spreadsheets

name: spreadsheets description: "Use this skill when a user requests to create, modify, analyze, visualize, or work with spreadsheet files (`.xlsx`, `.xls`, `.csv`, `.tsv`) with formulas, formatting, charts, tables, and recalculation."

Spreadsheets skill

This skill includes requirements and guidance for producing a correct, polished spreadsheet artifact quickly that completes the user's request. When producing spreadsheets or workbooks, you will be judged on layout, readability, style, adherence to industry norms/conventions and correctness. Follow the requirements below for how to use the APIs effectively and how to verify your output before finalizing work for the user.

For complex, analytical, financial or research involved tasks, you are especially judged on correctness and quality. You need to be professional. For these, always make sure you have a plan for how you're organizing the spreadsheet, and the data or visualizations within each sheet. For business, finance, operations, dashboard, and data-analysis prompts, aim for an output that can compete with a strong analyst-built workbook, not just a functional grid. A good default shape is an executive summary or dashboard first, then source/assumptions, then model/detail sheets. For simpler tasks like a creating template or tracker, or things that do not require research, prioritize doing the spreadsheet build and edits quickly, while ensuring the user's request is fulfilled.

For additional stylistic best practices, follow: style_guidelines.md

Read charts.md when creating or editing substantive charts, dashboards, or chart-ready summaries.

Tools + Contract

Use the Cowork-managed artifact runtime for spreadsheet artifact work: its bundled Node/Python runtimes, package directory, and verification details are authoritative. Do not use system node, system python, global npm packages, or repo-local installs.
Use @oai/artifact-tool JS library, which exists in the default Cowork workspace dependencies node_modules, for authoring, editing, inspecting, rendering, and exporting spreadsheet .xlsx workbooks.
Run builders from a writable conversation-specific temp or workspace directory, not from the managed dependency directory. Outputs and scratch files may live under the OS temp directory.
The Cowork artifact runtime is already wired into Node module resolution, so import "@oai/artifact-tool" resolves directly from your builder — no node_modules linking, NODE_PATH tweak, or other module-resolution setup is needed.
Prefer one executable .mjs builder; patch and rerun it when iterating. Do NOT use shell heredocs or keep extra builder copies.
If workspace dependencies or @oai/artifact-tool are unavailable, report a setup blocker; do not guess paths, install packages, use system deps, alter module resolution, copy/import bundled internals, or do a broad file system search.
Do not search package internals or dump prototypes to discover APIs. Use the API reference below; if blocked, run at most one exact workbook.help("<api_or_feature>") query before building.
Final response: include a short user-visible summary and standalone Markdown link(s) only to final .xlsx artifact(s), one per line: [Revenue Model - MNST.xlsx](/absolute/path/to/revenue_model_mnst.xlsx).
Do not mention internal tooling or support artifacts such as builders, rendered previews, JSON/CSV/log files, or scratch files unless explicitly requested.
Do not use alternate workbook creation/editing libraries such as openpyxl, xlsxwriter, or pandas.ExcelWriter unless the user explicitly asks for a non-artifact-tool fallback.
For analysis outside workbook authoring, use JS or spreadsheet formulas when sufficient. If Python is needed, use bundled Python libraries, save JSON/CSV intermediates, and have the JS builder create the workbook. Keep auditable/user-editable calculations as formulas.
For nontrivial work, use update_plan: build quickly, verify/render, repair meaningful issues, then finalize without long polish loops. Incrementally rendering your work and assessing overall aesthetics, formatting and correctness along the way is very important (rigorously inspect the output and be confident in quality), but do not get stuck in a long render-verify loop. As part of your plan, think about the best practices and conventions to follow for the specific type of spreadsheet you're creating and the best way to structure the workbook for readability and usability.

Domain Requirements

Read these domain templates only when the request clearly relates to the domain:

Finance, accounting, valuation, forecasting, budgeting, investing, operations metrics, investment banking, DCF, multi-statement models, sensitivity/scenario models, or source-backed financial filing analysis: templates/financial_models.md
Healthcare, clinical, patient, medical, hospital, staffing, care delivery, or healthcare administration workbooks: templates/healthcare.md
Marketing, advertising, campaign, funnel, lead, CRM, growth, attribution, ROI, or web/ad performance workbooks: templates/marketing_advertising.md
Scientific research, experiments, lab measurements, surveys, statistical analysis, reproducibility, protocol, or raw/processed research data workbooks: templates/scientific_research.md

Read all templates that clearly apply. Do not load domain templates for unrelated routine, lightweight, or basic formatting/editing tasks unless the user explicitly asks.

