Which formula should I use?
- Write or generate text:
=GEN,=WRITE - Summarize or rewrite:
=SUMMARIZE,=REPHRASE - Analyze a table:
=ANALYZE - Translate:
=TRANSLATE - Classify text:
=SENTIMENT,=SPAM,=TAGS - Images:
=VISION,=IMAGEN,=EDIT - PDFs:
=PDF - Audio:
=TRANSCRIBE - Up to date answers:
=AISEARCH
Text formulas
=GEN(prompt, [context], [list_mode])
Use =GEN for general purpose prompts. The optional context can be a cell, range, or a value you want the AI to reference.
Set list_mode to 1 to return one item per row.
=GEN("Write 3 subject lines for this email", A2)=GEN("List 5 blog title ideas about sales reporting",,1)=WRITE(topic, [content_type])
Use =WRITE when you want a longer draft. content_type can be things like blog post, SEO article, or email.
=WRITE("Remote work best practices", "SEO article")=ANALYZE(range)
Use =ANALYZE to get insights from a table range.
=ANALYZE(A1:D20)=SUMMARIZE(text)
Use =SUMMARIZE to turn long notes into a short summary.
=SUMMARIZE(A2)=REPHRASE(text)
Use =REPHRASE to rewrite a sentence in a clearer way.
=REPHRASE(A2)=TRANSLATE(text, target_language)
Use =TRANSLATE for quick translations using natural language names (for example, French, Japanese).
=TRANSLATE(A2, "French")=TAGS(text)
Use =TAGS to get comma separated tags.
=TAGS(A2)=SENTIMENT(text)
Use =SENTIMENT to classify a sentence as positive, neutral, or negative.
=SENTIMENT(A2)=SPAM(text)
Use =SPAM to classify content as spam or non-spam.
=SPAM(A2)Files (images, PDFs, and audio)
For file URLs, you can use public links or generate URLs with Upload/Download Files. If a Drive link fails, see Make Drive images accessible.
=VISION(prompt, image_url) or =VISION(image_url)
Use =VISION to describe an image or extract details from it.
=VISION("Describe this image", A2)=PDF(prompt, pdf_url) or =PDF(pdf_url)
Use =PDF to summarize a PDF or extract specific fields (for example, invoice numbers).
=PDF("Extract invoice number", A2)=TRANSCRIBE(prompt, audio_url) or =TRANSCRIBE(audio_url)
Use =TRANSCRIBE to transcribe audio files like MP3, WAV, or M4A.
=TRANSCRIBE("Transcribe and return only the transcript.", A2)Images (generation and edits)
=IMAGEN and =EDIT return an image URL. Preview it with Google Sheets =IMAGE.
=IMAGEN(prompt, [aspect_ratio], [reference_image_url])
=IMAGEN("A futuristic city skyline at sunset", "16:9")=IMAGE(IMAGEN("A portrait photo with soft studio lighting", "9:16"))
Supported aspect ratios: 1:1, 3:2, 2:3, 3:4, 4:3, 4:5, 5:4, 9:16, 16:9, 21:9.
=EDIT(prompt, image_url1, [image_url2], [image_url3], [aspect_ratio])
=EDIT("Remove background", A2)=EDIT("Change sky to sunset", A2, "", "", "16:9")Web search
=AISEARCH(query)
Use =AISEARCH when you need an answer based on current information from the web.
=AISEARCH("Summarize the current economic outlook for 2025")Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my formula show #NAME? or Unknown function?
This usually means the add-on is not installed, not authorized, or blocked by an admin. Start with Getting started and Common setup issues.
How do I stop formulas from re-running?
Use Save formula output to convert AI formulas into static values.
Do custom instructions affect these formulas?
Yes. You can set a global instruction and a sheet-specific instruction. See Custom instruction and cache.