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Overview

Action columns let you run AI research with a simple click, gathering information automatically from various sources to save you time and effort. They work like smart buttons that, when clicked, start an AI research process and fill other columns with the information found. Unlike other column types that primarily store data, Action columns are designed to do something - specifically, to trigger research and send the results to other columns in your sheet. They help you automate research tasks that would otherwise require manual browsing and data entry.

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Column Display

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Cell View

Action columns in cell view display as interactive buttons that trigger research:
Action columns appear as clickable buttons in your sheet that initiate AI research when pressed. The button text typically indicates the type of research that will be performed.

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Action Results

Mapped columns are enriched with information as shown here:
When action column research completes, the results automatically populate the target columns you’ve configured, filling in data like company information, contact details, or other research findings.

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Use Cases

Company Enrichment

Automatically gather company information from public sources including funding history, technologies used, market position, and key executives.

People Profiling

Research professional backgrounds, skills, expertise, published content, and professional networks for comprehensive people profiles.

LinkedIn Post Analysis

Extract insights from social media content, analyze engagement patterns, and identify key messaging themes and strategies.

Team Discovery

Identify key team members, map organizational structures, and research team growth patterns at target companies.

Specialized Research

Create custom research operations with targeted investigations, competitive analysis, and industry trend research.

Data Automation

Automate routine research tasks, set up batch processing, and create standardized workflows for consistent data enrichment.

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Features

  • One-Click Research: Start research with a simple click
    • Click the research button in any Action column cell
    • Watch as the AI gathers information automatically
    • See progress indicators while research is running
    • Get notified when the research is complete
    • Retry if needed with another click
  • Research Tool Options: Choose the right tool for your needs
    • People Research: Find information about individuals like job history, skills, and education
    • Company Research: Gather details about organizations including size, funding, and industry
    • Social Post Analysis: Extract insights from LinkedIn and other platform content
    • Team Discovery: Identify who works at a company and their roles
    • Each tool is specialized for different types of information gathering
  • Easy Status Tracking: Always know what’s happening
    • See clear status indicators (waiting, running, complete, error)
    • Track progress for running research tasks
    • Get alerts if there are any issues
    • Easily identify which cells need attention
  • Results Distribution: Automatically fill multiple columns
    • Send research findings to the right columns automatically
    • Map different pieces of information to appropriate columns
    • Keep your data organized without manual copying and pasting
    • Configure which columns should receive what information
  • Customizable Research: Control what information is gathered
    • Create research instructions using simple templates
    • Specify exactly what information you want to find
    • Reference existing data in your research requests
    • Focus the AI on gathering the most important information
  • Visual Indicators: See what’s happening at a glance
    • Clear visual feedback on research status
    • Color-coded indicators for different states
    • Progress animation while working
    • Success/error indicators for completed research

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How Action Columns Work

1

Click to Start

Click the research button in an Action column cell to initiate the AI research process.
2

AI Does the Work

The AI automatically searches for information based on your configured settings and research parameters.
3

Progress Updates

Watch the status indicators as the research runs, with real-time progress feedback.
4

Results Appear

See results automatically fill in connected columns that you’ve mapped to receive the information.
5

Review Information

Check the findings and use them in your work, with the ability to retry if needed.
Unlike regular columns that store data, Action columns mainly serve as buttons to trigger research, with the actual results appearing in other columns you’ve set up to receive the information.

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Compatible Research Tools

Action columns support these specialized research tools:
  • PEOPLE_ENRICHMENT: Comprehensive research on people’s professional backgrounds, expertise, and careers
  • COMPANY_ENRICHMENT: Detailed company profiles including funding, technology, team, and market positioning
  • LINKEDIN_POSTS: Analysis of content and engagement from LinkedIn social posts
  • FETCH_PEOPLE: Discovery of team members and key personnel associated with companies

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Configuration Options

When creating or editing an Action column, you can configure these options:
  • Research Tool: Select which specialized research tool to use
    • PEOPLE_ENRICHMENT: For researching individuals’ professional information
    • COMPANY_ENRICHMENT: For gathering company data and intelligence
    • LINKEDIN_POSTS: For analyzing social media content
    • FETCH_PEOPLE: For discovering team members and organizational structure
    • Select the appropriate tool based on your specific research goals
  • Prompt: Customize the research instructions and focus
    • Write detailed research instructions to guide the AI
    • Specify exactly what information you’re seeking
    • Include variables to reference existing data (e.g., @Company_Name)
    • Use clear, specific language for best results
    • Add context about why you need the information
  • Web Search: Enable or disable web search capabilities
    • Enable for comprehensive research using the latest online data
    • Disable for faster results using only pre-trained knowledge
    • Configure search depth for more thorough or quicker results
    • Set specific domains to prioritize (e.g., company websites, news sources)
    • Specify time ranges for temporal relevance
  • Target Columns: Define which columns should be populated with results
    • Map specific research findings to appropriate destination columns
    • Configure multiple column mappings for comprehensive data capture
    • Set up field-specific formatting rules
    • Create logic for handling conflicting information
    • Specify data transformation rules when needed
  • Trigger Options: Configure when research should be initiated
    • Manual triggering: Research runs only when explicitly started

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Best Practices

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Getting Started

Important Setup Requirement: Create the columns where you want results to appear before setting up Action columns. Action columns need target columns to distribute their research findings.

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Writing Effective Instructions

  • Be specific about what you want
    • Clearly state exactly what information you’re looking for
    • Use numbered lists to organize different information requests
    • Prioritize the most important information first
    • Keep instructions concise but clear
  • Use information you already have
    • Reference existing data using @ symbols (like @Company_Name)
    • Combine multiple pieces of information for better results
    • Make sure the referenced columns contain good data

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Getting Good Results

  • Check the results
    • Review information found by the AI before using it in important work
    • Compare key facts with information you already know is accurate
    • Look for any obvious errors or missing information
  • Try again if needed
    • If results aren’t what you expected, try adjusting your instructions
    • Be more specific about exactly what you want to find
    • Break complex research into smaller, more focused requests

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Working as a Team

  • Share successful approaches
    • When you find instructions that work well, share them with your team
    • Create templates for common research tasks
    • Document which Action columns fill which data columns
  • Consistent naming
    • Use similar naming patterns across different sheets
    • Make it easy for team members to understand what each Action column does

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Managing Large Sheets

  • Focus your research
    • Be specific about what you need rather than asking for ‘everything’
    • Create separate Action columns for different types of research
    • Consider running research in batches for very large sheets