SynaBot
intermediate 30 min

How to analyse a spreadsheet with AI

Get plain-English answers out of any dataset without knowing SQL or pivot tables.

Mark Barclay
Guide curated and reviewed byMark BarclayLast reviewed July 2026 · Next review October 2026

Before you start

  • A CSV or spreadsheet
  • ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro or a SynaBot assistant with file uploads

Tools you'll use

  • ChatGPT (Data analysis)
  • Claude
  • SynaBot

Course modules

  1. 1.Clean the sheet first
  2. 2.Upload it
  3. 3.Ask questions in plain English
  4. 4.Ask for the chart, not just the number
  5. 5.Verify the numbers

Modules

  1. 1

    Clean the sheet first

    AI is not magic. If your column headers are gibberish, so are the answers. Take 5 minutes to rename them properly.

    Next: Upload it →
  2. 2

    Upload it

    Use ChatGPT's data analysis, Claude's file upload, or paste a CSV into a SynaBot assistant.

    ← Previous: Clean the sheet firstNext: Ask questions in plain English →
  3. 3

    Ask questions in plain English

    "What's the total revenue by month?" "Which product had the fastest growth Q1 to Q2?" "Any customers with a big drop-off?"

    ← Previous: Upload itNext: Ask for the chart, not just the number →
  4. 4

    Ask for the chart, not just the number

    "Plot monthly revenue as a line chart with a trend line." Screenshots go straight into decks.

    ← Previous: Ask questions in plain EnglishNext: Verify the numbers →
  5. 5

    Verify the numbers

    Always sanity-check totals against a formula you write yourself. AI arithmetic on messy data is not perfect.

    ← Previous: Ask for the chart, not just the numberBack to top ↑

What you'll have at the end

Plain-English answers and simple charts pulled from your own data.