{"id":214709,"date":"2026-10-10T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-10T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theunitysoft.com\/?p=214709"},"modified":"2026-10-04T00:10:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T23:10:04","slug":"ai-for-excel-wyswietla-komunikat-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theunitysoft.com\/pl\/blog\/ai-for-excel-prompts-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"AI dla programu Excel: 12 polece\u0144, kt\u00f3re dzia\u0142aj\u0105 z ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini lub Copilotem (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Of all the ways AI can help at work, Excel is where it saves the most time. Formulas you would have spent twenty minutes searching for, messy data that needs cleaning, a monthly summary nobody wants to write: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot handle all of it in seconds \u2013 if you ask the right way.<\/p>\n

This guide gives you 12 prompts you can copy, adapt and use today. They work with any of the big assistants and with every current version of Excel, from 2019 to Microsoft 365.<\/p>\n

\n

The four rules for good Excel prompts<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Describe your data:<\/strong> sheet names, column letters, headers and a few example rows.<\/li>\n
  2. Name your Excel version:<\/strong> otherwise the AI may suggest functions you do not have.<\/li>\n
  3. Say what the result should look like:<\/strong> one formula, a new column, a chart, a short text.<\/li>\n
  4. Test on a copy, and never paste personal data<\/strong> into a free or personal AI account.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

    Know your Excel version first<\/h2>\n

    The most common reason an AI-written formula fails is simple: it uses a function your Excel does not have. Check your version under File \u2192 Account<\/strong>, then mention it in every prompt.<\/p>\n

    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Feature<\/th>\nExcel 2019<\/th>\nExcel 2021<\/th>\nExcel 2024<\/th>\nMicrosoft 365<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    TEXTJOIN, IFS, SWITCH, MAXIFS<\/td>\n\u2713<\/td>\n\u2713<\/td>\n\u2713<\/td>\n\u2713<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    XLOOKUP, LET<\/td>\n\u2013<\/td>\n\u2713<\/td>\n\u2713<\/td>\n\u2713<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Dynamic arrays: FILTER, SORT, UNIQUE, SEQUENCE<\/td>\n\u2013<\/td>\n\u2713<\/td>\n\u2713<\/td>\n\u2713<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    TEXTSPLIT, VSTACK, HSTACK, TAKE, DROP and other new text and array functions<\/td>\n\u2013<\/td>\n\u2013<\/td>\n\u2713<\/td>\n\u2713<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    IMAGE function, dynamic charts<\/td>\n\u2013<\/td>\n\u2013<\/td>\n\u2713<\/td>\n\u2713<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Copilot and Python in Excel<\/td>\n\u2013<\/td>\n\u2013<\/td>\n\u2013<\/td>\n\u2713 (with the right plan)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

    Excel 2024 is the most capable one-time-purchase version and covers every function used in this guide. Microsoft 365 adds Copilot, Python in Excel and the very newest functions as Microsoft releases them.<\/p>\n

    The 12 prompts<\/h2>\n

    Replace the parts in square brackets with your own details. The more specific you are, the better the answer.<\/p>\n

    1. Write a lookup formula<\/h3>\n
    \u201cI use Excel [2024]. Sheet Orders has product codes in column A. Sheet Products has codes in column A and prices in column C. Write a formula for Orders!B2 that returns the price, or \u2018Not found\u2019 if the code is missing.\u201d<\/div>\n

    Typical answer: =XLOOKUP(A2, Products!A:A, Products!C:C, \"Not found\")<\/code>. In Excel 2019, the AI should switch to =IFERROR(INDEX(Products!C:C, MATCH(A2, Products!A:A, 0)), \"Not found\")<\/code> \u2013 which is exactly why naming your version matters.<\/p>\n

    2. Explain a formula you inherited<\/h3>\n
    \u201cExplain this Excel formula step by step in plain English, then tell me if it could break: [paste formula].\u201d<\/div>\n

    Ideal for spreadsheets built by a former colleague. Ask a follow-up such as \u201cHow would you simplify it?\u201d and you often get a cleaner version.<\/p>\n

    3. Fix an error<\/h3>\n
    \u201cThis formula returns #N\/A for some rows: [formula]. Column A contains [describe values]. What are the likely causes and how do I fix them?\u201d<\/div>\n

