Note: This feature is currently in testing and not widely available. If you are interested in piloting, please let us know in the chat.
A spreadsheet tab is a familiar spreadsheet environment: rows, columns, formulas, and formatting, built directly into a workbook in Insights. It connects to your live query data, so the numbers update automatically without re-exporting or re-pasting.
Use spreadsheet tabs when you need full control over layout: building ownership or management pack templates, running what-if calculations on top of live data, or creating reports that don't fit a standard dashboard format.
What you can use it for
Formatted reports for ownership and stakeholders: Build presentation-ready layouts with your own row and column structure, formatting, and labels, connected to live Insights data underneath. Open the workbook, save, and the figures refresh automatically.
What-if scenario analysis: Apply formulas directly on top of your query data to run calculations without rebuilding a dashboard. Change an assumption and watch the downstream impact update instantly.
Reusable reporting templates: Build a template once with your standard layout, formulas, and formatting. Because it connects to live data, you can reuse it each period without starting from scratch.
Getting started
To add a spreadsheet tab to a workbook:
Open any workbook in Insights (or create a new one)
Click the + tab button at the bottom of the workbook
Select Spreadsheet from the options
Working with data
There are two ways to bring data into a spreadsheet tab.
1. Connecting queries (recommended for live data)
This is the best option for any data that already lives in Insights. The connection stays live and updates automatically when the workbook runs.
To connect a query:
With your spreadsheet tab open, click Dashboard Settings
Under Workbook queries, check the queries you want to connect
Each connected query appears as a protected sheet inside the spreadsheet tab, named after the query. This sheet updates automatically when the query's results or structure changes and cannot be edited directly, but it can be referenced by any other sheet using standard formulas and cell references.
For example, if your query tab is named Segment Performance:
='Segment Performance'!B2pulls the value from cell B2=XLOOKUP(A2,'Segment Performance'!A:A,'Segment Performance'!B:B)looks up a value by matching a key in column A
Entering data manually
Click into any cell and type or paste data directly. This works well for static inputs alongside your live query data: targets, assumptions, commission rates, or reference figures.
Data you type or paste exists only within the spreadsheet tab and cannot be queried or referenced elsewhere in the workbook.
Removing a connected query
To remove a connected query from your spreadsheet, open Dashboard Settings and uncheck the query under Workbook queries.
When a query is removed:
The sheet associated with that query is removed from the spreadsheet
Any formulas or references pointing to that sheet will break
The query itself is not deleted from the workbook; it remains available on its own tab
Using formulas
Formulas in spreadsheet tabs work similarly to Excel. Click into any cell and type = to start a formula.
To browse all supported formulas, click the Formulas tab and select Insert Function. The formula builder will guide you through function arguments.
Common examples:
=SUM(B2:B14)sums a column of revenue figures=AVERAGE(C2:C31)calculates average occupancy across a month=(B2-C2)/C2calculates variance % between actual and target=IF(D2>E2,"Above Target","Below Target")flags above/below target performance=B2/C2divides one cell by another (e.g. revenue divided by rooms sold to calculate ADR)
Note: Not all Excel formulas are supported, and some may differ slightly in syntax. Test any formula before using it in a published report. If a formula isn't behaving as expected, use the built-in formula builder to check the syntax.
Formatting your spreadsheet
Use the formatting toolbar to style cells. Available options include:
Bold, italic, and underline
Background colors, useful for distinguishing revenue rows from cost rows
Text alignment (left, center, right)
Merged cells for spanning headers across multiple columns
Borders to define table structure
Number formatting: currency, percentages, and date formats
Formatting is preserved through data refreshes as long as the structure of the referenced range doesn't change.
Referencing data across sheets
Cross-tab cell references
You can reference cells from other tabs in your workbook using the syntax: ='Tab Name'!CellReference
For example, ='Pickup Summary'!B5 pulls the value from cell B5 of a tab called "Pickup Summary".
Note: If you rename a tab, any cross-tab references using the old tab name will break. Update your formulas after renaming tabs.
Copy with references
Connected query sheets are protected by default and cannot be edited directly. To create an editable version with custom formatting or calculations on top:
Right-click the protected query sheet tab
Select Copy with references
This creates a new editable sheet with absolute references back to the original protected sheet, so your formatting and formulas stay linked to the live data.
Note: If the query's structure changes (for example, a column is removed), references in the copied sheet may break. Review your formulas after any structural changes to connected queries.
Handling query changes
When a connected query is updated (a column is added or removed, a filter changes, or a pivot is modified), the query sheet in your spreadsheet will automatically update to reflect those changes.
However, formulas and references in other sheets that depend on specific column positions will not automatically update. For example:
If your formula references columns A:D and the query removes a column, data shifts left; your formula may now point at the wrong column
If a new column is added to the query, hardcoded range references (e.g.
A:D) will not expand to cover it
Always review your formulas and references after making structural changes to a connected query.
Saving your work
Spreadsheet tabs do not autosave. Click Save Sheet in the Home tab to save your changes. The button turns blue when there are unsaved changes.
Insights will prompt you if you try to navigate away with unsaved changes.
Saving preserves your layout and formula configuration. The data itself refreshes from connected queries when the workbook runs, not from the saved file.
Displaying on dashboards
Spreadsheet tabs can be added to dashboards like any other tile. By default, they display in read-only mode and show only the first sheet.
Open Dashboard Settings to configure how the spreadsheet appears for dashboard viewers:
Show tab strip: lets viewers see and switch between all sheets. When off, only the first sheet is visible.
Allow cells to be unlocked for editing: when enabled, you can right-click specific cells in the workbook and select Unlock range to make just those cells editable for dashboard viewers. Useful for planning or scenario tools where viewers need to enter their own inputs, for example a rate sensitivity model where viewers adjust a single assumption cell.
Workbook queries: choose which query tabs are connected and available in the spreadsheet.
Changing sheet display order
By default, the first sheet is shown when a dashboard is viewed. To change the display order, drag the sheet tabs into the order you want in the workbook, then click Save Sheet.
Exporting to Excel
To export a spreadsheet to Excel, hover over the spreadsheet tile on a dashboard, click the ⠇ (three-dot menu), and select Download XLSX.
Limitations
No autosave: Save manually using the Save Sheet button. You'll be prompted if you navigate away with unsaved changes.
Data entered manually stays in the spreadsheet: Data you type, paste, or calculate with formulas exists only within the spreadsheet tab and cannot be queried or referenced elsewhere in Insights.
No pivot tables in-sheet: Pivot functionality is available in query tabs. Connect a pivoted query to your spreadsheet to use pivot data as a source.
No in-sheet charts: Build visualizations in query tabs, then display them alongside your spreadsheet on a dashboard.
Some formula differences from Excel: Most formulas match Excel syntax, but not all. Use the built-in formula builder (Formulas > Insert Function) to verify syntax.
Hotkeys aren't an exact match: Keyboard shortcuts may differ from Excel.
References may break on query structure changes: If a connected query adds or removes columns, references in copied sheets may point to the wrong data. Review your formulas after any structural changes.
Keep calculations in query tabs for best performance: Formulas in the spreadsheet tab run in your browser. For large datasets, do calculations in query tabs and reference the results in the spreadsheet; query calculations run against the database and stay fast.
Questions about spreadsheet tabs or need a hand getting set up? Use the ? icon at the bottom of the left-hand menu to reach us.