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Effective Prompting

Clear prompts help Claude produce precise Excel operations with fewer iterations. Use the following techniques to guide the model.

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Provide Context Up Front

  • Reference the worksheet and range you want to work with. Example: “On Sales Q4, summarise B2:E200.”
  • Mention any attachments and what to do with them: “Use the attached contract PDF to validate totals.”
  • If the workbook has multiple tables, describe the relevant columns.

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Be Explicit About Outputs

  • Specify the desired result: “Create a new sheet named Summary with columns Region, Total Revenue, Growth%.”
  • Indicate whether you expect a formula, value write, or format change.
  • For charts, state the chart type and data orientation.

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Encourage Tool Planning

  • Ask Claude to outline its plan: “List the steps you’ll take and the tools you’ll call before executing.”
  • This yields a preview of planned operations so you can approve or adjust before tools run.

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Use Follow-up Prompts

  • After a tool executes, request verification: “Confirm the totals in C2:C10 match the PDF.”
  • If results are off, explain what should change. Claude adapts quickly when given corrective feedback.

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Sample Prompt

You’re working in the `Pipeline` sheet. Clean up the table in A1:F500 by:
1. Removing rows where Status = "Closed Lost".
2. Filling blank Probability cells with the average of the column.
3. Highlighting deals above $250k in green.
Show the steps you’ll take and ask for approval before writing.

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Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  • Ambiguous references – Avoid “this column” or “these rows” without selecting them; Claude relies on precise addresses.
  • Oversized requests – Break large transformations into chunks to stay within token limits and maintain readability.
  • Skipping approvals – Do not auto-approve unfamiliar tools until you trust them in your environment.
Effective prompting is the fastest way to get high-quality results while minimising rework.