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Data analysis with AI

The ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor allows you to use AI assistants to analyze your data, identify trends, generate insights, and create statistical summaries. This feature helps you quickly understand large datasets without manually creating complex formulas.

By default, AI is not connected to editors for security reasons. To use AI for data analysis, you need to install and configure the AI plugin first. Refer to the AI assistants: setup and configuration guide for detailed instructions.

Accessing AI features

To open the AI prompt in the Spreadsheet Editor, use one of the following methods:

Go to the AI tab on the top toolbar and select Chatbot.
Right-click the selected data and choose AI → Chatbot from the context menu.
Press Ctrl+/ (or ⌘+/ on macOS).

Analyzing trends

AI can help you identify patterns and trends in your data. To analyze trends:

Select the data range you want to analyze (e.g., sales figures over time, temperature readings, stock prices).
Open the AI prompt.
Enter a prompt describing what you want to analyze. For example:
- "Analyze the trend in this sales data"
- "Identify patterns in these monthly figures"
- "What is the overall direction of this data over time?"
- "Are there any seasonal patterns in this data?"
Press Enter or click Send to submit your request.

The AI assistant will analyze your data and provide insights about:

Overall trend direction (increasing, decreasing, or stable)
Rate of change over time
Seasonal or cyclical patterns
Anomalies or outliers in the data
Potential factors influencing the trend

Generating insights

Use AI to extract meaningful insights from your spreadsheet data:

Select the relevant data range.
Open the AI prompt.
Ask specific questions about your data. For example:
- "What are the key insights from this data?"
- "Summarize the main findings from these figures"
- "What conclusions can be drawn from this dataset?"
- "Compare the performance across these categories"
- "What factors might explain the variations in this data?"

The AI assistant can help you understand:

Key performance indicators and their significance
Comparisons between different data segments
Correlations between variables
Notable exceptions or outliers
Actionable recommendations based on the data

Creating statistical summaries

AI can generate comprehensive statistical summaries of your data:

Select the data range you want to summarize.
Open the AI prompt.
Request a statistical summary. For example:
- "Provide a statistical summary of this data"
- "Calculate descriptive statistics for these values"
- "Give me a breakdown of the key statistics"
- "What are the mean, median, and standard deviation?"

The AI assistant can provide:

Central tendency measures: Mean, median, mode
Dispersion measures: Range, variance, standard deviation
Distribution information: Minimum, maximum, quartiles
Count statistics: Total count, count of unique values, blank cells
Additional metrics: Percentage distributions, growth rates, ratios

Sorting data with AI assistance

The Spreadsheet Editor allows you to sort data in ascending or descending order, by cell color, or by font color. You can also create multi-level sorting using the Custom Sort feature. AI can help you determine the best sorting approach for your data and interpret sorted results.

For detailed instructions on manual sorting, please refer to the Sorting and filtering data article.

Using AI to determine sorting criteria

When working with complex datasets, AI can help you decide how to sort your data effectively:

Select the data range you want to sort.
Open the AI prompt.
Ask AI for sorting recommendations. For example:
- "What is the best way to sort this sales data to identify top performers?"
- "How should I sort this data to see the most recent entries first?"
- "Suggest a multi-level sort for this employee data"

Analyzing sorted data with AI

After sorting your data manually, you can use AI to analyze the sorted results:

Sort your data using the Sort ascending or Sort descending buttons on the Home or Data tab.
Select the sorted data range.
Open the AI prompt.
Ask AI to analyze the sorted data:
- "What patterns do you see in this sorted data?"
- "Summarize the top 10 entries in this sorted list"
- "Compare the highest and lowest values in this sorted data"

Filtering data with AI assistance

Filters allow you to display only rows that meet certain criteria while hiding others. The Spreadsheet Editor supports filtering by values, by criteria (number or text filters), and by color. AI can help you determine effective filter criteria and analyze filtered results.

For detailed instructions on applying filters manually, refer to the Sorting and filtering data article.

Using AI to determine filter criteria

AI can help you identify what filter criteria would be most useful for your analysis:

Select the data range containing your data.
Open the AI prompt.
Ask AI for filtering recommendations. For example:
- "What filters should I apply to find underperforming products?"
- "How can I filter this data to show only Q4 results?"
- "Suggest filter criteria to identify outliers in this dataset"

Analyzing filtered data with AI

After applying filters, use AI to analyze the filtered subset:

Apply filters to your data using the Filter button on the Home or Data tab.
Set your filter criteria (the status bar will show the number of filtered records, e.g., "25 of 80 records filtered").
Select the visible (filtered) data.
Open the AI prompt.
Ask AI to analyze the filtered results:
- "Summarize the key statistics for this filtered data"
- "What insights can you draw from these filtered results?"
- "Compare these filtered results to the overall dataset"

AI-assisted Custom Sort with multiple levels

For complex sorting needs, you can use the Custom Sort feature combined with AI guidance:

Open the AI prompt and ask AI how to structure a multi-level sort for your specific analysis goal.
Click the Custom Sort icon on the Data tab.
Add sorting levels using the New button based on AI recommendations.
Configure each level with the appropriate Column/Row, Sort on (Values, Cell color, or Font color), and Order settings.
Click OK to apply the multi-level sort.
Use AI to analyze the results of your custom sort.

Combining AI analysis with spreadsheet functions

For more advanced analysis, you can combine AI insights with the built-in statistical functions in the Spreadsheet Editor:

Use AI to identify which statistical measures are most relevant for your data.
Apply the suggested formulas using the Insert Function feature.
Use AI to interpret the results of complex statistical functions.

The Spreadsheet Editor provides a comprehensive set of statistical functions that can complement your AI-powered analysis.

Limitations and considerations

When using AI for data analysis, keep the following in mind:

Data privacy: Your data is processed by the AI service you have configured. Review your AI provider's privacy policy before analyzing sensitive data. Consider using a local AI model for confidential information.
Accuracy: AI-generated analysis should be verified, especially for critical business decisions. Cross-check important findings using built-in spreadsheet functions.
Data size: Very large datasets may need to be analyzed in smaller segments for optimal results.
Context: Provide context in your prompts to help the AI understand your data better (e.g., "This is quarterly sales data for our European region").

Warning: The analysis is processed by an AI service of your choosing. ONLYOFFICE assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or reliability of the information provided by third-party AI models and assistants. Always verify critical findings independently.