Ari prompts

Ari builds a different thing depending on how you ask. The same numbers can become a trend line, a stacked composition, a bridge that explains a change, or a single headline figure — and the right choice depends on the question you’re asking, not on the data. Each table below pairs a plain-language prompt with what Ari should produce. Naming the shape you want is the fastest way to get it. “Show me revenue” is ambiguous; “show me revenue by month as a line” is not. For how to frame the question itself — the decision, the period, the level of detail — see Ask Ari better questions.

Choose the right visual

When your question is	Ask Ari for
How has this moved over time?	A line chart
How do these categories compare?	A bar chart
How much accumulated, and when?	An area chart
What is this total made of, month by month?	A stacked bar or stacked area chart
Is our mix shifting, regardless of size?	A 100% stacked chart
What was the split in one period?	A pie or donut chart
Where do we lose people between stages?	A funnel chart
What explains the change from A to B?	A waterfall chart
How does a total compare against a rate?	A combo chart, with bars and a line
How close are we to a target?	A gauge, or a scorecard with a delta
What are the few numbers I check daily?	A scorecard grid
What if this assumption changed?	A chart with an interactive control
I need the actual numbers in rows and columns	A Table Block, not a chart

Trends over time

Ari prompts	Ari results
”Show me revenue by month as a line.”	A line chart of Revenue across months, on the current Page, resolved in that Page’s Scenario.
”Plot revenue and expenses on the same chart.”	One line chart with two series and a legend, sharing a time axis.
”Show cumulative cash collected this year as an area chart.”	An area chart, where the filled magnitude is the point rather than the month-to-month wiggle.
”Compare this year against last year on one chart.”	Two series on the same time axis so the shapes sit on top of each other.
”Show revenue as bars with gross margin percent as a line.”	A combo chart: revenue bars on one scale, margin percent as a line on its own scale.
”Make that quarterly instead of monthly.”	The chart rebuilt at the coarser period and recalculated, rather than a monthly series visually thinned.

Composition and mix

Ari prompts	Ari results
”Show our revenue mix as stacked bars by customer segment.”	A stacked bar chart splitting Revenue by segment, each segment its own series, stacking to the total.
”Same chart, but show each segment as a share of the total.”	A 100% stacked chart, so mix shift is visible even while the total grows.
”Break operating expense down by department over the last six months.”	A stacked chart with departments as the composition and months as the axis.
”What was our revenue split by region last quarter?”	A pie or donut chart of that one period. A pie shows a single period’s split, so name the period you mean.
”Show the same split as a bar chart instead.”	The categories as bars, which is easier to compare precisely than slices.
”Show only the segments, not the total.”	The composition series alone, with the parent total excluded rather than double-counted.

A pie or donut chart shows one period. If you want composition over time, ask for stacked bars or a stacked area chart instead.

Explaining a change

Ari prompts	Ari results
”Build a waterfall explaining the change in revenue from Q1 to Q2.”	A waterfall: the opening total, the ordered signed changes that moved it, and the closing total, reconciling to the actual difference.
”Bridge our cash from January to June.”	A cash bridge of the increases and decreases between those two points.
”Show what moved gross margin, from best to worst.”	The changes ordered by size so the largest contributor reads first.
”Explain the budget-to-actual gap for operating expense as a waterfall.”	The variance decomposed into ordered contributions that add back to the total gap.

A waterfall bridges two totals with signed changes. It is not a chart of account balances — if you want the levels themselves, ask for bars.

Conversion and stages

Ari prompts	Ari results
”Show our sales funnel from lead to closed won.”	A funnel chart with each stage’s volume and the fall-off between stages.
”Where are we losing the most deals?”	The stage-to-stage conversion, with the weakest step identified.
”Show the funnel for enterprise only.”	The same funnel filtered to that segment.

Headline numbers

Ari prompts	Ari results
”Add a scorecard for current-quarter Revenue against target.”	A card with the headline number and its delta against target.
”Give me a row of our five key numbers with change since last month.”	A scorecard grid: each figure with its own delta, formatted in its own currency and precision.
”Show how close we are to our annual revenue target.”	A gauge, or a headline figure with progress against the target.
”Add a one-line summary above this chart saying what it shows.”	A short written explanation as part of the same visual, not a separate block.

A delta is colored by business meaning, not by sign. A cost coming in under plan reads as good news even though the number is negative.

Interactive visuals

Ari prompts	Ari results
”Put a slider on this so I can try different hiring dates.”	A control wired to that assumption, with the outcome updating as you move it.
”Let me toggle between monthly and quarterly on this chart.”	A control that switches the view, remembered for that Page and Scenario.
”Let me try different growth rates and see the effect on cash.”	An input and a live preview of the result.
”I like this version — save it.”	The change committed. Until you commit, a control changes only your local preview.

A visual reads your Model but cannot write to it. Moving a slider previews an outcome; it does not change a saved assumption. To change the Model itself, ask Ari to update the Variable or formula, or edit the value in a Table Block.

