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Data Cleansing

Tidy incoming travel expense lines in Expenses Incoming so every receipt matches a trip and date: trim extra spaces, c…

2heights
2tasks
1roles do it
See the prompt↓More track workflows

The same job, four prompts

do it · improve it · decide · become
AExecute — “help me do it”Tidy incoming travel expense lines in Expenses Incoming so every receipt matches a trip and…+
Tidy incoming travel expense lines in Expenses Incoming so every receipt matches a trip and date: trim extra spaces, convert amount text to numbers, and standardize the Date column to YYYY-MM-DD before I send to finance.
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.
BImprove — “do it better”Make the expense sheet easier for the finance analyst to accept: flag lines where receipt date…+
Make the expense sheet easier for the finance analyst to accept: flag lines where receipt date falls outside trip dates, show unmatched receipt numbers in a filter view, normalize vendor names, and add a column that calls out missing receipts so I can fix them first.
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid
The tool
Data Validation

Data Validation in Excel controls what users can enter into a cell, preventing data entry mistakes and ensuring data accuracy.

  1. 1

    Select the cell or cells where you want to apply data validation.

    Best practiceTo ensure data validity, select the column(s) used for data entry.

  2. 2

    Go to the Data tab on the Ribbon.

  3. 3

    In the Data Tools group, select Data Validation.

  4. 4

    On the Settings tab, in the Allow box, select a validation criterion (e.g., List, Whole number).

  5. 5

    If you selected List, in the Source box, type your list values separated by commas, or select a range of cells.

    NoteYou can type entries directly or reference a list from another worksheet.

  6. 6

    Optionally, configure Input Message and Error Alert tabs to guide users and manage invalid entries.

  7. 7

    Click OK to apply the data validation rules to the selected cells.

To quickly find all cells with data validation, go to the Home tab, click Find & Select, then choose Data Validation.

Yes, Data Validation can be automated using VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) to apply rules programmatically.

Glossary

words on this page
Data ValidationA feature that restricts the type or values of data users can enter into a cell, ensuring accuracy.ExampleData validation prevents users from entering text into a cell that should only contain numbers.
Input MessageA message that appears when a user selects a cell, providing guidance on what data to enter.ExampleWhen you click a cell, a small box pops up saying, 'Enter a number between 1 and 10'.
Error AlertA message that appears when a user enters invalid data into a cell, explaining the error.ExampleAn error alert pops up, informing you that the date you entered is outside the allowed range.
Data ToolsA group of features on the Data tab for managing and analyzing data within cells.ExampleYou use Data Tools to remove duplicate entries from your customer list.
ReferenceIdentifies a cell or range on a worksheet, allowing formulas to use its data.ExampleThe formula =SUM(A1:A5) uses A1:A5 to include data from those cells.

The real tasks

1 of them
Tidy incoming travel expense lines so every receipt matches the right trip and date before I hand them to finance.

Who does this

1 roles
Executive Assistant

Questions people ask

honest answers

Because you rarely think 'I want the redaction tool'. You think 'I have to share this without leaking the client's details'. Start from the need, and the feature finds you.

Real. Every job here was drawn from what people in real roles were actually seen doing in Excel — not a feature checklist.

No. Each page gives you a ready prompt you can paste into an AI assistant, plus the plain steps to do it yourself. Start with either — the goal is the finished job, not the tool.