Using the SAI Commands Builder in SheetXAI

Overview

The SAI Commands Builder (previously called Formula Builder, represented by the ⨍ symbol) is a powerful tool that simplifies the creation and management of SAI formulas in your spreadsheet. This feature has been completely redesigned with four powerful tabs: Generator, History, Settings, and Guide.

Platform Availability: The SAI Commands Builder functions the same way in both Google Sheets and Excel. You can use the #SAI command format (which auto-transforms to formulas) or the Generator tab can create the native spreadsheet formula syntax for each platform.

In Google sheets, Make sure to Activate SAI formulas in any new spreadsheet before using them

Opening the SAI Commands Builder

Open the SAI Commands Builder

• Click the ⨍ (function) symbol in the SheetXAI sidebar
• The SAI Commands Builder panel will appear with four tabs:Generator, History, Settings, and Guide

Generator Tab

The Generator tab allows you to automatically create SAI commands with input/output type selection.

Key Features

• Auto-create SAI commands from plain language requests
• Input type selection: Choose from PDF, image, URL, or standard text inputs
• Output type selection: Choose from scraping, audio, video, or standard text outputs
• Automatic formula generation: Creates complete formulas ready to copy and paste

How to Use the Generator

1. Open the SAI Commands Builder and navigate to the Generator tab
2. Set your input type (if needed): Select PDF, image, URL, or leave as default
3. Set your output type (if needed): Select scraping, audio, video, or leave as default
4. Type your request in plain language
   • Example: "Write a cold email about"
   • The generator will automatically create the complete SAI formula
5. Copy the generated formula and paste it into your spreadsheet

Example Usage

Basic Request:

• Type: "Write a cold email about"
• Generator creates: #SAI write a cold email about #A
• Copy and paste into your cell

With Column References:

• Type: "Write a cold email about" and reference columns A through J
• Generator automatically includes all column headers: #SAI write a cold email about #A:J
• The formula will use data from all referenced columns

History Tab

The History tab provides quick access to your 5 most recent SAI commands.

Key Features

• Quick access to your 5 most recent SAI commands
• Reuse previous commands instantly
• Copy with one click to use again

How to Use History

1. Open the SAI Commands Builder and navigate to the History tab
2. View your recent commands - the 5 most recent SAI commands you've typed will appear
3. Click on any command to copy it
4. Paste it into your spreadsheet cell

This is perfect for reusing complex formulas or commands you use frequently.

Settings Tab

The Settings tab allows you to configure SAI call formats, chatbot behavior, and sheet-wide actions.

SAI Call Formats

Choose which prefix format SheetXAI recognizes for SAI commands:

• #SAI (default) - Recommended format
• @SAI - Alternative format
• SAI - Plain format (not recommended - may conflict with data containing "SAI")

Note: We recommend using #SAI as it's the most reliable and won't conflict with data that might contain the word "SAI" or names with "SAI" in them.

Chatbot Settings

Configure how the chatbot responds to keyboard input:

• Press Enter to Send: Press Enter to send messages (Shift+Enter for new line)
• Press Command/Control Enter to Send: Press Cmd+Enter (Mac) or Ctrl+Enter (Windows) to send messages, Enter creates a new line

Sheet-Wide Actions

These powerful actions affect all SAI formulas in your spreadsheet:

Make All Formulas Static

• What It Does: Converts all SAI formulas in the entire sheet to static text values
• When To Use It:
  • After formulas have generated the desired results
  • To prevent unnecessary API calls and costs when spreadsheets refresh
  • When you're satisfied with the current output and don't need it to update
• How To Use It: Click "Make All Formulas Static" in the Settings tab

Monitor All Formulas

• What It Does: Automatically monitors all formulas for errors and resends failed formulas
• When To Use It:
  • When some formulas have timed out or failed
  • To avoid manually finding and fixing each error
  • When processing large batches of formulas
• How To Use It: Click "Monitor All Formulas" in the Settings tab
• The system will automatically detect and retry any formulas that return errors

Reset Credit Errors

• What It Does: Finds all credit-related errors in your sheet and resets them for retry
• When To Use It:
  • After you've replenished your credits
  • When you see credit error messages in your formulas
  • To batch-reset all credit errors at once instead of manually fixing each one
• How To Use It: Click "Reset Credit Errors" in the Settings tab
• This is especially useful after adding credits to your account

Guide Tab

The Guide tab provides a complete reference for using SAI commands with examples and patterns.

What's Included

• Complete SAI command reference with all prefixes and use cases
• Cell reference guide:
  • Current row references (e.g., #A refers to column A in the current row)
  • Fixed ranges (e.g., A1:B10 stays fixed even when dragged)
  • Column ranges (e.g., #A:J refers to columns A through J)
• ARI formula examples and patterns
• Real-world examples for common use cases

Using the Guide

1. Open the SAI Commands Builder and navigate to the Guide tab
2. Browse the examples to learn different SAI command patterns
3. Reference the cell reference guide to understand how to reference data
4. Copy examples directly to use in your own formulas

Pro Tips

Time-Saver: The Generator tab eliminates the need to remember the exact SAI formula syntax for each platform

History for Efficiency: Use the History tab to quickly reuse complex formulas you've created before

Settings for Control: Configure your preferred SAI call format once in Settings, and it applies to all your commands

Sheet-Wide Actions: Use "Make All Formulas Static" regularly during large projects to minimize unnecessary API calls

Error Management: Use "Monitor All Formulas" to automatically fix large batches of error formulas

Credit Error Recovery: After adding credits, use "Reset Credit Errors" to batch-fix all credit-related errors at once

Cost Control: Making formulas static after you're satisfied with the results is an essential practice to manage API usage and costs

Common Issues

Problem: Unwanted Cell References Appearing

Solution:

• Close the SAI Commands Builder
• Reopen it when you're ready to select specific cells
• Be intentional about which cells you click when the Builder is open

Problem: Formulas Not Converting to Static Text

Solution:

• Make sure you've selected the entire range containing the formulas
• Use "Make All Formulas Static" from the Settings tab for sheet-wide conversion
• Give the process sufficient time to complete, especially for large ranges

Problem: Some Errors Still Persist After Monitoring

Solution:

• Some errors may be due to issues other than timeouts (invalid references, etc.)
• Check a few persistent errors manually by hovering over the cell to identify any pattern
• You may need to reword or fix the underlying formula
• Use "Reset Credit Errors" if the errors are credit-related

Problem: SAI Commands Not Being Recognized

Solution:

• Check your SAI Call Format setting in the Settings tab
• Make sure you're using the format you've configured (#SAI, @SAI, or SAI)
• We recommend using #SAI as it's the most reliable

Related Guides

• SAI Troubleshooting Overview
• SAI Formula Not Working - #NAME Error
• When to Use SAI Formula vs Chatbot
• Custom Commands in SheetXAI