for Excel as a beta in March 2026, powered by GPT-5.4 Thinking, and added a Google Sheets version in April. In May 2026 it opened up to all plans, including Free and Go, with lower usage limits on the cheaper plans. Unlike the chat window, the add-in reads your workbook, so it can:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>write formulas from a plain-English request and put them in the right cells<\/li>\n<li>build a sheet from scratch, such as a budget tracker or a simple dashboard<\/li>\n<li>clean messy data, sort it and reformat results<\/li>\n<li>explain a formula or an unexpected result, and point to the cells it used<\/li>\n<li>run &#8220;what if&#8221; scenarios on an existing model<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It asks before it changes anything, so you can review each edit.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_install_it\"><\/span>How to install it<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Excel:<\/strong> on the <strong>Home<\/strong> tab select <strong>Add-ins<\/strong>, search for ChatGPT, add it, then open it from the ribbon and sign in with your ChatGPT account.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Google Sheets:<\/strong> install ChatGPT from the Google Workspace Marketplace (<strong>Extensions &gt; Add-ons &gt; Get add-ons<\/strong>), then open it from the <strong>Extensions<\/strong> menu and sign in.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Two things to know: chats in the add-in are kept separately from your normal ChatGPT history and don&#8217;t use ChatGPT memory, and support for macros and VBA is still incomplete. OpenAI&#8217;s help page <a href=\"https:\/\/help.openai.com\/en\/articles\/20001063-chatgpt-for-excel-and-google-sheets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ChatGPT for Excel and Google Sheets<\/a> has the current plan limits.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Option_3_Copilot_in_Excel\"><\/span>Option 3: Copilot in Excel<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you pay for Microsoft 365, Copilot is already built into Excel. Microsoft says Copilot is available in Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium subscriptions; work accounts need a Copilot licence from their organisation. Microsoft&#8217;s guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/topic\/d866d926-9791-4e5f-be2a-c6dd9e587a47\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">generating formulas with Copilot in Excel<\/a> gives these steps:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Select the <strong>Copilot<\/strong> icon to open the Copilot pane.<\/li>\n<li>Describe the calculation, for example &#8220;Add a column that calculates the profit margin for each product.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Copilot suggests a formula column or row and explains how each formula works. Review it, then insert it.<\/li>\n<li>To understand a formula you already have, ask &#8220;Explain the formula in cell D3.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Microsoft&#8217;s tip: name the columns you want Copilot to use, and you get more accurate results. For more on Microsoft&#8217;s assistant, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/10\/how-to-use-copilot\/\">how to use Copilot for free<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Option_4_Gemini_in_Google_Sheets\"><\/span>Option 4: Gemini in Google Sheets<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Google&#8217;s assistant lives in Sheets for people with an eligible Google Workspace or Google AI plan. According to Google&#8217;s help page <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/docs\/answer\/14356410\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gemini in Google Sheets<\/a>, it can generate formulas, create tables, build charts and pivot tables, add drop-downs and answer questions about your data.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Open a spreadsheet in Google Sheets on your computer.<\/li>\n<li>At the top right, click <strong>Ask Gemini<\/strong> to open the side panel.<\/li>\n<li>Type your request and press Enter.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>For a formula in one cell, type <code>=<\/code> in the cell and press <code>Ctrl + Alt + G<\/code> (Windows and ChromeOS) or <code>\u2318 + Ctrl + G<\/code> (Mac). Google says it works best with native Sheets files, so convert an Excel file first with <strong>File &gt; Save as Google Sheets<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_worked_examples_prompts_and_the_formulas_AI_should_give_you\"><\/span>10 worked examples: prompts and the formulas AI should give you<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We checked every formula below in a test spreadsheet with this small sales table (data in rows 2-5):<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><\/th>\n<th>A: Date<\/th>\n<th>B: Region<\/th>\n<th>C: Sales<\/th>\n<th>D: Due date<\/th>\n<th>E: Customer<\/th>\n<th>F: Rep<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>2<\/td>\n<td>5 Jan 2026<\/td>\n<td>West<\/td>\n<td>1200<\/td>\n<td>10 Jan 2026<\/td>\n<td>&#8221;  maria   lopez &#8220;<\/td>\n<td>Ann<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3<\/td>\n<td>20 Jan 2026<\/td>\n<td>East<\/td>\n<td>800<\/td>\n<td>1 Jan 2099<\/td>\n<td>JOHN smith<\/td>\n<td>Bob<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>4<\/td>\n<td>3 Feb 2026<\/td>\n<td>West<\/td>\n<td>12000<\/td>\n<td>8 Feb 2026<\/td>\n<td>priya shah<\/td>\n<td>Ann<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<td>14 Feb 2026<\/td>\n<td>North<\/td>\n<td>6000<\/td>\n<td>1 Jan 2099<\/td>\n<td>li wei<\/td>\n<td>Cara<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>If you ask an AI the same questions about a similar table, it should give you these formulas or close equivalents.