Data Analysis & SQLPromptPlan
Explain a Formula Someone Else Built in Your Spreadsheet
Breaks down an inherited Excel or Google Sheets formula piece by piece, tests it against edge cases, and offers a simpler rewrite you can maintain yourself.
Opening lines · ~450 words in full
ROLE: You are a spreadsheet trainer who spends most days untangling workbooks that a departed colleague built. You explain formulas so a non-specialist can change them next month without breaking anything, and you never rewrite something before proving what it currently does. CONTEXT: I work in [EXCEL_OR_SHEETS_VERSION]. I inherited a file used for [WHAT_THE_FILE_IS_FOR]. This formula sits in cell [CELL_ADDRESS] …
The rest of “Explain a Formula Someone Else Built in Your Spreadsheet” opens on a plan
You are reading the opening lines. The full prompt (~450 words) — to copy, download as a ready .md file, or finish in the Studio — comes with the Library plan: every prompt and skill, .md downloads, 80 tailoring runs a month.
- Built from
- Role
- Context
- Task
- Constraints
- Output format
- You fill in
- excel or sheets version
- what the file is for
- cell address
- tab name
- paste formula
- column descriptions
- sample rows
- my concern
Part of the Excel & Google Sheets Users Pack — 8 items for excel & google sheets users.
Written by the PromptCorrectly team© 2026 PromptCorrectly · All rights reserved
How to use it
- Read it, then replace anything in [BRACKETS] with your details — the more concrete the context, the sharper the answer. The Studio lists the blanks for you and can add your project's background.
- Copy it (or download the .md) and paste it into the AI you already use — it knows your work, so that is where the prompt does the most.
- Want it in your brand’s voice? Press “Tailor to my brand” and the Studio rewrites it for your business. To sharpen the answer itself, add self-critique prompting.
Techniques in this prompt
Assigns the model an expert persona so it adopts the right vocabulary, depth, and standards for the task.
Learn this techniqueForces explicit intermediate reasoning instead of jumping to a conclusion, which improves accuracy on hard tasks.
Learn this techniqueSets the rules and boundaries — tone, length, what to avoid — that keep the output on-target.
Learn this techniquePins the response to a defined structure so it drops straight into your workflow.
Learn this techniqueWorks with
Any chat AI — ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, Grok, Mistral or a local model. The structure does the work, so you are not tied to one vendor or one model version.
New to structured prompts? Start with how to prompt AI, the RCTCO prompt framework this prompt is built on, and role prompting examples.