Perplexity AI: how spreadsheets and data analysis are handled

The growing use of Perplexity AI in business workflows includes support for structured data such as spreadsheets. Recent updates extend beyond simple text queries, allowing users to upload files, connect live sheets, and request formula assistance or chart explanations directly inside the platform.

Spreadsheet upload methods are varied and flexible.

Users can upload XLSX, CSV, and ODS files through the drag-and-drop interface or via the API. File size limits vary between 20 MB in the UI and 30 MB for API uploads, with Google Sheets integration available for live connections up to 10 MB per sheet. Uploaded spreadsheets preserve hidden sheets, formulas as metadata, and comments, though charts and embedded images are not fully captured.

Upload method	Formats	Max size	Parsing behaviour
Drag-and-drop in chat	XLSX, CSV	20 MB or 1 000 000 cells	Formulas evaluated once, hidden sheets imported
API upload	XLSX, CSV, ODS	30 MB	JSON extraction by sheet, formulas retained
Google Sheets connector	Sheets API v4	10 MB per sheet	Reads live data, recalculates volatile functions

This variety of options makes it possible to use the service both for quick one-off uploads and for continuous workflows tied to cloud storage.

Analysis functions support advanced tasks.

Once imported, data can be summarised, transformed, or explained with natural-language prompts. Perplexity AI is capable of generating descriptive statistics, pivot suggestions, formula builders, and explanatory narratives for charts. The system automatically identifies categorical versus numeric columns, and can suggest cleaned data exports ready for use in programming environments.

Function	Example use	Output type
Quick summary	“Summarise trends in this sheet.”	Markdown narrative with statistics
Formula generator	“Give me a CAGR formula for column D.”	Excel and Sheets syntax formula
Pivot suggest	“Create pivot by region and quarter.”	CSV + explanation
Chart explain	“Explain chart 3 in plain terms.”	Narrative with outlier notes
Dataframe export	“Export as pandas.”	Python code with cleaning steps

These functions make the tool suitable for both analysts and non-technical users who need clear explanations of data patterns.

Performance benchmarks show scalability across plans.

Benchmarks show that large spreadsheets are processed quickly, with throughput and latency improving significantly across subscription tiers. For 100,000 rows, free-tier latency averages 6.8 seconds, while enterprise plans achieve 2.4 seconds. Daily sheet quotas increase from 10 for free users to 2,000 for enterprise clients.

Plan	Rows analysed/min	Latency (100k rows)	Daily sheet quota
Free	30,000	6.8 s	10
Plus	60,000	4.2 s	100
Pro	90,000	3.1 s	500
Enterprise	120,000	2.4 s	2,000

These performance metrics confirm the suitability of the service for both casual use and enterprise-scale analysis.

Security and compliance measures are embedded.

Governance features make spreadsheet uploads safer for regulated organisations. The platform applies cell-level redaction, region-based processing for EU or US customers, and audit logs with file hashes, token counts, and latency records. A no-train flag ensures confidential data is excluded from model training.

These measures align the tool with industry requirements in finance, healthcare, and government contexts where compliance is mandatory.

Limitations and work-arounds affect large or complex files.

While the service is robust, certain limitations remain. XLSX files over one million cells may time out, requiring splitting into smaller files or converting to CSV. Array formulas are not supported, and complex 3-D charts are ignored. Locale issues with decimal separators can cause parsing errors, but prompts can be prefixed with a locale qualifier to solve this.

Issue	Cause	Work-around
Timeout on very large XLSX	XML unzip overhead	Split or convert to CSV
Array formulas unsupported	Parser limitation	Recalculate in Sheets
3-D charts ignored	No parser support	Flatten to image
Locale number errors	Regional formats	Specify locale in prompt

These practical considerations help users anticipate issues and optimise workflows.

The roadmap indicates broader integration.

The published development roadmap lists live formula auditing, SQL translation for CSV uploads, and a Power BI connector as upcoming features. Formula auditing will allow step-by-step evaluation of calculations, while the Power BI connector will extend support into dashboard analytics.

Taken together, these updates confirm that Perplexity AI is evolving into a comprehensive environment for spreadsheet handling, data exploration, and business reporting that bridges everyday office tools and technical analysis environments.

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