Only add Checks sheets for models where correctness depends on linked calculations, source reconciliation, or financial statement/model integrity.

General Rules

Start meaningful edits quickly; avoid long upfront API exploration.
Core APIs are listed in the API reference section below. Use them.
If these skill instructions are already loaded in context, do not spend a shell turn re-reading this SKILL.md from disk. Move directly to the prompt, attachments, and workbook build.
For workbook with multiple tabs/sheets, create/populate non-formula inputs/tables and sheets prior to populating cross-sheet formulas.

Approach for quickly building a new spreadsheet

Setup: import @oai/artifact-tool, create workbook/sheets for new files.
Build quickly: bulk-write headers/data/formulas; then formatting/validation/conditional formatting; add charts/tables only when needed.
Use additional focused calls if helpful for streamed progress.
Near completion: inspect key ranges, scan formula errors, render all the sheets and verify, run a validation pass
Export .xlsx

Making edits on a spreadsheet

If a user asks to edit or add to an existing spreadsheet:

For visual fix requests, start with the smallest plausible local change rather than applying sheet-wide autofit, wrapping, or restyling.
When making edits, ensure existing formulas and patterns are consistent. For example, if asked to add another column or row to a table and there is conditional formatting applied to the whole table, it should extend to the new column or rows as well.
If specific cells/rows/columns are specified in prompt, limit edits to those ranges unless a broader change is clearly necessary. The exceptions are when other parts of the spreadsheet depend on them, e.g. if there's a dynamic chart that is based on the range of values in a table and a new row is added, the chart should include that new row. Another example is if conditional formatting was already set for a table from A1:C5, and you add a new column D, the conditional formatting should be updated (or deleted and re-created) to cover A1:D5.
For column resizing, avoid autofitting by default: instead, inspect only relevant data range, measure the longest text entry in that range, and set columnWidthPx to an estimated width based on text length (with a reasonable min/max cap). Use autofit only when the user explicitly asks for it.

Handling queries and questions

The user may ask questions about the sheet instead of requesting an edit or a change. Simply answer those questions about the spreadsheet based on the context available rather than making an edit the user didn't intend for. You can use inspect to learn more or directly read values/formulas/tables etc via accessor methods.

Error Recovery

On first error:

Read error text.
Run one targeted workbook.help("<exact_api>") query only if needed.
Retry with minimal patch (not full rewrite).
Continue from existing workbook state.

Do not loop indefinitely on similar failures.

Quality Guidelines

Keep layout readable and bounded, contents visible:
- avoid extreme width/height from unconstrained autofit
- cap oversized widths/heights after autofit + wrap_text
Prefer formula-driven logic over manual painted cells when logic is expected.
Derived values must be formulas (not hardcoded) and legible.
Use absolute/relative references correctly for fill/copy behavior.
Do not use magic numbers in formulas; reference cells (e.g. =H6*(1+$B$3)).
Blank editable templates must look blank/neutral before user data is entered. Count, ranking, best/worst, IRR/RATE/XIRR, variance, and status formulas should guard on required input cells and return "", 0, or a clear "No entries yet" state as appropriate. Alternatively, prefill with a few rows of example data.
Include at least one visual summary for tracker/planning requests when appropriate (KPI block, chart, dashboard area).
For dashboard, visualization, chart-ready analysis, budget/reporting, trend, schedule/timeline, and KPI prompts with plottable data, include at least one native Excel chart unless a verified export failure remains after simplifying the chart. Do not silently replace all charts with styled tables.
For presentation-ready analytical workbooks, plain range formatting alone is usually not enough. Prefer real Excel structures where useful: tables, freeze panes, filters, data validation, conditional formats, and at least one chart/KPI/dashboard visual when the prompt implies summary analysis.
In rendered previews of dashboards and summary sheets, check financial values and row labels at normal zoom. Widen columns, adjust row heights, or move chart panels until important numbers and text are not clipped, awkwardly wrapped, or hidden.

Completion Criteria

Complete only when:

Workbook content is populated and formulas compute.
No obvious formula errors in key scanned ranges (no bad refs/off-by-one/circular errors).
.xlsx saved to outputs/<unique_thread_id>/.
Layout is organized, legible, and aligned to request style (or default formatting baseline).

