Library › Finance AI › Accountants

Nudge approvers about invoices stuck before a payment run

  • For Accountants
  • You practice Keeping the AI to your sources
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Beginner

About this exercise

Bea in AP wants a Slack post nudging approvers before Thursday's payment run. Write a prompt for a plain-text message with first line exactly "Invoices waiting on your approval (payment run Thursday):", then one line per invoice still waiting, oldest first, formatted "@Name - Vendor $amount - N days", and a last line with the Wednesday 5pm cutoff. Leave out anything already approved. Under 80 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Including the approved invoice. The AI lists everything in the report and misses the note that Sam already approved. Try: Say: "Leave out anything the notes say is already approved."
  • Report order instead of oldest first. The AI keeps the report's order, so the most overdue item isn't on top. Try: Ask: "Oldest first by days waiting."
  • No fixed line shape. The AI writes sentences per approver, hard to scan in Slack. Try: Show the line: "@Name - Vendor $amount - N days".
  • Missing the cutoff. The AI says 'please approve soon' instead of the real deadline. Try: Add: "Last line: approve by Wed 5pm or it rolls to next week."
  • Slack-unfriendly formatting. The AI adds bold, headers and emoji, and runs long. Try: Say: "Plain text, under 60 words, first line exactly ..."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Gives the first line
  • Drops approved items
  • Sets the order
  • Shows the line format
  • Adds the cutoff

Practice this now ↑

Related exercises