Prepare the source and question#
You will produce a concise extract with references to specific locations and a list of uncertainties. Use a document you are allowed to provide to the service and retain the original. A short PDF or small spreadsheet with invented data is enough for a first attempt.
- Remove information the task does not need. Check comments and hidden sheets too.
- Give the file a clear name, such as “Meeting_example.pdf”.
- Attach it using the documented method above and wait for upload completion.
- Name the specific file and desired result in your request. If uploading several versions, explain which is newer.
Document: a source-grounded summary#
Use only the attached “Meeting_example.pdf”. First give the document title and say whether its text is readable. Then extract decisions and tasks into a table: item, owner, deadline, page or section name. Write “not stated” for missing owners or deadlines. Do not treat proposals as decisions. Finish with ambiguities. Do not use the web or fill in missing facts.
Check three randomly chosen items and every important deadline in the original. A page number may mean the PDF position or a printed label; ask for both if they differ. Compare exact wording for any quotation.
For scanned pages, choose a short readable page and ask for a few lines to be transcribed. Check that transcription before continuing with analysis. Asking for greater confidence cannot fix an unreadable source.
Spreadsheet: inspect data before totals#
Inspect the attached spreadsheet. Before calculating, list sheet names, relevant columns, units, period and missing values. Goal: total expenses by category across the stated period. Distinguish blank cells from zero. Check decimal separators, currency and possible duplicates. Do not exclude negative amounts without explaining why. Give the range used, calculation method, results and a grand-total check. Ask before calculating if a column is unclear.
- Confirm that Grok uses the correct sheet and the full relevant period.
- Calculate a small sample manually. Include a negative or blank value if one exists.
- Compare category totals with the grand total. Do not explain a difference by guessing.
- For a chart, check axes, units and omitted values.
Generated code or formulas can be useful audit material. The statement “I checked the calculation” is not itself evidence that it was performed correctly.
Images, audio and video as sources#
For an image, specify whether you want a description, text transcription or chart analysis. Separate observation from interpretation: “Is a crack visible?” is different from “What caused this crack?”. For a chart, ask for axis labels and units before conclusions.
For audio and video, request timestamps and explicit markers for unclear passages. Replay a selected section yourself. A successful upload does not establish that every speaker and number was recognised correctly.
Transcribe the attached recording between [start time – end time]. Include timestamps. Mark unclear words as [inaudible] and do not guess names. Then separate the verbatim transcript from a short summary.
When you need a new file#
After analysis, specify the target format and checks. For example: “Create an XLSX task table, preserve source links and highlight missing deadlines.” Open the downloaded file in an ordinary application and inspect pages, cells, formulas and links. “The file is ready” without an accessible attachment is not delivery.
If upload fails, first record the exact error. Try a smaller non-sensitive file, a common format and a single upload. This helps distinguish a file problem from a connection problem. For repeated failures, tell support the platform and format without unnecessarily sharing sensitive content.
Continue with comparing sources and deeper analysis or managing and deleting data.