How to connect Excel to an AI data analyst
Updated 2026-07-01
An AI data analyst is most useful when it runs on your real data. This guide shows how to connect Excel so you can ask questions in plain English and get charts, dashboards and reports back — without writing SQL by hand.
The setup takes a few minutes: connect your file or sheet, let the analyst read the schema, and ask your first question. Your data are encrypted, and the analysis runs on your own AI provider key.
- 1
Get your Excel connection details
No connection string is needed — you upload the .xlsx workbook directly. Each sheet is read as its own table, so keep headers in the first row.
- 2
Understand the read-only model
The workbook is read for analysis only; nothing is written back. Uploaded data is encrypted at rest and isn't used to train any model.
- 3
Create your account and add your AI key
Sign up, then add your own AI provider key (bring-your-own-key). If you don't have one yet, a free key takes about a minute to create — your key is encrypted and used only for your requests.
- 4
Add the Excel connection
Add a data source, choose file upload, and select your Excel file. Pick the sheet to analyse; column types are inferred and editable.
- 5
Let the AI read and annotate your schema
Each worksheet becomes a table and the analyst infers column types. Describe any unclear columns in plain English so questions map correctly.
- 6
Ask your first question in plain English
Ask something like "Sum of sales by region from the current sheet". On complex questions the analyst shows a readable query plan before it runs anything; review it, then get a chart plus the data behind it. Refine by chatting, then pin it to a dashboard or save it as a report.
Why connect Excel instead of exporting
A static export goes stale the moment you download it, and a general AI assistant that only sees a pasted file guesses what your columns mean. A connected AI data analyst reads live Excel data, shows the query plan before running it, and remembers what your fields mean between sessions — so answers stay current and consistent.
Excel: things to know
- Put data in a clean tabular range with a single header row; avoid merged cells and summary rows inside the data.
- File upload is a Pro feature; on Free, a Google Sheet is the quickest way to try file-style data.
Example questions to ask your Excel data
- Sum of sales by region from the current sheet
- Which items are below the reorder threshold
- Month-over-month growth from the monthly tab
Keeping it safe
- Your uploaded data is read for analysis only and never written back.
- A read-only SQL guard blocks anything that isn't a read query.
- Connection details and your AI key are encrypted at rest.
- Your business data isn't stored or used to train any model.
Frequently asked questions
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