Clean and merge two spreadsheets
Goal. Two messy lists become one clean list without duplicates.
Open. Cowork, paid plan; attach both files.
Attached are two spreadsheets of [customers / products / records]. Merge them into one clean Excel file. Match records on [email / ID / name+phone]. Standardize: names (Title Case), phones ([format]), dates ([format]), trim spaces, fix obvious typos in [column]. For duplicates, keep the most recent and put the other in a sheet called "Merged duplicates". Put rows you could not match confidently in a sheet called "Check". Give me the file plus a short report: rows in, rows out, duplicates found, what you changed.
What you get · Watch out
What you get. One Excel file with Clean, Merged duplicates and Check sheets, and a report.
Watch out. Say what counts as the same record; email is safest. Look at the Check sheet; that is where the mistakes hide. If stuck: Chapters 2.1, 2.6.
More prompts like this
See all →Turn messy notes into a clean document
Goal. My scribbles from a meeting or a voice memo become a tidy document I can send.
Open. Chat, any plan; type / and choose Doc for an editable document.
Here are my raw notes: [paste]. Turn them into a clean document titled [title] for [who will read it]. Keep every fact and decision; remove repetition; fix grammar; do not add anything that is not in the notes. Structure: a 3-line summary, then sections [Decisions / Actions with owner and date / Open questions / Notes]. Flag anything unclear with [?] so I can fill it in.
What you get · Watch out
What you get. A document with the sections above and [?] marks where you need to check.
Watch out. Say "do not add anything", or Claude fills gaps with plausible guesses. Read the [?] marks before sending. If stuck: Chapters 1.8, 4.7.
Tidy a folder of 100 files
Goal. A messy folder becomes organized without me touching each file.
Open. Desktop app, Cowork, paid plan; connect a copy of the folder; Manual mode first.
Organize this folder. First list what is in it (types, rough count, anything that looks like a duplicate). Then propose a structure: [by type / by year / by client] with these top folders: [names]. Rename files to [YYYY-MM-DD-topic] where the date is obvious; otherwise keep the name. Do not delete anything; put suspected duplicates in a folder called _check. Show me the plan before moving anything, then do it and give me a before/after list.
What you get · Watch out
What you get. A plan to approve, then the folder reorganized and a list of what moved.
Watch out. Work on a copy the first time. Keep "do not delete" in the brief. If stuck: Chapters 2.2, 2.10.
Translate a document and keep the tone
Goal. The same message in another language, sounding natural, not machine-made.
Open. Chat, any plan; attach or paste.
Translate this into [language] for [who will read it, where]. Keep the tone: [polite and formal / warm and casual]. Keep names, product names and numbers exactly. Where a phrase has no direct equivalent, choose what a native speaker would actually say and add a note in brackets. Give me the translation, then a short list of anything that might land differently in that culture.
What you get · Watch out
What you get. The translation, bracketed notes where needed, and cultural flags.
Watch out. Say who reads it and how formal; the same sentence has several correct translations. For contracts or legal text, have a professional check. If stuck: Chapter 4.1.