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How do I get help with a spreadsheet using Elta?
Open the spreadsheet in your browser, share that tab with Elta, and say what you need: check the formulas, explain a sheet you inherited, or build the next section together. Elta reads the sheet as you talk, answers out loud, and can edit cells for you when you turn on Computer Use.
- Open the spreadsheet in your browser and choose Share screen in the Elta side panel.
- Pick the tab that holds the work. Elta sees only what you choose.
- Say or type what you want, for example: walk me through this sheet and flag anything that looks off.
- Talk through anything Elta flags. Ask why, push back, or ask for another approach.
- Turn on Computer Use if you want Elta to make routine edits, then ask it to look over the whole sheet again.
What does a typical spreadsheet slip look like?
A classic is a flow entered in kilograms per hour where the formula expects kilograms per second. Every cell after it is off by a factor of 3,600, yet the sheet still shows a clean number. Nothing looks broken, which is exactly how this kind of slip survives so many reviews.
Worked example. A heat-recovery sheet cools hot water from 85 to 60 degrees Celsius at 7,200 kg/h with a specific heat of 4.18 kJ/(kg·K). Cell D14 multiplies 7,200 by 4.18 by 25 and shows 752,400 kW. Dividing the flow by 3,600 first gives 2 kg/s, so the duty is 2 × 4.18 × 25 = 209 kW.
Elta would say it out loud: the flow is in kg/h, so I divided by 3,600 before working out the duty. One step turns an impossible number into a sensible one.
What can Elta help with in a spreadsheet?
Elta helps with the everyday work of a spreadsheet: finding wrong units, mixed temperature scales and flipped signs, spotting formulas that stopped matching their row, explaining a sheet you did not build, and sketching the next section with you. Each time, it names the cells involved so you can see what it saw.
- Units: kg/h against kg/s, kW against kWh, psig against psia.
- Scales: Celsius mixed with Fahrenheit or kelvin, including temperature differences.
- Structure: a formula that stops matching the rows around it, or a typed number where a reference belongs.
- Balance: duties that do not close, or a sign flipped between the hot and cold sides.
- Understanding: a walk through a sheet someone else built, one tab at a time.
Can Elta make the changes for me?
Yes. With Computer Use turned on, Elta can make routine edits in the sheet while you watch, such as fixing a formula or filling a column, and it asks before anything bigger. With Computer Use off, Elta only reads and talks, which suits a first look at a sheet that is not yours.
Frequently asked questions
Can Elta work with a spreadsheet open in my browser?
Yes. Elta can see a sheet open in a browser tab, such as Google Sheets or Excel for the web, when you share that tab. For long sheets, scroll as you talk so Elta can see each part.
Will Elta change my cells without asking?
Not unless you let it. With Computer Use off, Elta only reads. With it on, routine edits go ahead as you ask, and Elta checks with you before anything bigger.
What if Elta gets something wrong?
It can, like any colleague. That is why Elta says which cells it looked at and which units and assumptions it used, so you can follow its thinking and tell it where it went off track.
Can I just talk to it instead of typing?
Yes. Elta is built for voice. Speak naturally, interrupt, and ask follow-ups while it works through the sheet with you.
What can Elta see?
Only what you choose to share: a screen, a window, a tab or an image. You can stop sharing or end a session whenever you like.
Is Elta free to try?
Yes. The Free plan includes Elta and the Voice Agent with 100,000 tokens a day, and no credit card is needed. Upgrade to Plus or Pro whenever you want more room.