The usual way
- Hunt for the right formula and drag it down 4,000 rows
- Add helper columns just to calculate a running total
- Copy and paste each category into its own tab
Spreadsheet preparation
Clean and reshape messy spreadsheet data in plain English
Describe the shape you need and CTRON Loop reshapes the data for you: pivot or unpivot, combine split date and time columns, add running totals, percentage of total and rankings, or split the result into one sheet per category. Then download a clean Excel file.
You askUnpivot the months and add a running total per region.
| Region | Jan | Feb | Mar |
|---|---|---|---|
| North | 120 | 140 | 135 |
| South | 98 | 110 | 121 |
| Region | Month | Sales | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|
| North | Jan | 120 | 120 |
| North | Feb | 140 | 260 |
| North | Mar | 135 | 395 |
| South | Jan | 98 | 98 |
What changes
Stop rebuilding it by hand.
With CTRON Loop
- Say what the data should look like
- Reshape, calculate and split in one instruction
- Download a tidy workbook ready for the next step
Photo by Vadim Sherbakov on UnsplashFrom this to this
Messy export in. Tidy workbook out.
System exports arrive with title blocks, months across the top and dates split in two. Describe the shape you want once and get a clean table back, split into tabs if you like, ready for a dashboard or the next person in the chain.
What you get
Everything you need, from one file.
Pivot and unpivot
Turn months across the top into rows, or rows into columns, without rebuilding the table by hand.
Calculations without helper columns
Running totals, percentage of total and rankings are added directly, grouped however you need.
Formulas in Excel's own words
Ask for a calculated column using the function names you already know and it is applied to every row.
A sheet per category
Split the result into one tab per region, team or client and export it all as a single .xlsx.
How to do it
4 steps. Plain English throughout.
No formulas, no templates to set up. Describe what you need the way you would to a colleague.
Upload the spreadsheet
Add the CSV or Excel file as it came out of your system, title rows and all.
Describe the shape you want
Say what each row should represent and which columns you need.
Try typingOne row per region and month. Combine the Date and Time columns into one timestamp.
Add the calculations
Ask for running totals, percentage of total, rankings or a calculated column, grouped by any field.
Try typingAdd each region's share of total sales and rank regions within each month.
Export or keep going
Download an .xlsx, split into a sheet per category if you like, or build a dashboard straight from the cleaned data.
Worked example
A common clean-up, start to finish
A finance export arrives with months across the top, a title block above the header and separate date and time columns. Ask to unpivot the months, combine the timestamp and add a running total per cost centre.
Clean a spreadsheet free
Free plan. No card needed.
- A long, tidy table ready for analysis
- Running totals calculated per cost centre
- One sheet per cost centre in the downloaded workbook
Questions
Good to know.
How do I unpivot data without Power Query?
Upload the file and ask to turn the columns into rows, for example "unpivot the months into a Month column". The reshaped table is ready to use or export.
Can it add a running total without helper columns?
Yes. Ask for a running total, percentage of total or ranking, grouped by any column, and it is calculated for every row.
Can I split data into a sheet per category?
Yes. Ask for one sheet per region, client or any other column and download the result as a single .xlsx workbook.
Does it change my original file?
No. Your source stays exactly as you uploaded it. The cleaned version is a new output you can download or build on.
Is it available on the Free plan?
Yes, within the Free plan's monthly allowance. Pro adds higher limits and lets you save the clean-up as a reusable Loop.
Do it once. Run it again in one click.
Bring the file behind your next recurring task and see a real result in the next few minutes.
Clean a spreadsheet free Free plan. No card needed.