Verification Rules

Before final response, verify values/formulas and visual quality.

Inspect key ranges:

const check = await workbook.inspect({
  kind: "table",
  range: "Dashboard!A1:H20",
  include: "values,formulas",
  tableMaxRows: 20,
  tableMaxCols: 12,
});
console.log(check.ndjson);

Inspect targeting:

Prefer sheet-qualified ranges ("Sheet!A1:H20") or sheetId.

Scan formula errors:

const errors = await workbook.inspect({
  kind: "match",
  searchTerm: "#REF!|#DIV/0!|#VALUE!|#NAME\\?|#N/A",
  options: { useRegex: true, maxResults: 300 },
  summary: "final formula error scan",
});
console.log(errors.ndjson);

Render sheets/ranges to verify visual output (skip if already verified and no style changes):

const blob = await workbook.render({ sheetName: "Sheet1", range: "A1:H20", scale: 2 });

Make sure you do at least one visual pass of all the sheets in the workbook before the final export.

Visual requirements:

Fix severe defects before finalizing: blank/broken charts, clipped key headers or numbers, unreadable colors, obvious formula errors, default blank sheets, or content outside the visible working area.
Ensure logical labels or titles appear once, texts are all clearly visible, and merged ranges exist where labels or content intentionally span multiple columns.
Do one focused visual repair pass after the initial render. Do not spend additional passes on minor polish once the workbook is correct, legible, and exported; note any minor limitation briefly and finalize.

Keep verification compact:

Inspect key ranges.
Avoid huge NDJSON dumps.

Export:

await fs.mkdir(outputDir, { recursive: true });
const output = await SpreadsheetFile.exportXlsx(workbook);
await output.save(`${outputDir}/output.xlsx`);

Finalize immediately after successful export + compact verification.

Do not export extra .xlsx variants unless asked.
Do not keep iterating on alternate designs once requirements are met, unless asked.

Source, PDF, and Attachment Processing

Use bundled runtime libraries for source extraction. For PDF or 10-K/10-Q style inputs, read PDF via bundled Python pypdf when available, then use one small structured extraction script to collect all required facts into a dict/JSON object. Avoid many ad hoc rg/sed passes over the same text.
Keep source notes compact: record file name, section/table label, and enough context to audit the number. Do not paste large PDF excerpts into the workbook unless requested.
Bundled Python libraries available for extraction/analysis include pandas, numpy, pypdf, python-docx, and reportlab.
Bundled JS libraries available for document/PDF work include docx, pdf-lib, and pdfjs-dist.

Using artifact_tool APIs (JavaScript)

Imports + Startup

Import existing workbook only when needed:

import { FileBlob, SpreadsheetFile } from "@oai/artifact-tool";

const input = await FileBlob.load("path/to/input.xlsx");
const workbook = await SpreadsheetFile.importXlsx(input);

Import CSV text directly when the source or intermediate data is CSV:

import fs from "node:fs/promises";
import { Workbook } from "@oai/artifact-tool";

const csvText = await fs.readFile("path/to/input.csv", "utf8");
const workbook = await Workbook.fromCSV(csvText, { sheetName: "Sheet1" });

Prefer Workbook.fromCSV(...) over hand-parsing CSV rows; clean or analyze CSV with Python/Node first only when needed.

Create new workbook:

import fs from "node:fs/promises";
import { SpreadsheetFile, Workbook } from "@oai/artifact-tool";

const workbook = Workbook.create();
const sheet = workbook.worksheets.add("Inputs");

Final export:

await fs.mkdir(outputDir, { recursive: true });
const output = await SpreadsheetFile.exportXlsx(workbook);
await output.save(`${outputDir}/output.xlsx`);