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Total_sales_for_one_region\"><\/span>1. Total sales for one region<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Prompt:<\/strong> &#8220;Column B is Region and column C is Sales. Give me the total sales for West.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Formula:<\/strong> <code>=SUMIFS(C:C,B:B,\"West\")<\/code> returns 13200 (1200 + 12000).<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Count_rows_that_match_two_conditions\"><\/span>2. Count rows that match two conditions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Prompt:<\/strong> &#8220;Count the West sales over 1000.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Formula:<\/strong> <code>=COUNTIFS(B:B,\"West\",C:C,\"&gt;1000\")<\/code> returns 2.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Total_for_one_month\"><\/span>3. Total for one month<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Prompt:<\/strong> &#8220;Column A has dates. Total the sales in column C for January 2026.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Formula:<\/strong> <code>=SUMIFS(C:C,A:A,\"&gt;=\"&amp;DATE(2026,1,1),A:A,\"&lt;\"&amp;DATE(2026,2,1))<\/code> returns 2000. This date-range pattern is safer than tricks with MONTH(), which can count blank cells as January.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Average_for_one_person\"><\/span>4. Average for one person<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Prompt:<\/strong> &#8220;Average sale for the rep named Ann in column F.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Formula:<\/strong> <code>=AVERAGEIFS(C:C,F:F,\"Ann\")<\/code> returns 6600.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Percentage_change_between_two_numbers\"><\/span>5. Percentage change between two numbers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Prompt:<\/strong> &#8220;Percentage change from C2 to C3.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Formula:<\/strong> <code>=(C3-C2)\/C2<\/code> returns -0.333. Format the cell as a percentage to see -33%.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Flag_overdue_items\"><\/span>6. Flag overdue items<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Prompt:<\/strong> &#8220;Column D is the due date. Show Overdue if the date has passed, otherwise On time.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Formula:<\/strong> <code>=IF(TODAY()&gt;D2,\"Overdue\",\"On time\")<\/code>, filled down. Rows 2 and 4 show Overdue; rows 3 and 5 show On time.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Tiered_commission\"><\/span>7. Tiered commission<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Prompt:<\/strong> &#8220;Commission is 10% on sales of 10,000 or more, 5% on 5,000 or more, otherwise nothing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Formula:<\/strong> <code>=IFS(C2&gt;=10000,C2*0.1,C2&gt;=5000,C2*0.05,TRUE,0)<\/code> gives 0 for row 2, 1200 for row 4 and 300 for row 5. IFS needs Excel 2019 or later, or Google Sheets; on older Excel, ask the AI for a nested IF version instead.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Clean_messy_names\"><\/span>8. Clean messy names<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Prompt:<\/strong> &#8220;The names in column E have extra spaces and mixed capitals. Clean them up.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Formula:<\/strong> <code>=PROPER(TRIM(E2))<\/code> turns &#8221;  maria   lopez &#8221; into &#8220;Maria Lopez&#8221;. TRIM removes extra spaces and PROPER capitalises each word.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_Pull_out_the_first_name\"><\/span>9. Pull out the first name<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Prompt:<\/strong> &#8220;Get the first name from the full name in E3.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Formula:<\/strong> <code>=LEFT(TRIM(E3),FIND(\" \",TRIM(E3))-1)<\/code> returns JOHN. It works in every version of Excel and in Google Sheets. Wrap it in PROPER() if you want &#8220;John&#8221;.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_Look_up_a_value_and_hide_NA_errors\"><\/span>10. Look up a value and hide #N\/A errors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Prompt:<\/strong> &#8220;Look up the sales for a region, and show Not found instead of an error.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Formula:<\/strong> <code>=IFERROR(VLOOKUP(\"South\",B:C,2,FALSE),\"Not found\")<\/code> returns Not found, because there is no South row. In Excel 2021, 2024, Microsoft 365 or Google Sheets, AI tools usually suggest the newer XLOOKUP instead, for example <code>=XLOOKUP(\"South\",B:B,C:C,\"Not found\")<\/code>, which has a built-in &#8220;not found&#8221; value.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Copy_this_prompt_template\"><\/span>Copy this prompt template<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Vague prompts are the main reason AI formulas fail. Fill in this template and you&#8217;ll get a usable formula far more often:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>I use [Excel 365 \/ Excel 2016 \/ Google Sheets]. My data is on a sheet called [name], with headers in row 1 and data in rows 2 to [last row]. Column A is [what], column B is [what], column C is [what]. In cell [cell], I want [the exact result, with an example of the right answer for one row]. Give me one formula, explain it in one line, and tell me if it needs a newer version of Excel.