I Built an AI Fixer for Your Excel Errors

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VIDEO WALKTHROUGH (2 MINUTES)

We All Screw Up

I hate running into errors when I’m coding or writing formulas in a spreadsheet.

Problem is, it’s inevitable.

No matter how good we are at this stuff, we’re going to make a dumb mistake here and there or be completely blindsided by a formula we expected to behave one way only to have it wreak havoc in our workbook.

I’ve been writing custom GPTs to handle things like this in my daily work…

Custom GPTs, You Say?

Don’t be scared. AI can be your friend too.

A Custom GPT is simply a set of instructions that I’ve very specifically crafted to help troubleshoot errors, explain formulas, and offer suggestions for better ways of writing functions.

It’s like Googling for something, but without having to come up with the right question to ask.

And skipping all the advertisement-riddled pages.

And tailor-made for exactly what we need: answers to spreadsheet questions.

How it Works

You’ve got an error. Dangit.

Head over to the Excel Virtual Assistant. I’ve got 3 common prompts to start - click, “I’m getting an error from this formula.” (You don’t necessarily have to do this; you can simply paste in your formula to start. But it can be helpful if you give some up front context…)

Paste in your formula and let it know whether you’re using Google Sheets or Excel (usually it doesn’t even need to know that).

Here’s an example formula that throws a #VALUE! error:

=IF(ISBLANK(A3),"",QUERY(Transactions,"SELECT A,B,C,D,E WHERE LOWER(B) CONTAINS A3 OR LOWER(D) CONTAINS A3"))

The Excel Virtual Assistant will let us know what the issue is:

Then it’ll propose the fixed formula as well as some final explanations:

The Excel Virtual Assistant is FREE to Use

Yes, you can use it for free. You don’t have to have a paid chatGPT plan to use this, although you will hit usage limits per normal.

Head over here to check it out and let me know what you think. Check out the Excel Virtual Assistant now.

NEXT STEPS

Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help:

1. Consulting (limited availability)
   Grab a slot on my calendar for help with a spreadsheet OR newsletter project.

2. Business tech stack (FREE)
   My recommendations for software and tools I use to create content and run my online business.

3. Sponsor Got Sheet
   Got Sheet teaches business operators, teachers and entrepreneurs how to get good at spreadsheets. Interested in sponsoring an issue or a series of Got Sheet newsletters? Reach out to get more information.

4. Personal budget tool
   As a Got Sheet subscriber, I want you to have a 50% discount on the personal finance system I update every year.

5. YouTube

   If you aren’t subscribed yet, come on over to my YouTube channel where I make all my spreadsheet, coding and productivity tutorials

HAPPY SPREADSHEETING!

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Cheers, Eamonn
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