Build Patterns

Prefer block writes (range.values, range.formulas) over per-cell loops. Matrix shape must match the target range (for example "D4:M4" should be a 1x10 matrix, row x col).
Seed scalar formulas once, then fillDown() / fillRight(). For dynamic-array formulas (SEQUENCE, UNIQUE, FILTER, SORT, VSTACK, HSTACK), write only the anchor cell and let the result spill after.
Use range.displayFormulas plus range.formulaInfos when you need to understand a spill child or a data-table output cell.
You do not need to call recalculate; calculation automatically happens.
Date handling:
- Prefer real Date objects for sortable/charted/formula date columns.
- Apply date formats explicitly (for example yyyy-mm-dd).
Use JSON-serializable values for non-Date cells: string | number | boolean | null.
If a cell is intended to display literal text that begins with =, write it as a value prefixed with a single quote (for example '=B2*C2). This includes formula descriptions, validation examples, and labels; do not write these cells through range.formulas.
Create every worksheet referenced by formulas before writing any cross-sheet formulas.
When rebuilding dashboards, delete drawings first with sheet.deleteAllDrawings(). range.clear() does not remove charts, shapes, or images.
Verify with await workbook.inspect(...); use workbook.help(...) only when the quick surface below is insufficient.
For formula audits or tracing how a formula is calculated, use workbook.trace("Sheet!A1") on the key output/check cells. It takes only a cell reference and returns the full tree, so print a capped summary. Do not dump raw traces.

Conventions

Use camelCase API names and option keys.
Cell/range addressing: A1 notation (sheet.getRange("A1:C10")).
Drawing anchors (sheet.charts, sheet.shapes, sheet.images): 0-based { row, col }.
Drawing offsets/extents use pixels (rowOffsetPx, colOffsetPx, widthPx, heightPx).

API Discovery

Use this quick API surface first.
Use workbook.help(...) only when blocked by uncertainty.
For help queries, start with exact feature/path lookups (chart, worksheet.getRange, worksheet.freezePanes, range.dataValidation, chart.series.add). If an exact path fails, one broader wildcard search is allowed.
Do not repeat semantically similar help queries.
If one help query returns 0 matches, reformulate once, then proceed best-effort.
render can be used to examine an existing workbook visually and for visual verifications.

Efficient Formula Lookup

If you know the function name, use exact lookup first: workbook.help("fx.PMT", { include: "index,examples,notes", maxChars: 3000 }).
To browse a family, use fx.* with a category regex. Useful categories: financial, math-trig, statistical, lookup-reference, logical, text, date-time, information, engineering, database.
For intent-based lookup, use a short natural query plus a narrow search regex of likely functions.
Keep maxChars bounded; if results are noisy, narrow search rather than issuing many similar queries.

Useful help calls:

console.log(workbook.help("shape.add", { include: "examples,notes" }).ndjson);
console.log(
  workbook.help("*", {
    search: "fill|borders|autofit",
    include: "index,examples,notes",
    maxChars: 6000,
  }).ndjson,
);
console.log(workbook.help("fx.PMT", { include: "index,examples,notes" }).ndjson);
console.log(workbook.help("fx.*", { search: "financial", include: "index,examples", maxChars: 4000 }).ndjson);
console.log(workbook.help("fx.*", { search: "math-trig", include: "index,examples", maxChars: 4000 }).ndjson);
console.log(workbook.help("lookup with fallback", { search: "XLOOKUP|INDEX|MATCH|IFERROR", include: "index,examples,notes", maxChars: 4000 }).ndjson);

Reading existing/imported workbooks

On existing/imported workbooks, get a compact summary via inspect to understand what already exists and where.
Prefer inspect(...) for workbook understanding and discovery across broad areas.
Prefer direct getters like range.formulas when you already know the target range and need the exact rectangular formula matrix.
If formula locations are unknown, prefer inspect({ kind: "formula", ... }) over reading range.formulas across a very large area.
Prefer to set maxChars, tableMaxRows, tableMaxCols, and/or maxResults to prevent large dumps of data.
For suspicious or high-impact outputs, use workbook.trace("Sheet!A1") to audit the dependency tree from final output/check cell back to source cells. Trace output can be large, so summarize by depth/node count before logging.

Inspect for workbook understanding

Compact summary:

await wb.inspect({
  kind: "workbook,sheet,table",
  maxChars: 6000,
  tableMaxRows: 6,
  tableMaxCols: 6,
  tableMaxCellChars: 80,
});

Quick overview of sheet ids and names: await wb.inspect({ kind: "sheet", include: "id,name" })
Formula discovery in a targeted area: await wb.inspect({ kind: "formula", sheetId: firstSheetName, range: "A1:Z30", maxChars: 2500, options: {maxResults:50} })
Checking existing styles in a targeted area: await wb.inspect({ kind: "computedStyle", sheetId: firstSheetName, range: "A1:E10", maxChars: 2500 })
Common kind tokens: workbook, sheet, table, region, match, formula, thread, computedStyle, definedName, drawing
Inspects can also be used to zoom in on specific areas, especially for target edits:

await wb.inspect({
  kind: "region",
  sheetId: firstSheetName,
  range: "A1:Z30",
  maxChars: 2500,
});

