Get any spreadsheet formula in one prompt with Crade
VLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, pivot tables, conditional formatting. Crade reads your spreadsheet on screen and gives you the exact formula, no Stack Overflow detour.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Qty | Rate | Total |
| 2 | Laptop Pro M4 | 2 | $1499 | $2,998 |
| 3 | USB-C Hub | 5 | $49 | $245 |
| 4 | Monitor 27" | 3 | $399 | $1,197 |
| 5 | Mech Keyboard | 4 | $129 | $516 |
| 6 | Wireless Mouse | 8 | $59 | $472 |
| 7 | Webcam HD | 3 | $89 | $267 |
| 8 | Subtotal | $5,695 |
Give me a formula for D2 that looks up the rate for the Item in column A from the Rates tab.
Use XLOOKUP (modern, cleanest): =XLOOKUP(A2, Rates!A:A, Rates!B:B, 0) If your sheet does not have XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH works: =INDEX(Rates!B:B, MATCH(A2, Rates!A:A, 0)) Both return 0 if not found instead of #N/A. Drag the formula down column D — relative references update for each row.
Spreadsheet formulas are the second-most Googled thing in office work, right after "how to delete a row". The pain is that every answer assumes a different setup: A:A versus A2:A100, with header versus without, Sheets versus Excel syntax. Crade reads your specific spreadsheet on screen and gives you the formula that fits your actual sheet.
What you put on your screen
- Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers open at the relevant tab
- The data you are working with visible, including headers
- The cell where you want the formula selected (so Crade knows the target)
What you say to Crade
Or shorter: "How do I VLOOKUP this?". Crade reads the sheet structure and writes the formula matched to your column letters and row numbers.
Step-by-step
Open the spreadsheet to the relevant tab
Make sure the data and headers are visible. If your formula needs to reference another sheet (a Rates lookup, for example), the names should be the same as visible.
Click the Crade icon
Expand Crade. It floats above Excel or Sheets.
Describe what you want
"Sum column B where column A is the current month", "Average of D where C is greater than 100", "Pivot this by region". Plain English.
Get the formula
Crade gives you the exact formula matched to your column letters. "=SUMIFS(B:B, A:A, MONTH(TODAY()))" or whatever fits.
Paste into the cell
Copy the formula from Crade, paste into the target cell. If it does not work first try, paste the error back to Crade and ask why.
Ask for variants
"What if I want to also filter by year?", "Make it work in Google Sheets instead of Excel". Crade adjusts in the same chat.
What you get back
A formula with the right syntax for your tool (Excel uses semicolons in some locales, Sheets uses commas; Crade handles both). Plus a short explanation of what each part does, so you can adjust it yourself next time.
Beyond formulas
- Pivot tables: "How do I set up a pivot to show revenue by month by region?"
- Conditional formatting: "Highlight rows where column D is over budget"
- Data validation: "Set up a dropdown for column B with these options"
- Chart formatting: "Make this chart look like our brand colours"
The pattern is the same: have the sheet visible, describe what you want, follow Crade's exact instructions for your tool and version.
Tips for accuracy
- Mention which tool you are in. "In Google Sheets" or "In Excel" matters because syntax differs.
- Mention your locale if formulas come back wrong (some EU locales use ; instead of , in formulas).
- For VLOOKUP/INDEX-MATCH, scroll to show both the source and lookup tables on screen so Crade gets the column structure right.
- If the formula fails when you paste it, paste the error message back. Crade often spots the issue in one round.
The whole loop in one sentence
Spreadsheet on screen, one plain question, the right formula for your specific setup back. From Stack Overflow detour to working cell in twenty seconds.
Pivot tables are powerful but unintuitive. Crade reads your raw data on screen and tells you exactly which fields to drag where, in plain language, for Excel or Sheets.
Crade reads your two tables on screen and gives you the exact lookup formula that fits your specific column layout. No more cargo-culting from old Stack Overflow answers.