Excel Studio + AI sandboxes Updated October 2026

AI data analysis for CSV files: profile, clean and summarize

AI data analysis in MultipleChat works in two places: Excel Studio profiles your CSV or XLSX file on upload and cleans it with instant tools, and AI sandboxes in chat run code to calculate totals, find trends and draw charts.

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2

ways to analyze a file

27

instant tools, no AI credits

3

sandboxes to choose from

Prompt example

Calculate revenue by region and show the results in a chart.

Profile the file

Upload a CSV or XLSX in Excel Studio to see rows, columns, duplicates, missing values and min, max and mean per column.

Clean it without AI

Remove duplicates, fix dates, split columns or build a pivot summary with one-click instant tools.

Ask questions in chat

An AI sandbox runs code on the file and explains the result, with charts and downloadable files.

In short

  • Upload a CSV or XLSX to Excel Studio for an instant profile: row and column counts, duplicate rows, missing values and per-column min, max and mean.
  • Fix what the profile finds with 27 instant tools (duplicates, dates, blanks, pivots) that run without an AI call and are free after sign-in.
  • For questions about the data, use an AI sandbox in chat: the ChatGPT, Claude or MultipleChat sandbox runs code on the file and explains the result.
  • ChatGPT and Claude sandboxes need an eligible paid plan and count toward your shared AI allowance.
  • Spot-check AI totals against a Summary row or Pivot Summary before you pass the numbers on.
How it works

A reliable workflow to analyze a CSV with AI

Clean data first, then ask questions. It is faster and the answers are easier to check.

  1. 1

    Profile first

    Upload the CSV to Excel Studio. The profile shows how many rows and columns you have, where values are missing and whether duplicates exist.

  2. 2

    Clean the obvious problems

    Trim whitespace, remove duplicates, fix date formats and fill blanks with instant tools, then download the clean file.

  3. 3

    Ask your question in chat

    Attach the clean file and ask, for example, "Calculate revenue by region and show the results in a chart." The sandbox runs the code and explains what it found.

  4. 4

    Check, then export

    Ask which columns and filters were used, spot-check one total in Excel, then download the summary or chart.

Worked examples

Four ways to use AI to analyze data

Illustrative examples: the prompt you type and the structure you can expect back. Exact columns, rows and styling vary with the model and your instructions.

Example 1 Excel Studio Illustrative

Bank export with duplicates

You upload

account-statement.csv: 321 rows, 11 columns, exported from online banking

What the profile and tools show

  • Profile: 321 rows, 11 columns, 9 duplicate rows and the columns with missing values
  • Remove Duplicates drops the repeated rows; Fix Dates standardizes the booking-date column
  • Pivot Summary groups debits by month on a new sheet
  • Download the cleaned workbook as XLSX

None of these steps needs an AI call, so they do not use AI credits.

Example 2 AI sandbox Illustrative

Revenue by region, with a chart

You type

"Calculate revenue by region and show the results in a chart."

What you get back

  • A table of total revenue per region
  • A chart you can adjust afterwards: labels, colors or the values shown
  • A short explanation of how the totals were calculated
  • Follow-ups such as "now split it by quarter" refine the same analysis
Example 3 AI sandbox Illustrative

Combine monthly sales files

You type

"Combine these sales files, remove duplicate orders and create an Excel summary."

What you get back

  • One combined table from all uploaded files
  • Duplicate orders removed, with a count of how many were dropped
  • An Excel summary delivered as a download card in the chat

Generated files appear as download cards after validation and security scanning.

Example 4 AI sandbox Illustrative

Compare pricing scenarios

You type

"Compare these three pricing scenarios and export the calculations."

What you get back

  • Revenue and margin per scenario, side by side
  • The assumptions used for each scenario, stated in the answer
  • A downloadable file with the calculations, so you can check them in Excel
Two ways

Excel Studio or an AI sandbox: which should analyze your data?

Use Excel Studio to see what is in a file and clean it quickly. Use an AI sandbox in chat when you have questions the data should answer.

