Classification is a judgment call. "The app keeps crashing on login" is a Bug. "Can you add dark mode" is a Feature Request. A human reads the sentence and knows. A spreadsheet does not.
So people either tag every row by hand or build brittle keyword rules that miss anything phrased in a new way.
The Old Way (Keyword Rules)
The formula approach searches for trigger words and returns a label when it finds one.
=IFS(REGEXMATCH(LOWER(A1),"crash|error|broken|bug"),"Bug", REGEXMATCH(LOWER(A1),"add|feature|wish|would like"),"Feature Request", REGEXMATCH(LOWER(A1),"price|cost|refund|billing"),"Billing", TRUE,"Uncategorized")It works until someone writes "the login screen just spins forever." No trigger word, so it lands in "Uncategorized." Sarcasm, typos, and new phrasing all break it. You keep adding keywords and the list never covers real language.
The FITS Way (Describe the Labels)
With FITS, you list the categories and the AI reads the meaning of each row.
=FITS("Classify this ticket as Bug, Feature Request, Billing, or Other: " & A1)"The login screen just spins forever" comes back as Bug, no keyword required. Want more than a single label?
=FITS("Assign a category and a priority (High, Medium, Low) to this ticket: " & A1)It understands intent, so paraphrases and typos still get classified correctly. Change the label set anytime by editing the sentence.
When to Use Each
Keyword rules are fine for a tiny, controlled vocabulary. Reach for =FITS() when the text is real, open-ended human writing. The same approach powers auto categorizing expenses, keyword extraction, and sentiment analysis on feedback. Classifying is one job on a long list. Read the full guide to automating Google Sheets tasks you used to need regex for.
Stop Tagging Rows by Hand
FITS puts plain-English AI formulas inside Google Sheets. List your categories. Let it read and label every row. Free tier included.