Inspect output may include JSON records with "id" values (for example "ws/r5qsk5"), which you can resolve back to workbook objects with wb.resolve(...):
wb.resolve("ws/...") -> worksheet
wb.resolve("th/...") -> comment thread

Additional feature-specific notes

Merging cells

Merging cells is useful for visual headers, title bands, note/source blocks, and labels that span columns.
range.merge() merges the target range into one cell; range.merge(true) merges across each row in the target range.
range.unmerge() reverses a merge. For example:

const range = sheet.getRange("I23:N24");
range.merge();
range.values = [["Source note spanning the recommendation panel"]];

Common API Pitfalls

Do not set undocumented attributes on remote objects.
Workbook.create() starts with no sheets; add one before calling getActiveWorksheet().
Use matrix sizes that match target ranges unless you intentionally spill.
Create every worksheet referenced by formulas before writing cross-sheet formulas.
Avoid full-column formula references such as A:A, $A:$A, or Sheet!B:B. Prefer bounded ranges sized to the editable table, e.g. $A$6:$A$205, especially inside COUNTIFS, SUMIFS, INDEX, and lookup formulas.
If export fails, checkpoint-export after major blocks to isolate the cause: base sheets, values/formulas, formatting, conditional formatting, tables, charts/rendering.
If export fails after formatting or charts, simplify optional styling first: nested border configs, custom chart axis/series mutations, broad autofit/formatting, then nonessential drawings.

Quick API Surface (High-Value + Common)

Core workbook/file APIs

import { FileBlob, SpreadsheetFile, Workbook } from "@oai/artifact-tool"
const workbook = Workbook.create(); const sheet = workbook.worksheets.add("Sheet1")
const workbook = await SpreadsheetFile.importXlsx(arrayBufferOrFileBlob)
const xlsx = await SpreadsheetFile.exportXlsx(workbook); await xlsx.save("output.xlsx")
const inspect = await workbook.inspect({ kind: "sheet", include: "id,name", sheetId, range: "A1:C10" })
const help = workbook.help("worksheet.getRange", { include: "index,examples" })
const trace = workbook.trace("Checks!F2") // summarize before logging
Preferred: const blob = await workbook.render({ sheetName: "Sheet1", autoCrop: "all", scale: 1, format: "png" })
To get the bytes and/or save the blob to file:

const previewBytes = new Uint8Array(await preview.arrayBuffer());
await fs.writeFile(`${outputDir}/preview.png`, previewBytes);

const workbook = await Workbook.fromCSV(csvText, { sheetName: "Sheet1" })
await workbook.fromCSV(csvText, { sheetName: "ImportedData" })

Worksheet selection/creation

workbook.worksheets.add(name)
workbook.worksheets.getItem(name)
workbook.worksheets.getOrAdd(name, { renameFirstIfOnlyNewSpreadsheet: true })
workbook.worksheets.getItemAt(index)
workbook.worksheets.getActiveWorksheet() (only after at least one sheet exists)

Worksheet operations

sheet.getRange("A1:C10"), sheet.getRangeByIndexes(startRow, startCol, rowCount, colCount), sheet.getCell(row, col)
sheet.getUsedRange(valuesOnly?)
sheet.mergeCells("A1:C1"), sheet.unmergeCells("A1:C1")
sheet.freezePanes.freezeRows(1), sheet.freezePanes.freezeColumns(2), sheet.freezePanes.unfreeze()
sheet.tables, sheet.charts, sheet.sparklineGroups (sheet.sparklines alias), sheet.shapes, sheet.images
sheet.showGridLines = false
sheet.dataTables, sheet.conditionalFormattings, sheet.dataValidations
sheet.deleteAllDrawings() removes charts, shapes, and images before a dashboard rebuild.