Excel Studio: profile + instant toolsAI sandbox in chat
Best forSeeing what is in a file and cleaning it fastAnswering questions about the data and building charts
How it worksUpload, read the profile, click a tool cardUpload a file or use an eligible project file and ask. The AI decides when code is useful and explains the result
AI usageNone: instant tools run without an AI callSandbox work counts toward your shared AI allowance
Typical tasksDuplicates, missing values, date formats, split or merge columns, pivot summary, % of total, growth %Totals by category, trends, statistical analysis, scenario comparisons, combining files
OutputXLSX, CSV or TSV after a live previewExplanations, charts and downloadable Excel, CSV and other files in the chat
Good to knowUpload limits depend on your planWeb search is unavailable while a provider sandbox is selected. Eligible files are sent to the provider running the sandbox
Use Cases

What AI data analysis is good for

Most CSV work is one of these six jobs. Pick the profile and tools for the first two; use a sandbox for the rest.

Data quality checks

Find duplicates, blanks and inconsistent dates before a report goes out.

Survey and list cleanup

Split names, standardize case, remove empty rows and count responses.

Category totals and trends

Revenue by region, spend by vendor or orders by month, with a chart.

Combining exports

Merge monthly CSV files from a shop, bank or CRM into one table.

Forecasts and scenarios

Run pricing or budget scenarios with executed code instead of mental math.

Handing off to a report

Take the summary into Document Studio for a written report or Presentation Studio for a deck.

Files and limits

Files, formats and limits

Excel Studio uploads.xlsx, .csv or .tsv (save older .xls files as .xlsx first), profiled on upload: rows, columns, duplicate rows, missing values and per-column min, max and mean.
Excel Studio downloadsExcel (.xlsx), CSV or TSV after a live HTML preview.
Sandbox downloadsExcel, Word, PowerPoint, PDF, CSV, TSV, JSON, plain text, Markdown and common image formats, shown as download cards after validation and security scanning.
Sandbox choiceChatGPT, Claude or MultipleChat sandbox. Grok and Gemini use the MultipleChat sandbox automatically.
Excel Studio limitsInstant tools and profiling: up to 10 MB and 20,000 cells per workbook. AI processing: up to 10 MB per upload, 100,000 rows per sheet, 500 columns, 30 sheets and 500,000 cells.

Plan availability

Excel Studio profiling and instant tools are free after sign-in; its AI features need Pro ($20/month) or Smart and are not available during the 7-day trial. ChatGPT and Claude sandboxes need an eligible paid plan and use your shared AI allowance; Smart ($90/month) adds more capacity. See plans

Try these prompts

Questions to ask your data

Ask one specific question at a time and say what the output should look like: a table, a chart or a file.

"Calculate revenue by region and show the results in a chart."
"Group customers by segment and calculate average order value."
"Find suspicious rows and list likely data quality issues."
"Update the spreadsheet you created with these new figures."
FAQ

AI data analysis FAQ

Can AI analyze data from a CSV file?+

Yes. Upload the CSV to Excel Studio for an instant profile and cleanup, or attach it in chat and ask an AI sandbox to calculate totals, find trends and create charts. The sandbox runs code on the file and explains the result.

How do I use AI to analyze data accurately?+

Profile and clean the file first, ask one specific question at a time, and ask the assistant which columns, filters and calculations it used. Spot-check at least one total with a Summary row or Pivot Summary before you rely on it.

Is my CSV sent to an AI model?+

Profiling and the 27 instant tools in Excel Studio run without an AI call. When you use an AI sandbox in chat, eligible files are sent to the provider running the sandbox.

Which file types can I analyze?+

Excel Studio accepts .xlsx, .csv and .tsv uploads and downloads XLSX, CSV or TSV. AI sandboxes work with uploaded spreadsheets and eligible project files and can return Excel, CSV, PDF, charts and other formats.

Do I need to know Python or Excel formulas?+

No. Instant tools are one click, and in chat you describe the analysis in plain English. The AI decides when code is useful and explains the results.

Can I turn the analysis into a report?+

Yes. Download the summary or chart, then use Document Studio for a written report or Presentation Studio for a deck built from your findings.

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Profile the file. Ask the question. Check the answer.

Start in Excel Studio to clean your CSV, then take it into chat for the analysis.

Start in Excel Studio