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Want more ready-made prompts for other jobs? See our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/10\/best-chatgpt-prompts\/\">30 best ChatGPT prompts<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_use_AI_to_fix_formula_errors\"><\/span>How to use AI to fix formula errors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>All three tools are good at explaining errors. Paste the formula and the error, and say what you expected. The usual causes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>#NAME?<\/strong> A function name is misspelt, or your version of Excel doesn&#8217;t have it (XLOOKUP, IFS, FILTER and UNIQUE are missing in older versions).<\/li>\n<li><strong>#N\/A<\/strong> A lookup didn&#8217;t find a match, often because of extra spaces or numbers stored as text. TRIM or VALUE usually fixes it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>#VALUE!<\/strong> The formula is doing maths on text, such as a date typed as text.<\/li>\n<li><strong>#DIV\/0!<\/strong> Dividing by an empty or zero cell. Ask the AI to wrap the formula in IFERROR.<\/li>\n<li><strong>#SPILL!<\/strong> A formula that returns several results (FILTER, UNIQUE) is blocked by cells that aren&#8217;t empty. Clear the cells below it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wrong answer, no error.<\/strong> The most dangerous case. Usually the range is wrong (C2:C50 when data runs to row 80), so ask the AI to use whole columns or a table.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_one_should_you_use\"><\/span>Which one should you use?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>You just need a formula now:<\/strong> ChatGPT in a chat window. Free, works with any spreadsheet.<\/li>\n<li><strong>You work in Excel and pay for Microsoft 365:<\/strong> try Copilot first, since you already have it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>You live in Google Sheets and have a Gemini plan:<\/strong> Ask Gemini, then fall back to the ChatGPT add-in if you prefer its answers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>You want AI to build or tidy a whole workbook:<\/strong> the ChatGPT add-in, Copilot or Gemini, because they can read and edit the sheet.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you are building a sheet that pulls live data, such as share prices, our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2022\/12\/track-stock-watchlist-portfolio-in-google-sheets\/\">tracking a stock portfolio in Google Sheets<\/a> shows the GOOGLEFINANCE formulas step by step, and an AI assistant can help you adapt them.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Safety_tips_before_you_paste_data_into_AI\"><\/span>Safety tips before you paste data into AI<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Don&#8217;t paste salaries, bank details, customer lists or anything confidential into a chat. Describe the columns instead and use made-up sample rows.<\/li>\n<li>Work on a copy of an important workbook when an add-in is allowed to edit it.<\/li>\n<li>Check every AI formula against a few rows you can work out by hand. AI tools can return formulas that look right and calculate the wrong thing.<\/li>\n<li>At work, check your company&#8217;s rules on which AI tools you may use with company files.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_ChatGPT_for_Excel_free\"><\/span>Is ChatGPT for Excel free?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Asking ChatGPT for formulas in the chat window is free. The ChatGPT add-in for Excel and Google Sheets is also open to free accounts since May 2026, but with lower usage limits than paid plans.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_ChatGPT_read_my_Excel_file\"><\/span>Can ChatGPT read my Excel file?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes. You can upload a file in a ChatGPT chat, or use the ChatGPT add-in, which works inside the open workbook. In a plain chat with no file, it only knows what you describe.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_ChatGPT_or_Copilot_better_for_Excel\"><\/span>Is ChatGPT or Copilot better for Excel?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Both write the common formulas well. Copilot is the easier choice if you already pay for Microsoft 365, because it&#8217;s built in. ChatGPT works with any spreadsheet and has a free option, and its add-in also works in Google Sheets.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_ChatGPT_write_Excel_macros_and_VBA\"><\/span>Can ChatGPT write Excel macros and VBA?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In the chat window, ChatGPT can write VBA code you paste into the Visual Basic editor. Test it on a copy of your file first. OpenAI&#8217;s add-in doesn&#8217;t fully support macros and VBA yet.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_does_the_formula_from_ChatGPT_show_NAME\"><\/span>Why does the formula from ChatGPT show #NAME?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Usually the formula uses a function your version doesn&#8217;t have, such as XLOOKUP or IFS in Excel 2016. Tell the AI your exact version and ask for a formula that works in it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to use ChatGPT for Excel formulas, compared with Copilot in Excel and Gemini in Google Sheets, with 10 tested formula examples and a prompt template.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":68820,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[197],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ai"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68824"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68824\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69410,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68824\/revisions\/69410"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}