Range values/formulas

const range = sheet.getRange("A1:C10")
range.values = [[...], ...] (2D matrix of values)
range.formulas = [["=..."], ...]
range.formulasR1C1 = [["=RC[-1]*2"]]
To read: range.values / range.formulas / range.displayFormulas / range.formulaInfos (for spill/array formulas)
range.write(matrixOrPayload) (auto-sizes/spills from anchor as needed)
range.writeValues(matrixOrRows)
range.fillDown(), range.fillRight()
- sheet.getRange("D2").formulas = [["=..."]]
- sheet.getRange("D2:D200").fillDown()
range.clear({ applyTo: "contents" | "formats" | "all" })
range.copyFrom(sourceRange, "values" | "formulas" | "all") source and destination must have the same shape
range.copyTo(destRange, "values" | "formulas" | "all")
range.offset(...), range.resize(...), range.getCurrentRegion(), range.getRow(i), range.getColumn(j)
range.getRangeByIndexes(...), range.getCell(...)
range.merge(), range.merge(true) to merge across, range.unmerge()

Formatting

range.format supports fill, font, numberFormat, borders, alignments, wrapText
range.format.autofitColumns(), range.format.autofitRows()
Excel unit sizing: range.format.columnWidth = 18, range.format.rowHeight = 24
Pixel sizing: range.format.columnWidthPx = 120, range.format.rowHeightPx = 24
range.setNumberFormat("yyyy-mm-dd")
range.format.numberFormat = [["0"], ["0.00"], ["@"]]

Data Validation

range.dataValidation = { rule: { type: "list", formula1: "Categories!$A$2:$A$4" } }
range.dataValidation = { rule: { type: "list", values: ["Not Started", "In Progress"] } }
sheet.dataValidations.add({ range: "B2:B100", rule: { type: "whole", operator: "between", formula1: 1, formula2: 10 } })

Conditional formatting

Use range.conditionalFormats.add(ruleType, ConditionalFormatConfig);.
Use range.conditionalFormats.add(ruleType, {operator, formula, format});. Choose ruleType, operator, color, and style strings from the inline types below.

type ConditionalFormatRuleType =
  | "cellIs" | "CellValue" | "Custom" | "expression"
  | "colorScale" | "dataBar" | "iconSet"
  | "containsText" | "notContainsText" | "beginsWith" | "endsWith"
  | "containsBlanks" | "notContainsBlanks" | "containsErrors" | "notContainsErrors"
  | "duplicateValues" | "uniqueValues" | "timePeriod" | "top10" | "aboveAverage";

type CellIsOperator =
  | "greaterThan"
  | "greaterThanOrEqual"
  | "lessThan"
  | "lessThanOrEqual"
  | "equal"
  | "notEqual"
  | "between"
  | "notBetween";

type ConditionalFormatConfig =
  | { operator: CellIsOperator; formula: string | number | Array<string | number>; format?: DifferentialFormatConfig }
  | { formula: string | number; format?: DifferentialFormatConfig }
  | { colors?: ColorConfig[]; thresholds?: CfvoInput[] }
  | { color?: ColorConfig; thresholds?: CfvoInput[]; gradient?: boolean }
  | { iconSet: string; showValue?: boolean; reverse?: boolean; thresholds?: CfvoInput[] }
  | { text: string; format?: DifferentialFormatConfig }
  | { timePeriod: "yesterday" | "today" | "tomorrow" | "last7Days" | "lastWeek" | "thisWeek" | "nextWeek" | "lastMonth" | "thisMonth" | "nextMonth"; format?: DifferentialFormatConfig }
  | { rank?: number; percent?: boolean; bottom?: boolean; format?: DifferentialFormatConfig }
  | { aboveAverage?: boolean; equalAverage?: boolean; stdDev?: number; format?: DifferentialFormatConfig };

type DifferentialFormatConfig = {
  fill?: FillConfig;
  font?: { bold?: boolean; italic?: boolean; color?: ColorConfig };
  border?: RangeBordersConfig;
  numberFormat?: string;
};

type CfvoInput =
  | "min"
  | "max"
  | number
  | `${number}%`
  | { type: "min" | "max" | "num" | "percent" | "percentile"; value?: string | number };

Rule types (ConditionalFormatRuleType): "cellIs" | "CellValue" | "Custom" | "expression" | "colorScale" | "dataBar" | "iconSet" | "containsText" | "notContainsText" | "beginsWith" | "endsWith" | "containsBlanks" | "notContainsBlanks" | "containsErrors" | "notContainsErrors" | "duplicateValues" | "uniqueValues" | "timePeriod" | "top10" | "aboveAverage";
Built-in iconSet names: 3Arrows, 3Triangles, 4Arrows, 5Arrows, 3ArrowsGray, 4ArrowsGray, 5ArrowsGray, 3TrafficLights1, 3Signs, 4RedToBlack, 3TrafficLights2, 4TrafficLights, 3Symbols, 3Flags, 3Symbols2, 3Stars, 5Quarters, 5Boxes, 4Rating, 5Rating.
Custom conditional formatting: range.conditionalFormats.addCustom(expression, {fill, font, border});
range.conditionalFormats.deleteAll() / range.conditionalFormats.clear()

const grid = sheet.getRange("B2:J10");
grid.conditionalFormats.add("colorScale", {
  criteria: [
    { type: "lowestValue", color: "#2563EB" },
    { type: "percentile", value: 50, color: "#FDE047" },
    { type: "highestValue", color: "#DC2626" },
  ],
});

