> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cfo.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Get better answers from Ari > How to write prompts that get Ari to the right answer the first time. Write a good first message, name the decision, the period, and the detail you need, fence off what Ari may change, and correct Ari when it guesses. Use these habits when Ari's answers miss what you meant, or you want to get it right the first time. Talk to Ari the way you would brief a finance coworker: say what you are deciding, point at what you mean, and say whether you want an answer or a change. Ari works out the details and asks when it needs something. ## Write a good first message In a new workspace, you do not need a long brief that spells out every table and formula. A good first message names the decision, gives a few facts, and says where your numbers are: > We sell \[an annual software subscription] to \[small accounting firms] for about \[\$6,000 a year]. We have \[9] employees and about \[\$1.2 million] in the bank. Our books are in \[QuickBooks]. Build a 12-month plan so I can see how long our cash lasts and whether we can hire two engineers in Q1. Ari labels every number it estimates as an assumption you can change later, and asks about anything that changes the answer. If you already have a model in a spreadsheet, attach it instead. See [Import an existing spreadsheet model](/guides/import-a-spreadsheet-model.md). ## Say what decision the answer is for Ari builds a better Model when it knows what the answer is for. | Instead of | Try | | - | - | | "Build a forecast." | "Build a 12-month forecast so I can see whether we can hire two engineers in Q1." | | "Show me expenses." | "Which departments drove the increase in operating expenses last month?" | | "Revenue report." | "Which customer segments explain the gap between our Forecast and Actuals?" | ## Name the period, the comparison, and the detail Say which period matters and what to compare it with: > Compare March Actuals with the March Forecast and with February Actuals. Ask for the business categories that explain the result, such as department, customer, product, or region: > Break payroll down by department, then show the employees behind the largest change. If you are working in a Scenario other than the one you are viewing, name it. ## Point at what you mean Mention the exact cell instead of describing it. Right-click the cell, choose **Mention cell in chat**, and ask "Why is this lower than last month?" A description such as "the revenue number in that table" leaves Ari to guess which one you mean. See [Ask Ari about a number](/guides/ask-about-a-number.md). ## Say whether you want an answer or a change Ari reads the Model to answer a question and changes it when you ask for something new. Make the difference explicit, and fence off what must not move: | You want | Say | | - | - | | An answer, with nothing changed | "Read only. Don't change anything. Why did gross margin fall in March?" | | A change in a safe place | "Work in the Downside Scenario only, and don't change Main." | | A change to the layout but not the numbers | "Reorder these tables, but don't change any model numbers." | | One targeted change | "Only change the Starter price. Leave everything else as it is." | | A check before saving | "Draft the formula and check whether it is valid, but wait before applying it." | To try a change without risk, use a Scenario. See [Test a decision in a Scenario](/guides/test-a-decision-in-a-scenario.md) and [Make a precise change with Ari](/guides/change-your-model-with-ari.md). ## Ask Ari to show its work Follow-ups that make an answer easy to check: * "Which source data supports that conclusion?" * "Which assumptions did you make, and which did you estimate?" * "What changed compared with the prior period?" * "Which formula applies to this cell?" * "Can you reconcile this total to the detail below it?" * "Where can I change this assumption and compare another outcome?" ## Correct Ari when it guesses Instead of starting over in a new chat, tell Ari what is true and ask it to remember: > Our customers pay annually up front, not monthly. Fix the revenue timing, and remember this for the whole workspace. See [Teach Ari your company's conventions](/guides/teach-ari.md). ## Redirect a long build instead of waiting If a build is going the wrong way, type the correction while Ari works, or select **Stop** and say what you want instead. See [Steer, stop, or add to Ari's work](/guides/steer-ari.md). ## Undo instead of starting over If a change goes wrong, do not delete the Page. Ask "Undo that last change", or undo it in version history. See [Undo a change or restore an earlier version](/guides/undo-changes.md). ## Related * [Update your plan after you close the month](/guides/close-the-month.md) * [Prompt library](/reference/prompt-library.md) * [How Ari works with you](/concepts/working-with-ari.md) * [Your first week](/tutorials/first-week.md) This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.