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Chart a Spreadsheet with Claude or ChatGPT

This guide shows how to turn a spreadsheet into a chart from a conversation with Claude, ChatGPT or Claude Code. Your AI assistant sends the spreadsheet to InstaCharts through the InstaCharts MCP server, builds the chart you describe, checks how it looks and returns a share link and embed code. The chart and its data are saved in your InstaCharts workspace, where you can keep editing them.

Short answer: connect https://api.instacharts.io/mcp to your AI app, then send your spreadsheet in one of four ways: paste it into the chat, give a link to the file, upload it from your computer with Claude Code, or pick a sheet that is already in InstaCharts. Then ask for the chart in plain language.

An example bar chart made in InstaCharts
An example bar chart made in InstaCharts

Before you start

  • An InstaCharts account and a workspace on a paid plan
  • An AI app that supports remote MCP servers, such as Claude, ChatGPT or Claude Code
  • InstaCharts connected to that app. Follow Connect AI Apps for the setup steps, which take about a minute.

Choose how to send your spreadsheet

Pick the method that fits where your spreadsheet lives and how big it is. Every method creates a regular InstaCharts sheet with column types (text, number, date, percent and currency) detected from the values.

MethodBest forWorks in
Paste the data into the chatSmall tables of up to a few hundred rowsClaude, ChatGPT, Claude Code
Give a link to the fileGoogle Sheets published as CSV, GitHub files, open dataClaude, ChatGPT, Claude Code
Upload a file from your computerLarge CSV and Excel files on your computerClaude Code
Use a sheet already in InstaChartsUploaded files and synced Google SheetsClaude, ChatGPT, Claude Code

Paste the data into the chat

Paste a table from Excel, Google Sheets or a CSV file straight into the chat, or attach a small spreadsheet file if your AI app reads attachments. The assistant sends the rows to InstaCharts with the create_sheet tool and gives the sheet a name.

This method suits small tables, because the assistant writes every row into its request to InstaCharts. For a spreadsheet with more than a few hundred rows, use a link or an upload so the whole file reaches InstaCharts directly.

Example prompt:

Here is our monthly sales by region. Make a stacked bar chart in InstaCharts with month on the x axis and sales split by region, then give me the share link.

When the spreadsheet is online, give the assistant a link to the file. InstaCharts downloads the file itself with the import_from_url tool, so every row reaches the sheet. In the claude.ai web app and in ChatGPT, a link is the best way to send a large spreadsheet to InstaCharts.

Links that work well:

  • A Google Sheet published to the web as CSV. In Google Sheets, open File, choose Share, then Publish to web. Pick the tab, choose Comma-separated values (.csv) and copy the link.
  • A raw file on GitHub, from the Raw button on the file’s page.
  • An export or download link on an open data portal.
  • Any public https link that downloads a CSV, TSV, Excel, OpenDocument, Numbers or JSON file.

The link has to download the file itself. A link to a web page that shows the data is refused. See Which Links Work for the details and file size limits.

The sheet keeps the link, so you can open it in InstaCharts later and sync it on a schedule (hourly, daily, weekly or monthly). Every chart built on the sheet redraws with the new data after each sync.

Example prompt:

Import the CSV at https://example.com/exports/signups.csv into my Marketing workspace and make a line chart of signups by week.

Upload a file from your computer

Claude Code can run commands, so it can send a CSV or Excel file from your computer to InstaCharts. The assistant asks InstaCharts for a one-time upload link with the create_upload_link tool, then sends the file to that link. The link works once and expires after 15 minutes.

This is the best method for large spreadsheets, because the file goes straight to InstaCharts and never passes through the conversation. An Excel workbook with several tabs becomes one sheet per tab. Your plan’s row, column and file size limits apply, the same as a file you upload in the app.

Example prompt:

Upload data/q3-orders.xlsx to InstaCharts and chart total revenue by product category as a horizontal bar chart, largest first.

Use a sheet already in InstaCharts

Any sheet in your workspace can be charted from the chat. This includes files you uploaded in the app and sheets connected to Google Sheets or Google Drive. The assistant finds the sheet with list_sheets, reads its columns with read_sheet and builds the chart.

This is a good choice for Google Sheets you keep editing. A Google Sheet connected through the Google Drive data source can update automatically when the Google file changes, and every chart built on it updates too, including the charts your assistant made.

Example prompt:

Read my Website Traffic sheet and make a line chart of sessions by month, grouped by channel.

Ask for the chart

Describe the chart the way you would describe it to a colleague. The assistant maps your request to the chart settings below, and you can name any of them directly when you want a specific result.

