How to automate reports in Google Sheets or Excel (with Codex!), by Dawn Choo on YouTube. 1 min 12 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 12 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Open your data in Google Sheets, or export it as Excel or CSV. Connect Codex to that file so it can read the columns and rows.
Ask Codex to explore the data and list ways to clean it up, such as removing duplicates, fixing date formats or filling blanks.
Read through the suggested cleanups. Keep only the ones you agree with, and add any fixes Codex missed, like renaming a column.
Tell Codex to process the cleaned data. Ask it to build the pivot tables and charts you need directly in Google Sheets.
Check that the pivot tables and charts show the right numbers before you move on to the report.
Ask Codex to write up the findings in a Google Doc. Give it the audience, context and tone you want, for example a short update for your manager.
Read the draft and correct any wrong figures or wording. Once the process works, keep the same chat open.
In the same chat, ask Codex to build the process into an automation that runs on a schedule, such as every Monday at 9am ET.
Test the automation once by running it manually, then confirm the report arrives on time and the numbers match your sheet.
Tips and common mistakes
Give Codex detailed instructions about audience, context and tone, because vague prompts produce vague reports.
Review every cleanup suggestion before applying it, since an automatic fix can delete rows you still need.
Keep the whole workflow in one chat so Codex remembers the earlier steps when you ask for the automation.
Check the scheduled time zone, because a report set for 9am ET will arrive at a different hour for other teams.
Questions
Do I need to know how to code?
No. You describe the task in plain language and Codex writes the steps. You only need to review the output and correct mistakes.
Does this work with Excel as well as Google Sheets?
Yes. You can connect Codex to a Google Sheet, an Excel file or a CSV, and it can also write the report into Google Docs.
What if the automation sends wrong numbers?
Run it once manually and compare the report to your sheet. Fix the prompt or the data cleanup step, then run it again before trusting the schedule.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