Getting the axis and period right

Ari prompts	Ari results
”Show this weekly.”	The series recalculated weekly. You can ask for daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, half-year, or yearly.
”Drop the time axis and show the total by product.”	A single-snapshot categorical chart with no date axis.
”Only show the last 12 months.”	The window narrowed, with the values recalculated for it.
”Start the axis at zero.”	Explicit axis bounds, overriding the default fit.
”Format the axis in thousands and label it.”	Compact axis formatting and a title, with the underlying values left exact.
”This chart is too short.”	The height adjusted. Charts default to a standard height unless the content calls for more.

Changing an existing visual

Ari prompts	Ari results
”Turn that line chart into stacked bars.”	The same visual and the same underlying data, redrawn in the new shape.
”Narrow that chart to enterprise customers only.”	The existing visual updated in place, rather than a second chart added below it.
”Change the title of this chart.”	The title updated, with the data and code left alone.
”Make this one bar orange.”	A change scoped to the element you selected, not a redesign of the whole visual.
”Move the cash chart above the expense table.”	The block repositioned on the Page.

When a chart is the wrong answer

Ari prompts	Ari results
”I need the actual numbers behind this chart.”	A Table Block with the values in rows and columns, which you can read and edit.
”Let me type next year’s headcount plan in directly.”	A Table Block. Editable assumptions and recorded values belong in a table, not a chart.
”Show this side by side for Main and the Downside Scenario.”	A Table Block with Scenario comparison columns.
”Build a proper P&L with subtotals.”	A Table Block in statement structure, with subtotals that match their meaning.
”Which five vendors grew the most?”	A named analysis table ranked to answer the question, kept as real Model state.

Tables, formulas, and forecasts

Ari prompts	Ari results
”Build an operating expense table by department for the last six months.”	A Table Block with departments as rows and months as columns, reading live Model values.
”Add a column comparing Actuals with Forecast and show the variance.”	A variance column added to the existing Table Block.
”Add a Variable for average contract value.”	A new Variable with its formula, placed where the rest of the Model can reference it.
”Break revenue out by region.”	A Dimension applied to Revenue, so it resolves per region and rolls up to the total.
”Which formula applies to this cell?”	The formula that resolves there, and why that one rather than another.
”Draft the formula and check whether it is valid, but wait before applying it.”	A validated formula and nothing saved, so you can review it first.
”Why is this row blank?”	The reason the value doesn’t resolve — a missing mapping, a formula range, or a Dimension that doesn’t apply — rather than a silent zero.
”Build a 12-month revenue forecast by customer segment and label any assumptions you make.”	The Variables, Dimensions, and formulas behind the forecast, with each assumption named so you can change it.
”Build a headcount plan by department with loaded payroll cost.”	Employee and department tables, compensation, start dates, and planned hires across time.
”Build a P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow statement that tie together.”	A linked set of statements built from Model values and accounting records, with assumptions disclosed.
”Rebuild this spreadsheet in cfo.ai.”	An import that reconstructs the workbook’s logic as Variables and formulas, rather than loading it as source data.

Scenarios, data, and recurring work

Ari prompts	Ari results
”Can we hire three engineers in September? Build a hiring Scenario and show the effect on payroll and cash.”	A Scenario with the hires modeled and the effect on each outcome.
”What’s different between this Scenario and Main?”	A summary of what actually changed, not a rebuild.
”Is this Scenario ready to merge into Main?”	What merging would change, and a confirmation step you press yourself before anything moves.
”Connect QuickBooks Online so we can build a monthly profit and loss statement.”	A link into the connection flow for you to approve. Ari cannot sign in on your behalf.
”Did the sync finish, and which periods are available?”	The connection’s load status, when it last loaded, and what’s ready to use.
”Why did software spend increase last month? Break it down by vendor.”	The breakdown, the largest contributors, and the source records behind them.
”Undo that last change.”	The change reverted, at the smallest scope that matches what you asked.
”Every Monday, summarize last week’s cash activity and send it to my Slack direct messages.”	A named Trigger on that schedule, delivering to your own Slack direct messages or verified email.
”Save this as our monthly close process.”	A Skill with a trigger condition and instructions, which Ari activates on its own next time.
”Build a Guide walking a new analyst through this Page.”	A saved Guide whose steps spotlight specific blocks, rows, or cells.

Get started

Work with Ari

Formulas

Integrations

Scenarios

Dashboards

Automation

Headcount

Workspace settings

Choose the right visual

Trends over time

Composition and mix

Explaining a change

Conversion and stages

Headline numbers

Interactive visuals

Getting the axis and period right

Changing an existing visual

When a chart is the wrong answer

Tables, formulas, and forecasts

Scenarios, data, and recurring work

​Choose the right visual

​Trends over time

​Composition and mix

​Explaining a change

​Conversion and stages

​Headline numbers

​Interactive visuals

​Getting the axis and period right

​Changing an existing visual

​When a chart is the wrong answer

​Tables, formulas, and forecasts

​Scenarios, data, and recurring work

​Related

Choose the right visual

Trends over time

Composition and mix

Explaining a change

Conversion and stages

Headline numbers

Interactive visuals

Getting the axis and period right

Changing an existing visual

When a chart is the wrong answer

Tables, formulas, and forecasts

Scenarios, data, and recurring work

Related