Building Excel spreadsheets Guide

The AI Assistant can build a real Excel spreadsheet for you directly in chat — with structured columns, calculations, and multiple tabs — that you can preview and download. Describe what you need in plain language, and the assistant produces a finished .xlsx file you can open, share, or attach elsewhere.

Ask for a spreadsheet

The fastest way to start is to describe the spreadsheet you want in the composer. Be specific about the columns, the rows or categories, and any totals or calculations you expect.

1. Open a chat with the AI Assistant.
2. Type a request such as "Build an Excel spreadsheet tracking our Q3 marketing budget with columns for campaign, channel, planned spend, actual spend, and variance."
3. Press Send. The assistant works through the request and returns a downloadable spreadsheet in the reply.
4. Preview the file in chat, then download it or send it on to a connected app.

You can also type /excel in the composer to jump straight into creating a spreadsheet.

Tip: The more structure you provide, the closer the first result matches your intent. Name your columns, say how rows should be grouped, and mention any totals, subtotals, or formulas you want calculated.

Turn your own data into a spreadsheet

If you already have the data, attach it and let the assistant organize it for you.

1. Click the paperclip in the composer (or drag and drop) to attach a file such as a CSV, an existing spreadsheet, or a PDF containing a table.
2. In the same message, describe what you want — for example, "Clean this up, group by region, and add a column for year-over-year growth."
3. Send the message. The assistant reads your file, restructures the data, and returns a formatted Excel workbook.

This is useful for tidying messy exports, consolidating several lists, or reshaping raw data into a report-ready layout.

Get the format you want

You can steer the structure and presentation of the spreadsheet by asking for it directly. Helpful things to specify include:

• Columns and order — name each column and the sequence you want them in.
• Calculations — ask for totals, averages, percentages, or running balances, and the assistant adds the appropriate formulas.
• Multiple tabs — request separate sheets, such as one tab per month, region, or department.
• Headers and grouping — ask for grouped sections, subtotals, or a summary row.
• Sample data — if you're building a template, ask for a few example rows you can replace later.

Refine the result

If the first version isn't quite right, you don't need to start over. Reply in the same conversation and describe the change.

• "Add a column for profit margin as a percentage."
• "Split this into one tab per quarter."
• "Sort by total spend, highest first."
• "Remove the sample rows and leave the headers and formulas."

The assistant applies your feedback and returns an updated spreadsheet, so you can iterate until it's exactly what you need.

Choosing a model for spreadsheet work

For most spreadsheets, leaving the model picker on Auto works well — it selects a capable model for your conversation automatically. If you're building something intricate, such as a workbook with layered formulas or several linked tabs, choosing a Frontier model can help with the more complex reasoning. For quick, simple tables, a Fast model returns results promptly.

Download and share

Once your spreadsheet is ready, you can download it from the chat to open in Excel or any compatible application. You can also ask the assistant to send it onward — for example, attaching it to an email through a connected app. Because sending reaches the outside world, the assistant shows an Approve card first, so nothing leaves your account until you confirm.