AI, MADE USEFUL · 10 WAYS AI CAN HELP YOU
Understand a document or spreadsheet
Upload a PDF, document or spreadsheet and ask questions in ordinary language.
ChatGPT Data AnalysisChatGPT Work
START HEREFive steps.
Five steps.
No sorcery required.
The aim is a useful result, not an impressive conversation with a robot.
Upload the file or attach it from a connected source.
Explain what the file is and what you need to know.
Ask for a summary first, then specific questions.
For data, ask for calculations or a chart and how they were derived.
Check important figures against the original file before using them.
Try this prompt
Analyse this file for [purpose]. First tell me what it contains. Then find [specific question]. Show your working for calculations and point me to the relevant source material.
How you know it worked
You can make a decision from the file without manually hunting through every page or row.
Keep a human in charge. AI can be wrong, incomplete or overconfident. Check important facts, prices, legal/financial/medical information, customer promises and anything irreversible.
Useful links
Feature availability can vary by ChatGPT plan, region, workspace and app version. This guide was researched and checked on 18 September 2026.