Getting Started with RowTidy: Your First Excel Cleaning in 5 Minutes

Getting started with RowTidy is simple. In just 5 minutes, you can clean your first Excel file and see the power of AI-powered data cleaning. No complex setup, no technical skills required—just upload, review, and download clean data.

This guide walks you through getting started with RowTidy, from creating your account to cleaning your first file.

Why Start with RowTidy?

Quick Benefits

Fast Setup: Account created in 1 minute
Easy to Use: No technical skills needed
Immediate Results: Clean your first file in 5 minutes
Free Trial: Try without commitment
Instant Value: See time savings immediately

What You'll Achieve

Clean Excel files automatically
Remove duplicates intelligently
Standardize formats consistently
Validate data accurately
Save hours of manual work

Step 1: Create Your Account (1 Minute)

Sign Up Process

Option 1: Email Sign Up

Go to rowtidy.com
Click "Sign Up" or "Get Started"
Enter your email address
Create a password
Click "Create Account"

Option 2: Google Sign Up

Go to rowtidy.com
Click "Sign Up with Google"
Select your Google account
Authorize RowTidy access

Time: 1 minute
Result: Account created, ready to use

Account Verification

Check your email for verification link
Click verification link
Account activated
Ready to start cleaning

Step 2: Prepare Your Excel File (1 Minute)

File Requirements

Supported Formats:

.xlsx (Excel 2007+)
.xls (Excel 97-2003)
.csv (Comma-separated values)

File Size:

Maximum: 50 MB
Recommended: Under 10 MB for fastest processing

File Preparation Tips

Best Practices:

Ensure data has headers in first row
Remove empty rows at top
Keep data in single sheet (if multiple sheets, use first)
Save file before uploading

Example File Structure:

| Name        | Email              | Phone        | Company     |
|-------------|-------------------|--------------|-------------|
| John Smith  | john@email.com    | 555-123-4567 | Acme Corp   |
| Jane Doe    | jane@email.com    | 555-987-6543 | Tech Inc    |

Time: 1 minute
Result: File ready for upload

Step 3: Upload Your File (30 Seconds)

Upload Methods

Method 1: Drag and Drop

Open RowTidy dashboard
Find upload area
Drag Excel file from your computer
Drop into upload area
File uploads automatically

Method 2: Click to Upload

Open RowTidy dashboard
Click "Upload File" button
Select file from your computer
Click "Open"
File uploads automatically

Upload Progress:

Small files (< 1 MB): 5-10 seconds
Medium files (1-10 MB): 10-30 seconds
Large files (10-50 MB): 30-60 seconds

Time: 30 seconds
Result: File uploaded, processing begins

Step 4: Review AI Suggestions (2 Minutes)

What RowTidy Detects

Automatic Detection:

Duplicate entries
Format inconsistencies
Invalid data (emails, phones, dates)
Missing values
Data quality issues

Review Interface

Suggestion Panel Shows:

Number of issues found
Types of issues detected
Preview of suggested fixes
Quality score

Example Suggestions:

"45 duplicate entries found"
"120 format inconsistencies detected"
"23 invalid email addresses"
"Overall quality: 78% → 99% after cleaning"

Review Options

Option 1: Accept All

Click "Accept All Suggestions"
All fixes applied automatically
Fastest option

Option 2: Review Individually

Review each suggestion
Accept or modify as needed
More control

Option 3: Customize Rules

Adjust cleaning rules
Set custom preferences
Fine-tune cleaning

Time: 2 minutes
Result: Cleaning rules configured

Step 5: Apply Cleaning (30 Seconds)

Start Cleaning

Process:

Click "Clean Data" button
RowTidy processes file
Progress bar shows status
Completion notification appears

Processing Time:

Small files (< 1,000 rows): 10-30 seconds
Medium files (1,000-10,000 rows): 30-60 seconds
Large files (10,000+ rows): 1-3 minutes

What Happens:

