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This article describes the RPA Excel functionality to transform data using AI.
For a full list of available functions, please read EXCEL functions.
Description
Describe a data transformation in plain English and AI breaks it into a sequence of Excel operations, then executes them. Takes a natural language instruction, analyzes the workbook context and sample data, and generates a sequence of primitive Excel operations. Each step is executed in order.
Available operations
AI can chain any combination of these 17 operations:
add_column, add_row, autofill, color, column_values, ensure_columns_exist, filter, find_replace, format, formula, remove_blanks, remove_columns, remove_rows, rename_columns, sort, sort_columns, write
Setting it up
To use the EXCEL Transform data using AI function, follow these instructions:
{{popups:rpas/add:action=excel-transform}}
Once on a process map:
- Navigate to the process where you would like to add the EXCEL Transform data using AI function
- Click on the green button's drop-down (right side of the green button labelled "Process")
- On the menu that appears, click on the "+ Activity" item
- From here you can select the EXCEL Transform data using AI option
- Click "Add" once you are done
Input parameters
| Parameter | Required | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File path | Yes | Text | – | Full path to the Excel file. |
| Sheet | Yes | Text | – | The sheet to transform. |
| Instruction | Yes | Textarea | – | Describe the transformation in plain English. Use exact column names for best results. |
| Variable | No | Text | transform | Name of the variable where the transformation result will be stored. |
Output variables
The result variable contains:
- steps – Array of executed steps, each with action, success, and optional error
- success – Whether all steps completed successfully
Errors
| Error | Description |
|---|---|
| File not open | The Excel file must be open before using this function. |
| Sheet not found | The specified sheet does not exist. |
| AI not configured | The AI API endpoint is not configured. |
Example instructions
- Mark all rows where Amount > 1000 as 'High Priority' in a new Status column
- Remove all rows where the Email column is blank and sort by Date descending
- Rename 'Inv No' to 'Invoice Number' and 'Amt' to 'Amount', then sort by Amount
- Add a Discount column and set it to 10% of the Price column
- Remove duplicates based on Invoice Number, keeping the first occurrence
Tips
- Use exact column names from the sheet for best results.
- Combine multiple operations in one instruction.
- Check the result variable to see which steps succeeded or failed.