Managing Your Data

This guide explains how to get your data into PlugZero Analytics and how to keep it clean.

1. Preparing your files

Before you upload a file (like a CSV or Excel), a little bit of prep work will make your charts much better.

The Perfect Format

Row 1 is for names: The very first row should be the names of your data (e.g., “Customer ID”, “Score”, “Comment”).
No empty rows: Make sure there are no totally blank rows in the middle of your data.
Numbers should be numbers: Don’t add symbols like ”$” or ”%” inside the cells. Just use the raw numbers (e.g., 50 instead of $50).

How to handle missing data

If a cell is empty, PlugZero will just ignore it. Tip: Leave it blank instead of typing “N/A” or “0”, as that can mess up your averages!

2. Uploading to the “Cleaning Lab”

You can upload your files in the Data Collection section. Don’t worry if your data is slightly messy—we have an automated “Cleaning Lab” that helps.

What happens during upload?

Reading the map

Our system looks at your column names. If it see “Satisfaction,” it knows it’s a rating. If it sees “Region,” it knows it’s a group.

Sorting the types

We automatically figure out if a column is Math-ready (numbers), Group-ready (categories), or AI-ready (text comments).

Cleaning the mess

We automatically fix common problems like invisible spaces or inconsistent date formats.

Pro-Tip: You can upload a survey from last year and a survey from this year into the same project. The system will “weave” them together so you can see how your business has changed over time.

3. Fixing Errors

If your upload fails, check these common issues:

Missing Headers: Does Row 1 have titles for every column?
File Size: Is your file larger than 100MB? If so, try splitting it into two smaller files.
Dates: Try to use the format YYYY-MM-DD (e.g., 2024-01-25) for the best results.

4. Exporting your work

You own your data. You can take it with you at any time.

Raw Data: Go to the Files page to download your original data as a clean CSV or Excel file.
Visuals: Every chart has a “Download” button. You can save charts as images to put into your PowerPoint or Google Slides.
AI Summaries: You can save any AI report or SWOT analysis as a PDF.

Next Step: Designing Surveys