SettingWhat it controls
Chart typeAny of the InstaCharts chart types, such as bar, line, pie, heatmap or gauge
X axisThe category or date column (ex: Month, Region, Product)
Y axisThe number column being measured (ex: Sales). Leave it out to count rows.
Group byA second column that splits the values into series for grouped and stacked charts
AggregationHow values combine: sum, average, median, min, max, count, distinct count, valid or missing
Date groupingYear, quarter, month, week or day, or month of year and day of week to compare seasons
FiltersLimit the chart to matching rows (ex: three countries or one date range)
Top itemsShow only the top or bottom items (ex: the top 10 products)
SortSort by label or by value, in either direction
LookTitle, subtitle, caption, axis titles, theme, colors, size and horizontal bars

InstaCharts calculates the chart values from every row in the sheet, so sums, averages and counts cover the complete dataset. New charts use your workspace’s saved theme, fonts and colors.

Check and refine the chart

  1. Ask the assistant to show you the chart. It renders the chart as an image with get_chart_image so you can both see the result in the chat.

  2. Ask for changes in plain language, such as “sort the bars from largest to smallest”, “group the dates by quarter” or “use our brand blue, #1f4e8c”. The assistant updates the same chart, so its link stays the same.

  3. Open the chart in InstaCharts for anything you want to adjust by hand. Charts made from the chat open in the regular chart editor, where you can add annotations, change labels and set every other option.

To add your logo, give the assistant a link to the image or, in Claude Code, a local file. The assistant adds it to your workspace’s shared assets and places it on the chart.

Share or embed the chart

Ask the assistant to share the chart. It makes the chart public with share_chart and returns three things:

  • A share link that opens the interactive chart in any browser
  • An embed url for tools that take a link to embed
  • The iframe embed code to paste into WordPress, Webflow, Squarespace or any HTML page

The link and embed code stay the same when the chart or its data changes, so every page that shows the chart displays the latest version. See Share Charts and Embed Charts in a Website for the sharing options in the app.

You can also ask for a dashboard that combines several charts, KPI numbers, a data table and slicers built from the same spreadsheet.

Keep the chart up to date

A chart made from the chat stays connected to its sheet, so you can update the numbers without rebuilding the chart:

  • Ask the assistant to add, change or delete rows. It uses add_rows, update_rows and delete_rows, and every chart on the sheet redraws.
  • Sync from a link on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly schedule when the sheet came from a file link.
  • Sync from Google Sheets when the sheet is connected to a Google Sheet.
  • Upload a new version of the file in the app with Update Sheet Data, which overwrites the rows, adds rows or adds columns.

The chart type, colors, labels and annotations stay in place through every update.

Tasks

Each change the assistant makes counts as one task, such as creating a sheet, importing or uploading a file, creating or editing a chart, sharing it and rendering a chart image. Listing and reading your sheets and charts is free. A typical spreadsheet-to-shared-chart conversation uses 4 to 6 tasks.

Troubleshooting

My workspace is missing from the list

AI apps can only work in workspaces on a paid plan, and free workspaces are hidden from them. Check the workspace’s plan in InstaCharts, or ask the assistant to use a different workspace.

The link has to download the file. Copy the link from the site’s Download, Export or Raw button, and for a Google Sheet use the Publish to web CSV link. A link to a Google Sheet that you only shared, or to any page that displays the data, is refused.

Only part of my spreadsheet reached the sheet

Pasted data depends on the assistant copying every row into its request. For larger spreadsheets, send a link to the file or, in Claude Code, upload the file. Both methods put the whole file into the sheet. Also check your plan’s row limit, which applies to every sheet.

Frequently asked questions

Can ChatGPT make a chart from an Excel file?

Yes. With InstaCharts connected, ChatGPT can chart a small Excel table you paste into the chat, an Excel file at a public link, or an Excel file you already uploaded to InstaCharts. The result is an interactive InstaCharts chart with a share link and embed code.

Can Claude make charts from a Google Sheet?

Yes. Publish the Google Sheet to the web as CSV and give Claude the link, or connect the Google Sheet to InstaCharts and ask Claude to chart that sheet. A Google Sheet connected to InstaCharts keeps every chart current as the Google file changes.

How large can the spreadsheet be?

Your InstaCharts plan sets the row, column and file size limits, the same as a file uploaded in the app. Links and upload links send the whole file to InstaCharts, so they handle the largest spreadsheets your plan allows.

Does my spreadsheet pass through the AI chat?

Data you paste into the chat goes through the AI app. A file sent with a link import or an upload link goes straight to InstaCharts. The assistant then reads the column names and a page of rows when it needs them to plan the chart.

Can I edit the chart without the AI app?

Yes. Every chart your assistant makes is a regular InstaCharts chart in your workspace. Open it in the chart editor to change any setting, and the share link and embed code stay the same.