Duplicates removed
Formats standardized
Data validated
Quality improved

Time: 30 seconds
Result: File cleaned, ready for review

Step 6: Review and Download (1 Minute)

Review Cleaned Data

Preview Options:

View cleaned data in browser
Compare before/after
Check quality improvements
Verify changes

Quality Metrics:

Quality score: 99%+
Duplicates removed: Count shown
Issues fixed: Summary provided
Records processed: Total count

Download Options

Download Formats:

.xlsx (Excel format)
.csv (CSV format)
Original format preserved

Download Process:

Click "Download" button
Select format (if multiple options)
File downloads to your computer
Ready to use

Time: 1 minute
Result: Clean file downloaded

Your First Cleaning: Complete!

What You've Achieved

Time Saved:

Manual cleaning: 2-4 hours
RowTidy cleaning: 5 minutes
Savings: 115-235 minutes (96-98% reduction)

Quality Improved:

Before: 75-85% quality
After: 99%+ quality
Improvement: 14-24 percentage points

Issues Fixed:

Duplicates removed
Formats standardized
Data validated
Quality improved

Next Steps: Advanced Features

Feature 1: Save Cleaning Recipe

Create Reusable Recipe:

After cleaning, click "Save Recipe"
Name your recipe
Recipe saved for future use
Apply to similar files instantly

Benefit: Clean similar files in seconds.

Feature 2: Batch Processing

Process Multiple Files:

Upload multiple files
Select all files
Apply same recipe
Process all at once

Benefit: Clean entire folder in minutes.

Feature 3: Schedule Automation

Set Up Automated Cleaning:

Create recipe
Set schedule (daily, weekly, monthly)
Connect data source
Automatic cleaning

Benefit: Hands-free automation.

Common First-Time Questions

Q1: Is my data secure?

Answer: Yes. RowTidy uses enterprise-grade security:

Data encrypted in transit and at rest
Files processed securely
No data shared with third parties
GDPR and SOC 2 compliant

Q2: What file sizes are supported?

Answer:

Maximum: 50 MB per file
Recommended: Under 10 MB for fastest processing
Large files: Supported, may take longer

Q3: Can I undo changes?

Answer: Yes. RowTidy shows preview before applying:

Review all changes first
Download original if needed
Changes only applied after approval

Q4: How accurate is the cleaning?

Answer: Very accurate:

98-99% accuracy rate
AI learns from corrections
Improves over time
Preview before applying

Q5: What if I need help?

Answer: Multiple support options:

In-app help center
Email support
Video tutorials
Documentation

Tips for Best Results

Tip 1: Start with Sample File

Test with small sample first:

Understand the process
See results quickly
Build confidence
Then scale up

Tip 2: Review Suggestions

Take time to review:

Understand what will change
Verify suggestions are correct
Adjust if needed
Learn from results

Tip 3: Save Recipes

Create reusable recipes:

Save time on similar files
Maintain consistency
Build recipe library
Share with team

Troubleshooting

Issue: Upload Fails

Solutions:

Check file size (max 50 MB)
Verify file format (.xlsx, .xls, .csv)
Try different browser
Check internet connection

Issue: Processing Slow

Solutions:

Large files take longer (normal)
Check file size
Be patient (usually 1-3 minutes)
Contact support if > 5 minutes

Issue: Results Not Expected

Solutions:

Review suggestions before applying
Adjust cleaning rules
Try different recipe
Contact support for help

Success Checklist

After your first cleaning, you should have:

✅ Account created
✅ File uploaded successfully
✅ Suggestions reviewed
✅ Cleaning applied
✅ Clean file downloaded
✅ Quality improved
✅ Time saved

Related Guides

Conclusion

Getting started with RowTidy takes just 5 minutes. Create your account, upload a file, review suggestions, apply cleaning, and download clean data. The process is simple, fast, and delivers immediate value through time savings and quality improvements.

RowTidy makes Excel cleaning accessible to everyone, with no technical skills required and immediate results.

Get started now - try RowTidy free.