Clean Your Files Before You Build Copied!
Purpose: Transform learns your process from the files you give it, so cleaner files mean a faster, more accurate build. This article covers what to clear out, what to leave alone, and a checklist to run before you upload.
Remove the Clutter, Keep the Structure Copied!
Create with AI studies your files to work out how your process runs. Anything that isn't part of the process gets in the way, so clear it out. The layout of your files is part of the process, so leave it exactly as your system produces it.
The same file before and after cleanup. The numbers match the Remove list above and the five cards below, and the title band and headers stay as exported.
Five Things to Clear Out Copied!
Links to other workbooks cause errors when Create with AI checks your file.
How: In Excel, go to Data → Workbook Links → Break All.
Pasted images and embedded PDFs add file size and clutter.
How: Select the object and delete it. Home → Find & Select → Selection Pane lists every object on a tab.
Tabs your process doesn't use add noise for the agent to sort through.
How: Right-click any tab and choose Unhide to find hidden sheets, then delete the ones you don't need. Keep every tab the process relies on.
Empty rows and columns below or beside your data inflate the file.
How: Press Ctrl + End to jump to the last used cell. If it's far past your data, delete the extra rows and columns, then save.
Old pivots left over from past analysis add noise.
How: Delete any pivot the process doesn't use. If your process does rely on one, leave it in and describe what it shows so the builder can recreate it with live formulas.
The same file, cleaned one item at a time.
Leave the Structure Alone Copied!
Cleaning means clearing clutter. It doesn't mean reformatting your exports. Create with AI has to handle your file the way it will look every period.
Two versions of the same export. Only the one on the left matches what your system produces each period.
- Use real exports. Keep them exactly as they come out of your system. Don't reformat them or delete rows or header bands.
- Deliver files the same way each period. Tab names and column order should match from month to month. If they vary, tell your FDA so a step can normalize the file.
- Match your mapping files. Names and codes for vendors, accounts and customers should match the export spelling exactly, with no blanks or unmapped items.
Prepare Your Expected Output File Copied!
The expected output is the finished file you want the agent to produce. Create with AI works out how to recreate it from your inputs, so it needs to be right.
- Correct and final. Use the file you would actually rely on, reviewed and correct.
- Same period as the inputs. Remove old or scratch tabs from other periods.
- Nothing typed by hand. Every value should come from the inputs, a mapping file or a formula. Flag anything keyed in manually.
- Representative. Cover every rule in the process, such as each vendor type, account or exception path. An example that's too small or too uniform hides the rules.
- One-offs flagged. Tell your FDA about true-ups, corrections or reclasses in the example that aren't part of the normal process.
- A second period, if you have one. Inputs and output from another month in the same layout confirm the rules hold beyond a single example.
File Basics Copied!
- Format: Word and PDF files can be attached as background context, such as an SOP. Data files should be Excel (.xlsx) or CSV.
- Size: Larger files take longer to read. If an export is over 50 MB, tell your FDA before the session. They can usually re-run it for a narrower scope, like a date range or fewer columns, or pull the data with a SQL query step.
- Count: Include only the files the process needs, since each one adds reading time. If your process needs more than 30, tell your FDA so they can plan for it.
Before You Upload Copied!
Run through this list for every file, then upload.
Need to swap a file? If you want to use a different file after you've started, start a new chat with the corrected files. A quick pass through this list first saves the restart.
Not sure whether something in your file needs to go? Reach out to your FDA before your session.