Tables

When adding new tables, set explicit unique names (TasksTable, SummaryTable).
You cannot have multiple tables over the same range. Before adding a table on an existing/imported workbook, confirm the target range does not already overlap an existing table. Prefer the initial compact inspect summary over a separate tables-only scan when available.
const table = sheet.tables.add("A1:H200", true, "TasksTable")
table.rows.add(null, [[...], ...]), table.getDataRows(), table.getHeaderRowRange()
Read tables: sheet.tables.items -> Table[]
Set + Getters: table.name, table.style, table.style, table.showHeaders
Toggles for table utilities (set/get): table.showTotals, table.showBandedColumns = true, table.showFilterButton
table.delete()

Images

sheet.images.add({dataUrl: "data:image/png;base64,...", anchor: {from: { row: 1, col: 2 }, extent: { widthPx: 160, heightPx: 120 }}})


### Threaded Comments
Follow this exact API when adding a note or comment:
- Required: First, always first call set_self to create an author `workbook.comments.setSelf({"displayName": "ChatGPT"})`
- Create a new thread with a single comment: `const thread = workbook.comments.addThread({"cell": sheet.getRange("E2")}, "Source: <website>")`
- To reply to a threaded comment: `thread.addReply("This is a reply to the comment")`
- To resolve/re-open a thread: `thread.resolve()`, `thread.reopen()`