    Common culprits the AI will point out: numbers stored as text, extra spaces and lookups that are not set to an exact match.<\/p>\n

    4. Clean messy text<\/h3>\n
    \u201cColumn A has customer names with extra spaces and random capitals, such as \u2018 jOHN smith \u2019. Give me a formula for column B that tidies them to \u2018John Smith\u2019.\u201d<\/div>\n

    Expected result: =PROPER(TRIM(A2))<\/code>, which works in every version.<\/p>\n

    5. Split one column into several<\/h3>\n
    \u201cI use Excel [version]. Column A contains full names like \u2018Sarah Jane Collins\u2019. Split them into first name and surname in columns B and C.\u201d<\/div>\n

    In Excel 2024, =TEXTSPLIT(A2, \" \")<\/code> splits in one go. In older versions the AI will combine LEFT, MID and FIND \u2013 or suggest Data \u2192 Text to Columns<\/strong>, which is often quicker for a one-off job.<\/p>\n

    6. Turn text into real dates<\/h3>\n
    \u201cColumn A contains dates exported as text in UK format, for example \u201803\/10\/2026\u2019 for 3 October 2026. Convert them into real Excel dates in column B.\u201d<\/div>\n

    A classic UK pitfall: Excel or the AI may read the text as US format and turn 3 October into 10 March. Always say \u201cUK format, day first\u201d. A safe formula for fixed-width text is =DATE(RIGHT(A2,4), MID(A2,4,2), LEFT(A2,2))<\/code>.<\/p>\n

    7. Summarise by month and region<\/h3>\n
    \u201cSheet Sales has dates in column B, regions in column C and amounts in column D. I want a summary table with months across the top and regions down the side. Give me the SUMIFS formula and, alternatively, the steps for a PivotTable.\u201d<\/div>\n

    Asking for both options is a good habit: formulas update automatically, while a PivotTable is faster to build and easier to change.<\/p>\n

    8. Find and highlight duplicates<\/h3>\n
    \u201cGive me a conditional formatting rule that highlights duplicate invoice numbers in A2:A500, and a formula that counts how many duplicates there are.\u201d<\/div>\n

    The rule will look like =COUNTIF($A$2:$A$500, A2)>1<\/code>. The AI can also explain where to enter it: Home \u2192 Conditional Formatting \u2192 New Rule \u2192 Use a formula<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    9. Build a live top-10 list<\/h3>\n
    \u201cI use Excel [2024]. A2:A500 has product names, B2:B500 has sales. Create a top-10 list that updates automatically, sorted by sales.\u201d<\/div>\n

    In Excel 2024 the answer can be as short as =TAKE(SORT(A2:B500, 2, -1), 10)<\/code>. In Excel 2019 you will get a LARGE and INDEX\/MATCH construction that does the same job with more steps.<\/p>\n

    10. Choose the right chart<\/h3>\n
    \u201cI have monthly revenue for three product lines over two years. Which chart shows the trend best for a management meeting? Give me the steps to create it and three tips to make it easier to read.\u201d<\/div>\n

    Good assistants also tell you what to leave out \u2013 3D effects, too many colours, unnecessary gridlines.<\/p>\n

    11. Automate a repetitive task with a macro<\/h3>\n
    \u201cWrite a VBA macro for Excel [version] that copies every row with \u2018Paid\u2019 in column F from sheet Invoices to sheet Archive, then deletes it from Invoices. Add comments to every step and ask for confirmation before deleting.\u201d<\/div>\n

    Always test macros on a copy of your workbook, save it as .xlsm and only run code you understand. Asking for comments and a confirmation step makes the macro easier to check and safer to use.<\/p>\n

    12. Turn the numbers into a summary<\/h3>\n
    \u201cHere are this month\u2019s figures: [paste the summary table without personal data]. Write a five-sentence update for my manager: what went up, what went down, and one thing we should look at.\u201d<\/div>\n

    This is where ChatGPT and Claude shine. Check every number in the text against your spreadsheet before you send it \u2013 AI still makes occasional mistakes with figures.<\/p>\n

    Keep your data safe<\/h2>\n