OmniDocHow to modify and edit the Excel table generated by AI
Data misalignment, formula reference errors, and formatting confusion are common in AI-generated Excel tables. This article talks about backup and verification before editing, how to modify formulas and formats, and the steps to adjust tables in UniCell of the OmniDoc desktop client.
Key points of this article
- Save the original file first, and then modify it. You can return to the original output of the AI when an error occurs.
- Check the data type column by column. Numbers saved as text and date misalignment are common problems in AI tables.
- Don’t trust the entire formula, check one by one to see if the referenced cells correspond to the correct rows and columns.
- Unify formatting at the end. Make sure the data is correct first, then adjust fonts, column widths and number formats.
- Contents involving amounts, dates and statistical conclusions must be manually reviewed against the original data.
If you use a general chatbot or other AI tool to generate an Excel table, you will most likely encounter the following situations: the header is fine, but the data is skewed; the formula looks reasonable, but when you click it, the result is wrong; the number and date formats are messed up, and everything is messed up after sorting. Generating a table is only the first step. How to edit the excel table after AI generates it determines whether it can be actually used.
This article is written for people who need to sort out the AI output forms themselves, such as administrators who make monthly reports, students who sort out survey data, or small team members who need to check the budget. After reading, you will have a fixed sequence: first back up, then check the data, then check the formula, and finally unify the format. The article will also talk about how to complete these modifications in the UniCell table in the OmniDoc desktop client.
How to modify the Excel table generated by AI? One sentence conclusion
First keep the original file, then modify it in the order of "data, formula, format", and check every step. It is easy to rework if the order is reversed (make the table beautiful first and then check the data).
| your situation | Recommended practices | reason |
|---|---|---|
| The table data comes from the original data you provided | Compare it line by line with the original information, focusing on the amount and date | AI may miss lines, serialize or rewrite numbers |
| There are a lot of formulas in the table | Check the reference ranges one by one, first verify on a small number of samples | When the reference is misplaced, the result will be silently wrong and difficult to detect. |
| Just change the font, column width, and color | After the data is confirmed, adjustments will be made uniformly. | Adjusting the format first will cover up data problems and may result in redoing it. |
| Forms to be translated into other languages | Correct data and formulas first, then translate | The original content is incorrect, and the translation will only carry over the error. |
| The original is a table in PDF | Export to Excel in PDF editor first, then edit | It is easy to miss numbers when transcribing manually. It is easier to check after exporting. |
Before you start: Confirm these points first
- Is the original data available: The tables generated by AI are usually based on the text or samples you give. If there is no original data at hand, each number in the table should be treated as content to be verified, otherwise it will be impossible to judge whether it is right or wrong.
- Purpose of the table: whether to read it yourself, hand it over to the leader, or be used as a data source to be referenced by other tables. The purpose determines the strictness of the verification. The referenced tables should focus on checking the formulas and data types.
- The source format of the file: whether it is xlsx, csv, or copied from a PDF or web page. Copying web tables often brings in hidden spaces and merged cells, which require additional cleaning.
- Do you need translation: OmniDoc supports Excel file translation. You can choose bilingual comparison or translation only. Tables and formulas will be retained. However, it is recommended to finalize the document first and then translate it to avoid translating erroneous content twice.
- Which content must be manually reviewed: Contents such as amount, contract terms and statistical conclusions may be wrong in AI and machine translation, and need to be confirmed item by item against the original.
Steps to modify AI-generated tables in OmniDoc desktop client
- Save a copy of the original file: Make a copy of the AI-generated file before modification. The file name is marked with "original version". You can roll back when an error occurs.
- Open the UniCell table in the desktop client: UniCell is the spreadsheet component in the OmniDoc desktop client. If you cannot open the original file directly, create a new UniCell table and copy the data into it.
- Check the data first, don’t rush to change the format: Observe column by column. Numbers are usually right-aligned. If they are left-aligned, they are mostly text. If the date becomes a string of numbers, it means the format is lost. Also, pay attention to extra spaces and repeated lines.
- Correction of data type and content: Convert text numbers into numerical values, unify date format, delete redundant spaces, compare with original data, and complete or correct erroneous cells.
- Check formulas one by one: Click on the cell containing the formula to see if the range it refers to corresponds to the correct row and column. Pay attention to the difference between relative references and absolute references (with $ sign), and whether the reference cell is fixed when filling down.
- Verify the results with examples: Pick 3 to 5 lines to calculate manually and compare with the formula results. After confirming that it is correct, fill in the formula to the entire table.
- Unified format: Finally adjust the font, column width, decimal places and thousandths of numbers, and table header style.
- Save and check again: Save to the desired file format, reopen it once, and confirm that the data, formulas, and formatting are intact.
If you can only edit forms in a browser, you can use a universal online form editing website. Before selecting, confirm the file size limit, whether to include a watermark after exporting, whether to retain formulas, and the privacy policy's instructions on data storage.
Check each item after completion
| Check items | What do you think? | What if there's a problem? |
|---|---|---|
| Number of data rows | Comparison with the number of rows of the original data | If you are absent from the trip, go back to the original material and make up the record, not based on your impression. |
| Numeric type | Select a column to see if it is left-aligned and whether the sum result is abnormal | Re-sum verification after conversion to numerical value |
| Formula result | Pick a few lines to calculate by hand | Fixed reference range to fix reference cells with absolute references |
| Error value | Pay attention to # DIV/0!, # REF!, # NCMA, etc. | If the source is found, the divisor is zero, the reference is deleted or cannot be found. |
| Date | Check whether the order is reasonable after sorting. | Unify into the same date format |
| Merge cells | Sort or filter to see if the data is misplaced. | Cancel merging before sorting, and use merging as little as possible for important tables. |
| Consistent with the original | Key amounts and conclusions are compared one by one. | Modify the original and record the changes |
# which method is suitable for you?
- only a few corrections are required (less than dozens of lines) : directly check line by line in UniCell and fix it without complicated formula checking. - the table contains a large number of formulas or may be quoted by other tables : go through one by one according to the method of "checking formulas and sample verification", and keep the original version for easy traceability. - can only be edited in the browser : use the general online forms website, but forms involving personal information or internal financial data are preferred to be edited locally. - the original content is a PDF table : export to Excel before editing, which is less likely to be missed than manual copying.
# frequently asked questions (FAQ)
1. Can I hand over the forms generated by AI directly to others?
It's not recommended. First complete the data check and formula check, especially the amount, date and statistical conclusions, and confirm it against the original data before issuing.
2. How to tell if the number is saved as text?
Usually the numbers are aligned to the right and the text to the left. Select this column and look at the sum result: if you get a 0 or obviously small number, most of them have text numbers, which need to be converted to numerical values and then recalculated.
3. The result of the formula shows # REF! What shall I do?
This usually indicates that the cell referenced by the formula has been deleted or moved. Click on the error report cell one by one, find the original data source, repoint to the correct area, and then use the sample to verify the result.
4. After the revision, how to make sure that the other content has not been broken?
The original version retained is the baseline. Use the original version to compare the number of rows, key amounts, and formula results column by column to make sure that only what you plan to change has changed.
# Summary
Whether the Excel table generated by AI can be used depends on the order in which it is edited: first back up, then check the data, then check the formula, and finally unify the format. After each modification, use the sample or the original to verify, so as to prevent the error from being silently retained. The contents of the amount and conclusions involved shall always be based on the original data.