### Charts
- When adding or moving charts, do not cover existing data. Put charts in a reserved rectangle with blank gutter columns/rows around the chart area.
- Fast chart path, no help lookup needed for common line/bar/scatter charts: write a compact helper range with text categories and one column per series, then chart that range.
- If chart data comes from editable/source data, make the helper range formula-backed instead of copying literal values.
```js
sheet.getRange("F4:H7").values = [
  ["Month", "Revenue", "EBITDA"],
  ["Jan", 100, 10],
  ["Feb", 120, 18],
  ["Mar", 130, 22],
];
const chart = sheet.charts.add("line", sheet.getRange("F4:H7"));
chart.setPosition("J4", "Q20");
chart.title = "Revenue and EBITDA Trend";
chart.hasLegend = true;
chart.xAxis = { axisType: "textAxis" };
chart.yAxis = { numberFormatCode: "$#,##0" };

Fast chart path from range: const chart = sheet.charts.add("line", sourceRange) when the source range already has headers and text x-axis labels.
Advanced fallback only: avoid manual chart.series.add(...) and chart.legend = {...} on the first pass unless source-range chart creation does not work (for example, non-continuous data). Use a helper range chart first, then add optional chart styling only if the basic chart renders and exports cleanly.
If you want to set specific chart props after the helper-range path is not enough: const chart = sheet.charts.add("bar", chartProps), then checkpoint export before adding optional styling.
If using compat positioning, always set position: chart.setPosition("F2", "M20").
sheet.charts.getItemOrNullObject("Chart 1"), sheet.charts.deleteAll()
To update x/y-axis, prefer compact config assignments such as chart.xAxis = { axisType: "textAxis", tickLabelInterval: 2 } and chart.yAxis = { numberFormatCode: "$#,##0" }. These help legibility and visibility.
For month/date x-axes, prefer a chart helper range with text labels such as Jan 2025 or 2025-01. Do not rely on date axis number formats alone; rendered previews can show Excel serial numbers.
Chart types: "bar" | "line" | "area" | "pie" | "doughnut" | "scatter" | "bubble" | "radar" | "stock" | "treemap" | "sunburst" | "histogram" | "boxWhisker" | "waterfall" | "funnel" | "map".

Sparklines

const group = sheet.sparklineGroups.add({
  type,
  targetRange,
  sourceData,
  dateAxisRange,
  seriesColor,
  negativeColor,
  markers,
  axis,
  lineWeight,
  displayEmptyCellsAs,
  displayHidden,
});

Sparkline type is a string. Empty-cell display mode and axis min/max modes are proto enum numbers on the current facade; inspect nearby tests before setting them directly.
Sparkline Inline Type:

type SparklineConfig = {
  type: "line" | "column" | "stacked";
  targetRange: Range | string;
  sourceData: Range | string;
  dateAxisRange?: Range | string;
  lineWeight?: number;
  displayHidden?: boolean;
  seriesColor?: ColorConfig;
  negativeColor?: ColorConfig;
  axisColor?: ColorConfig;
  markersColor?: ColorConfig;
  firstMarkerColor?: ColorConfig;
  lastMarkerColor?: ColorConfig;
  highMarkerColor?: ColorConfig;
  lowMarkerColor?: ColorConfig;
  markers?: SparklineMarkersOptions;
  axis?: SparklineAxisOptions;
};

type SparklineMarkersOptions = {
  show?: boolean;
  high?: boolean;
  low?: boolean;
  first?: boolean;
  last?: boolean;
  negative?: boolean;
};

type SparklineAxisOptions = {
  showAxis?: boolean;
  manualMin?: number;
  manualMax?: number;
  rightToLeft?: boolean;
};

Range Alias: const group = targetRange.sparklines.add(type, sourceRange, sparklineConfig);
Edit And Delete

group.seriesColor = colorConfig;
group.markers = markerConfig;
group.axis = axisConfig;
group.delete();
sheet.sparklineGroups.deleteAll();

Help / Grep

Use workbook.help(...) primarily for obscure/advanced surfaces (for example deep chart axis settings, unusual drawing configs, pivot APIs, or uncommon option schemas).

workbook.help("enum.ShapeGeometry", { include: "index,notes" }).ndjson
workbook.help("enum.*", { search: "ShapeGeometry|LineStyle", include: "index" }).ndjson
workbook.help("shape.add", { include: "examples,notes" }).ndjson
workbook.help("fx.RATE", { include: "index,examples,notes" }).ndjson
workbook.help("cash flow return rate", { search: "IRR|XIRR|NPV|XNPV", include: "index,examples,notes", maxChars: 4000 }).ndjson
workbook.help("*", { search: "fill|borders|autofit", include: "index,examples,notes", maxChars: 6000 }).ndjson

JavaScript example snippet (runnable)

import fs from "node:fs/promises";
import { SpreadsheetFile, Workbook } from "@oai/artifact-tool";

const outputDir = "output";
await fs.mkdir(outputDir, { recursive: true });

const workbook = Workbook.create();
const sheet = workbook.worksheets.add("Summary");

sheet.getRange("A1:C4").values = [
  ["Month", "Revenue", "EBITDA"],
  ["Jan", 100, 10],
  ["Feb", 120, 18],
  ["Mar", 130, 22],
];
sheet.getRange("D1").values = [["Margin"]];
sheet.getRange("D2").formulas = [["=C2/B2"]];
sheet.getRange("D2:D4").fillDown();

sheet.getRange("A1:D1").format = {
  fill: "#0F766E",
  font: { bold: true, color: "#FFFFFF" },
};
sheet.getRange("B2:C4").format.numberFormat = "$#,##0";
sheet.getRange("D2:D4").format.numberFormat = "0.0%";

// Helper range links to source cells so edits update the chart.
sheet.getRange("F1:G1").values = [["Month", "Revenue"]];
sheet.getRange("F2:G2").formulas = [["=A2", "=B2"]];
sheet.getRange("F2:G4").fillDown();
const chart = sheet.charts.add("line", sheet.getRange("F1:G4"));
chart.title = "Revenue Trend";
chart.hasLegend = false;
chart.xAxis = { axisType: "textAxis" };
chart.yAxis = { numberFormatCode: "$#,##0" };
chart.setPosition("I1", "P15");

const preview = await workbook.render({
  sheetName: "Summary",
  autoCrop: "all",
  scale: 1,
  format: "png",
});
await fs.writeFile(`${outputDir}/summary.png`, new Uint8Array(await preview.arrayBuffer()));

const xlsx = await SpreadsheetFile.exportXlsx(workbook);
await xlsx.save(`${outputDir}/summary.xlsx`);

name: spreadsheets description: "Use this skill when a user requests to create, modify, analyze, visualize, or work with spreadsheet files (.xlsx, .xls, .csv, .tsv) with formulas, formatting, charts, tables, and recalculation."