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Debug a Formula That Returns the Wrong Result
Prompt
App and version: {{SPREADSHEET_APP}}
The formula, exactly as typed: {{BROKEN_FORMULA}}
What I expected vs what I get (include the error code if any): {{EXPECTED_VS_ACTUAL}}
Relevant headers and sample rows: {{SHEET_STRUCTURE}}
Work through it in this order:
1. Restate in plain English what the formula currently does, step by step, so I can see if it matches my intent.
2. List the likely causes ranked by probability: text-formatted numbers, trailing spaces, wrong match mode, absolute versus relative references, ranges that stop short, hidden rows, regional list separators, volatile or circular references.
3. For each cause, give a one-cell check I can run to confirm or rule it out.
4. Only after the checks, give a corrected formula and say which cause it fixes.
If you cannot tell from what I gave, say so and name the one extra piece of information you need. Do not claim a cause is certain unless my sample proves it.
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About this prompt
“Debug a Formula That Returns the Wrong Result” is a free prompt for ChatGPT in the Productivity category, 174 words long, added to The Prompt Index on October 28, 2026 by The Prompt Index. Copy it with the button above, paste it into ChatGPT or any other AI chat assistant, and send it.
It has 4 placeholders to fill in first:
{{SPREADSHEET_APP}}, {{BROKEN_FORMULA}}, {{EXPECTED_VS_ACTUAL}}, {{SHEET_STRUCTURE}}.
Use the “Customize this prompt” fields to personalise it before you copy.
Recommended models: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini.
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