2.4 How to Communicate with nikolAI¶
Getting good results from nikolAI is all about clear communication. This section shows you how to phrase your requests for best results.
Questions vs. Commands¶
Make it clear whether you're asking a question or giving an instruction.
Questions (for advice and explanations): - "What dimensions are available?" - "How do I create a filter?" - "Why is this showing zero?"
Commands (for building and performing): - "Create a table with Customer and Turnover" - "Export to PDF" (implicitly referring to the open workbook) - "Add Profit Margin to the chart" (referring to the selected chart)
Be Specific¶
Vague requests get vague results. Specific requests work better.
Vague: - "Make a report" - "Show me sales" - "Fix this chart"
Specific: - "Create a table showing Customer, Turnover, and Profit Margin for 2024" - "Show me a bar chart of monthly sales by region" - "Change this chart's colors to blue for actual and gray for target"
Include Context¶
Help nikolAI understand what you're referring to.
Good context:
- Important! When you want nikolAI to work on an existing visual, click to select it. This is the best way to let nikolAI know which visual(s), you're referring to
Use exact data model terms:
- Reference actual dimension names: "Customer", "Product Category", "Sales Person"
- Use your metric names: "Turnover", "Profit Margin", "Budget Amount"
Break Down Complex Requests¶
Instead of one big request, use multiple simple steps.
Complex (harder for nikolAI): "Create a dashboard with a table showing top 10 customers by turnover with year-over-year comparison, a chart showing monthly trends, and filters for region and product category, all formatted with blue headers"
Broken down (better results): 1. "Create a table with Customer and Turnover" 2. "Add a Top 10 segmentation" 3. "Add a year-over-year comparison column" 4. "Now create a line chart showing monthly turnover trends" 5. "Format the table headers in blue"
Each step is clear, and you can verify as you go.
Iterate and Refine¶
If the first result isn't perfect, refine your request.
First attempt: "Create a sales chart"
If not quite right: "Make it a bar chart instead of a line chart" "Add customer names to the axis" "Sort from highest to lowest"
nikolAI learns from your refinements and adjusts accordingly.
Tips – How to Communicate with nikolAI¶
- Use natural language - Write like you're talking to a colleague
- One thing at a time - Don't combine multiple unrelated requests
- Select the visual - By selecting the visual(s) you're working on, you help nikolAI understand your intentions
- Say what you want, not what you don't want - Positive instructions work better
Next Steps¶
Learn what to expect when nikolAI responds to your requests.