This prompt helps you ask better questions about data without blindly trusting AI to certify the numbers.
This prompt uses GCSE
Giraffes Can See Everything is a simple way to remember what to give AI before you ask it to help.
- Goal: what you want AI to help you do.
- Context: the role, audience, situation, and tone.
- Source: the notes, thread, document, data, or approved material AI should use.
- Expectations: the format, length, limits, and anything AI should avoid.
AI Fit
All AI, with caution. This prompt can work in general AI assistants if you paste a small, approved table or summary. It works best in Microsoft 365 Copilot for Excel or another approved tool that can safely access the spreadsheet.
Where To Use It
Use this in Excel with Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Chat, ChatGPT, or another approved workplace AI assistant. For sensitive data, use approved tools only and consider using a sample, summary, or anonymized data.
Access Or Licensing Notes
Basic use: any approved AI assistant with a small pasted table or summary. Best use: Microsoft 365 Copilot in Excel with access to the workbook. Features depend on licensing, file location, workbook structure, and organization policy.
When To Use It
Use this when you have spreadsheet data and need help understanding trends, outliers, questions, or possible next steps.
Works With
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Copilot Chat
ChatGPT
Most workplace AI assistants
Copy-And-Paste Prompt
Use the GCSE framework to analyze this spreadsheet data and explain important patterns. GCSE means Goal, Context, Source, and Expectations.
Goal: Help me understand the most important patterns, changes, outliers, and questions in this data.
Context: Act as my careful data analysis assistant. [what the data represents, time period, audience, and decision or task this supports]
Source: [paste an approved table, describe the workbook, or reference the approved spreadsheet]
Expectations:
- Summarize the top patterns in plain English.
- Identify outliers or unusual changes.
- Suggest possible reasons, but label them as possibilities, not facts.
- List follow-up questions I should investigate.
- Suggest one or two useful charts if appropriate.
- Do not invent data or claim certainty beyond the source.Make It Yours
Before you run the prompt, fill in the GCSE fields:
Goal: Say whether you need a quick explanation, a management summary, questions to investigate, or chart ideas.
Context: Give AI a useful role, such as "act as my careful data analysis assistant," then explain what the data measures and why it matters.
Source: Provide only approved data, a safe excerpt, or a description of the workbook.
Expectations: Tell AI how cautious, detailed, or executive-ready the answer should be.
After AI responds, verify calculations and conclusions. Use AI to find patterns and questions, not to blindly certify the numbers.
Security Reminder
Spreadsheet data may contain customer, employee, financial, health, operational, or regulated information. Use only approved tools and remove sensitive details when needed.