How data works in a chat
A chat works with one piece of data at a time: a dataset (a file you uploaded) or a source (a database or an API). Attach it once, and every message in that chat is answered from it.
Datasets and sources
| Dataset | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| What | An Excel, CSV or JSON file you uploaded | A PostgreSQL, MySQL, BigQuery or Snowflake database, or a REST API |
| Where it lives | Datasets in the sidebar | Sources in the sidebar |
| Plans | All plans | Pro and Pro+ |
| Data freshness | The file as you uploaded it | Live: every question runs on the database |
Upload a file: Upload a file. Connect a database or an API: Connect a database or API.
The chip
When a chat has data, a chip with its name sits above the message box. It stays there for every message until you remove it. Hover the chip to remove the data from the chat, or to attach a different source.
Two ways to get the chip:
- Attach in the chat: drop a table into the chat and choose Upload as dataset, or press + → Attach Source.
- Start from the data: open Datasets or Sources in the sidebar and click the one you want. A new chat opens with it attached.
Opening an old chat brings its chip back.
What you get back
Ask in plain words. Every answer comes with the chart or the table behind it, and you can download the rows as CSV.
Which region grew fastest this quarter?
Show revenue by month as a line chart
Find customers who stopped ordering in the last 60 days
Tabloy computes over every row of the data, not a sample: totals, breakdowns, comparisons, trends. It does not guess a number it cannot compute.
One dataset per chat
A chat holds one dataset or one source. To compare two files, put the data in one file (two sheets are fine) or connect a database that has both tables. To switch, remove the chip and attach another; the earlier answers stay in the chat.
Builds from data
In a chat with data, everything you build uses it: a dashboard, a report, a deck, a workbook, a website with your numbers on it. See Dashboards and reports.
Files that are not data
A PDF, a Word file or an image attached to the chat is read as a document, not as a dataset. That is the right path for text. See Images and files.
Sample files
No data at hand? Sample files has three spreadsheets to try.