Want to turn a plain CSV into something useful? Upload it to le Chat and let Canvas do the heavy lifting.
In this tutorial, you’ll see how to go from raw rows to a clean table, a clear write-up, and even a slide deck you can share.
🔑 You don’t need to be a data expert. Upload the file, describe what you want, and Canvas takes it from there.
Prerequisites
Activating Canvas
Unlike other tools, Canvas is off by default in le Chat.
To turn it on, open the Tools menu at the bottom of the chat window (1) and check the box next to Canvas (2).
Opening the tools menu (1) and selecting Canvas (2)
📌 The Canvas tool is available alongside other tools like Code Interpreter or Web search. You can activate multiple tools at the same time.
Download the sample CSV file
For this walkthrough, download the sample CSV of “go-to” villages in France 🔎⬇️. Save it locally, or use your own dataset if you prefer.
How to use Canvas
Upload your file and open Canvas
Click the + button to import your CSV, then ask:
Analyze the CSV attached and open it in Canvas.
🔑 You can also type /canvas directly in your prompt to open Canvas. Le Chat may ask you to confirm.
Prompting le Chat to import your CSV into Canvas
View and adjust the table
Canvas opens with your data as an editable table.
📌 If it opens in another format, say “Show this as a table,” and le Chat will switch the view.
Click into cells to fix headers, rename columns, or remove empty rows... Just like in a regular spreadsheet!
Your CSV appears as an editable table inside Canvas
Generate text from your data
Spreadsheets are useful, but sometimes you need a clear summary in text. Ask:
Transform this table into a concise text presentation.
Canvas drafts a write-up based only on your data.
Canvas generates a text based on your table
Turn insights into slides
Need something you can present to a team? Ask for slide-ready bullet points:
Browse the web for illustrations and create slide-ready bullet points with the key insights and recommendations.
Slide content (titles and bullets) generated from your analysis
📌 Slides use the Marp syntax—a simple way to create and edit presentations in Markdown.
Click “Preview” (the eye icon) to render and review the deck.
Instant slide deck preview inside Canvas
When you’re ready, use the Export button to save the deck (for example, as a PowerPoint file) for final adjustments in your preferred tool.
🔎 We’ve only scratched the surface of what Canvas can do. For the full overview, see the Canvas feature guide!
Next steps
You’ve seen how Canvas can help you clean data, draft text, and create slides.
Next, let’s look at Libraries, your built-in space to store and search your own data across conversations.