Library › Writing AI › Finance and accounting

Return an expense report with only the lines that need fixing

Practice: Keeping the AI to your sources. About 5 minutes.

About this exercise

You're sending an expense report back to a sales rep. List only the lines that actually break policy, as at most 2 bullets in the form "- Line N (item): what to fix", after a one-sentence opener, under 60 words, plain text. Check each line against the full policy, including its exceptions, and don't list lines that are fine. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Not setting a size. The AI reviews every line, including the fine ones, under headings. Try: Be exact: "One opening sentence, then at most 2 bullets, only for lines that break policy."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 60 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part instead: "each bullet under 14 words."
  • Checking only part of the policy. The AI misses the itemized folio rule or treats all alcohol the same. Try: Add: "Check every line against every rule, including exceptions."
  • Flagging a compliant line. $114 looks over the $75 meal cap, so the AI flags the client dinner. Try: Add: "Client meals use the $40-per-person limit."
  • Vague fixes. "Please review line 5" doesn't say what to do. Try: Show the shape: "- Line 5 (hotel bar): remove the $24 charge."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Lists only problem lines
  • Mentions the exceptions
  • Shows the bullet shape
  • Limits the bullets
  • Sets a word limit

Practice this now ↑

Related exercises