Lesson 4 of 8 · Automate Spreadsheets with AI Formulas
In this lesson. Paste the error and the formula, not the whole workbook.
What you will learn
- Minimal repro
- Error text in the prompt
- Accepting fixes you understand
Walkthrough
You will practice debugging with a minimal repro: formula, sample values, error text. The model is a second pair of eyes. You still decide whether to take the fix. This lesson builds a debug prompt you can reuse.
Work through the ideas in order. After each point, pause and connect it to a task you already do — a document, a workflow, or a feature you own. The goal of Automate Spreadsheets with AI Formulas is usable skill, not a pile of notes.
If something is unclear, rewrite it in your own words before you continue. Teaching the step back to yourself is the fastest way to see gaps.
Practice
Take one real spreadsheet error and get a fix you can explain without the chat open.
Keep the first attempt small. A finished example you can reuse beats a perfect plan you never run.
Check your understanding
- Can you explain the goal of this lesson in one sentence to a teammate?
- Where would you apply “Minimal repro” in your own work this week?
- What would you change on a second pass of the practice?
Next. Continue to the following lesson when the practice has a real artifact, even a rough one.