Data Analysis

ChatGPT analyzes uploaded spreadsheets, CSV files and PDFs by writing and running Python, then answers with tables and charts; it began as Code Interpreter in July 2023, is limited on Free and fuller on paid plans, and draws interactive bar, line, pie and scatter charts.

ChatGPT analyzes data by reading an uploaded file, such as an Excel workbook, a CSV or a PDF, and, for many questions, writing and running Python in "a stateful Jupyter notebook" to calculate the answer, then showing the result as text, a table or a chart (OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026). Upload the file, say what to find out, and check the method it used. Data analysis is "Limited" on Free and available on Go, Plus and Pro (ChatGPT pricing, read Nov 6, 2026). The feature began in July 2023 as Code Interpreter.

A file named marketplace-risk-model-rollout-export.csv being dragged from a Finder window onto the ChatGPT composer OpenAI

Quick facts

What it does	Summaries, tables, charts, Python calculations and statistics on uploaded data (OpenAI Help Center)
Files	.xls, .xlsx, .csv, PDF, .json, .xml, .yaml, .txt, .md (OpenAI Help Center)
Spreadsheet size	About 50 MB
Interactive charts	Bar, line, pie and scatter, since Jun 8, 2026
Plans	Free "Limited"; Go, Plus and Pro "Yes" (ChatGPT pricing, as of Nov 6, 2026)
Internet access	None from the Python environment (OpenAI Help Center)
First released	Jul 6, 2023, as Code Interpreter (beta, web)

What can ChatGPT data analysis do?

OpenAI's article lists the jobs: summarize rows, columns, trends and outliers; build tables to check row by row; draw charts; run calculations, transformations and statistical analysis in Python; and explain its assumptions, results and next steps (OpenAI Help Center). When it runs code, the notebook keeps its state across the chat, so a second question can build on the first, and pandas DataFrames show up as interactive tables.

The Python environment "cannot make external web requests or API calls" (OpenAI Help Center): the data has to be uploaded, or reached through a connected app.

How do you analyze a spreadsheet with ChatGPT?

Select + in the message box, then Add photos & files, and choose the workbook or CSV (OpenAI Help Center). Files in Google Drive, OneDrive or SharePoint can be attached through Plugins where available.
Say what to learn, naming the columns, groupings, calculations or chart type that matter.
Read the answer, then ask ChatGPT to show the code or change the method if anything looks off.

OpenAI's tips for files: descriptive headers in the first row, one record per row, plain-language column names, no blank rows or columns splitting the data, one table per sheet, and no values hidden inside images (OpenAI Help Center). Big, image-heavy or formula-heavy workbooks may not be analyzed in full; ask about one sheet or range, or split the file.

Charts: static and interactive

ChatGPT draws charts as images, and some can be switched to an interactive version: bar, line, pie and scatter charts carry a Switch to interactive chart button, and Switch to static chart returns to the image (OpenAI Help Center). Interactive charts arrived on Jun 8, 2026. OpenAI's pricing table lists "Interactive tables and charts" for Plus and Pro (ChatGPT pricing, read Nov 6, 2026). Since Oct 7, 2026, answers in the Chat tab can also hold charts and other live elements without any upload: see Intelligent UI.

Limits

OpenAI publishes no number of analyses per plan. The pricing page marks "Data analysis and vision" as Limited on Free and Yes on Go, Plus and Pro (ChatGPT pricing, as of Nov 6, 2026), and the Free FAQ says data analysis has its own limits even though everyday text chat is unlimited (OpenAI Help Center). Uploads count too: Free accounts get 3 file uploads a day. See File Uploads and Library and ChatGPT Usage Limits.

In Lockdown Mode, file downloads from data analysis are blocked (OpenAI Help Center).

The Data plugin in Work and Codex

For bigger jobs, the Data plugin, called with "@Data", arrived in ChatGPT Work and Codex on Sep 10, 2026. It works under Work's allowance, not the Chat tab's limits. For working inside a workbook rather than a chat, OpenAI also offers ChatGPT for Excel and Google Sheets (ChatGPT in Office).

2:38 In OpenAI's walkthrough of ChatGPT Work, a question about how an app launch is going brings in data skills on its own and returns activation rates, signups and an onboarding funnel, with a likely problem in one country already flagged.

From Code Interpreter to data analysis

Date	Change
Jul 6, 2023	"Code interpreter is now rolling out in beta on web"
May 16, 2024	"Improvements to data analysis"
Jun 8, 2026	Interactive bar, line, pie and scatter charts in answers
Sep 10, 2026	Data plugin in Work and Codex

Source: ChatGPT release notes, read Nov 6, 2026.

Check the results

ChatGPT can choose a method or chart that does not match the intent, and exact values from scanned PDFs or image tables may be wrong (OpenAI Help Center). Name the method when it matters, and check the code and totals before relying on them.

Frequently asked questions

Can ChatGPT analyze an Excel file? Yes. Upload the .xlsx, .xls or .csv file (about 50 MB at most) and ask a question; ChatGPT reads it and runs Python on it where needed. Free accounts have limited data analysis and 3 uploads a day.

Is ChatGPT data analysis free? It is available on Free with limits; Go, Plus and Pro get fuller access, as of Nov 6, 2026. OpenAI does not publish the numbers.

What happened to Code Interpreter? Code Interpreter, released in beta on Jul 6, 2023, is the same feature, now called data analysis inside ChatGPT. There is no separate switch for it.

Can ChatGPT make charts? Yes. It draws charts as images, and bar, line, pie and scatter charts can be switched to interactive ones with Switch to interactive chart.

Can ChatGPT's data analysis use the internet? No. Its Python environment cannot make web requests or API calls; upload the data or connect a source first.