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Two people use the same calculator and see different amounts. That can be correct: their inputs differ. The problem is a page that does not explain the difference, followed by AI quoting one amount as everyone's price. We will make the method visible and check the calculation step by step.
Publish the calculation method beside the tool
A cost calculator becomes verifiable when readers know which values it accepts and how those values produce the result. A form showing only a final number does not explain whether the cost is monthly, total, indicative or a confirmed offer.
Start with a short method card: purpose, inputs, units, formula, assumptions, scope, worked example and validity date. This describes a user-dependent result. It is neither a static research report nor a guide to building the tool itself.
Name every variable and its unit
Explain what each form field requires. “Number” is insufficient: number of what, over which period, in which unit? Distinguish a user-entered value, an editorial default and a value from a current price list.
The guidance in WCAG 3.3.2 concerns labels and instructions for data entry. Beside a calculator field, specify its unit and period, such as hours per month. Readers should know what to enter before seeing the result.
| Variable | Meaning and unit |
|---|---|
| F | Fixed cost F: cost units for one scenario. |
| n | Quantity n: a positive whole number. |
| u | Unit cost u: the same cost units per item. |
| t / s | Time t and rate s: hours and cost units per hour. |
Label estimates as estimates and state their basis. Defaults should be visible when the page opens, and the result should repeat the inputs used. Do not combine amounts in different currencies without disclosing a conversion.
Provide a reproducible worked example
A hypothetical model is C = F + n × u + t × s. With F = 100, n = 10, u = 20, t = 2 and s = 50, the result is 400 cost units: 100 + 200 + 100. These figures are a mathematical example, not a real company's offer.
Show the inputs and calculation steps in ordinary page text. Explain what the result includes. If tax, shipping and discounts are excluded, say so explicitly. Do not call that result a “final price”.
Changing only quantity from 10 to 15 raises this model's result to 500 units. Other inputs remain unchanged. This second example shows why one amount cannot represent every user.
Fictional example: same formula, different input
| F | n | u | t | s | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 10 | 20 | 2 | 50 | 400 |
| 100 | 15 | 20 | 2 | 50 | 500 |
Fictional example: changing n from 10 to 15 increases the result from 400 to 500. All other inputs and the formula stay the same.
Explain scope and exceptional situations
State when the formula applies. If the rate rises above a threshold, document the threshold and appropriate calculation variant. If part of the cost needs an individual quote, identify that part instead of hiding it in a broad disclaimer.
A result can serve as an illustration, an estimate or a confirmed offer. Name your calculator's actual role. An amount and a contact button do not by themselves turn the result into an offer.
Preserve the method across languages
Language versions should describe the same formula, assumptions and example. Translate field names without changing values unnecessarily. For different units or currency, show a new scenario and its basis rather than presenting it as a simple language change.
Record the data's validity date and the person responsible for the method. When prices or formulas change, check defaults, examples and result descriptions. Update all elements dependent on the changed assumption together.
Check what AI reproduces from the calculation
Include specific inputs in a test question. Compare the answer with your formula and check whether the system states assumptions, reproduces the result and cites the right page. Test method questions and example-cost questions separately.
Semly supports answer and source analysis. Calculator visibility does not prove the quoted amount is correct.
Check before implementation
- Inputs, units and data sources are visible.
- The formula reproduces both example results.
- The result identifies included costs.
- Translations preserve values and assumptions.
Related guide: How do external brand mentions influence AI recommendations?
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