Turn rows of numbers into plain English insights!
Spreadsheets drive decisions, but most professionals can enter data without knowing how to interpret it. Columns of numbers blur together, errors slip by, and explaining patterns to colleagues takes time.
With AI, you can paste your data and ask direct questions. The model highlights trends, flags mistakes, and rewrites findings into business-ready language in minutes.
Prep the data you want explained.
Select the rows and columns you need. Copy them with Ctrl+C (or Cmd+C on Mac).
You don’t need perfect formatting. Include headers if you have them. If the sheet is very large, start with a smaller section, such as just the last month or quarterly data.
If there’s any PII or sensitive data included in the spreadsheet that shouldn’t be shared outside of your org, make sure you strip it out before pasting the dataset into an LLM.
Start with the big picture.
Start a new chat and give the model context (who you are, what you’re looking for). Then, paste your data. Try something like this:
I have pasted some spreadsheet data below. The columns are: <list your column headers>.
Please summarize the most important trend in one or two sentences.
<Paste your data here> The model will return a concise summary, such as “Sales rose steadily from Q1 to Q3, with a sharp dip in Q4.”
Narrow down the data with follow-ups.
Once you have the overview, ask targeted questions to uncover the finer details. Be direct and straightforward; try questions like:
Which month had the highest sales? Or
List any outliers in the Cost column. Or, if something looks wrong:
The totals in column <letter> do not match the row sums. Identify which rows are causing the mismatch.Each follow-up helps you peel back another layer without writing a single formula. This is the stage where you move from surface-level observations to actionable insights.
Package the output.
If you need to share results, ask the model to format them for your audience:
Rewrite the findings as a one-page executive summary with 3 key insights and 2 recommendations. Or
Convert the summary into a Markdown table with clear headings. This gives you ready-to-use talking points without extra interpretation. You’ll end up with a ready-made report, slide deck, or team update.
Alternatively, depending on the AI tool you are using, you may be able to simply upload a spreadsheet and ask the AI tool to answer questions about the data, like you see below with ChatGPT!
📌 Key takeaway: AI can turn raw spreadsheets into clear explanations, helping you spot trends, catch errors, and communicate insights without advanced spreadsheet skills.
For more information see From Spreadsheet Zero to Hero: How I Use ChatGPT to Unlock Excel and Google Sheet Mastery
