Prompt variables are placeholders that insert row values into an AI prompt.

They let one prompt run across a whole spreadsheet.

For example:

Summarize this company in one sentence.

Company: {{Company Name}}
Website: {{Website}}
Description: {{Description}}

For each row, the variables are replaced with that row's values.

Why prompt variables matter

Without variables, you copy and paste data into a chat window. With variables, the prompt becomes a reusable workflow.

Prompt variables are useful for:

  • Running ChatGPT on CSV rows
  • Classifying text
  • Scoring leads
  • Translating product descriptions
  • Extracting data from scraped text
  • Researching one company per row
  • Creating personalized email lines

They keep the prompt stable while the input changes.

Common prompt variable patterns

Use one variable when the task is simple:

Rewrite this product description for clarity:
{{Description}}

Use several variables when the answer depends on context:

Score this lead from 1 to 5 for a B2B SaaS outbound campaign.

Company: {{Company Name}}
Website: {{Domain}}
Industry: {{Industry}}
Employee count: {{Employees}}
Recent job post: {{Job Description}}

Use variables with instructions for missing values:

If {{Company Website}} is empty, return "Missing website" and do not guess.

Good variable names

Readable column names make prompts easier to maintain.

Prefer:

  • Company Name
  • Website
  • Job Title
  • Product Description
  • Review Text

Avoid unclear names such as col1, data, or misc.

📌 Keep prompts debuggable

If a result looks wrong, you should be able to read the prompt and understand which input field caused it.

Prompt variables in Datablist

Datablist uses variables such as {{Column Name}} in AI enrichments. You can map row data into prompts for Ask ChatGPT/OpenAI, Ask Claude AI, Ask Gemini, and other LLM providers.

Prompt variables also work in AI agent workflows when each row needs web research. For example, the agent can search for {{Company Name}} pricing page or read the website stored in {{Domain}}.

For more context, read LLM spreadsheet processing, batch LLM processing, and the guide on running ChatGPT on Excel and CSV rows.