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sureshs276515
May 26, 2026
Question

Appian GenAI Excel Classification Issue with Data vs Empty File

  • May 26, 2026
  • 4 replies
  • 0 views

Hi everyone,

I’m facing an issue while using Appian AI Skill (GenAI) with an Excel file.

  • When I upload an Excel file with empty data, I get one type of classification output.
  • However, when I upload the same file structure but with data inside, it produces a different classification output.
  • Essentially, the classification result varies depending on whether the file has data, and it seems inconsistent each time.

Has anyone experienced this issue before? Any insights on why the classification behavior changes like this?

    4 replies

    subhankarb6682
    subhankarb6682
    May 27, 2026

    This is expected behavior for GenAI-based classification.

    Why This Happens: GenAI Classification is Context-Dependent


    When the file is empty, the model classifies based on:
    Column headers only
    File structure and formatting


    When the file has data, the model classifies based on:
    Column headers
    Actual data values
    Patterns and content within cells

    These are two different inputs — different outputs are expected

    shubhama926776
    shubhama926776
    May 27, 2026

    Classification changes because the model reads the document's actual content, not just the structure. An empty Excel shows only headers, while a populated one adds text and data that shift the classification features; so the same template gets treated as two different documents.

    Add both empty and populated files under the same class label in your training set, or convert Excel to PDF before classification (AI Skills work most reliably with PDFs).

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    sureshs276515Author
    May 28, 2026

    hi [mention:9861aef97eb2483a8b76175d9eda1e37:e9ed411860ed4f2ba0265705b8793d05] , thanks for reply,

    We have a requirement where we receive Excel files from users through email. Once the email reaches Appian, we need to classify those Excel documents.

    Each time, the data inside the Excel file is different, so our GenAI model has to classify based on different structures and content.

    Initially, we trained our GenAI model using an empty Excel file and some sample data. However, when real data comes from users, it becomes difficult for us to handle, and many files are getting classified as Unclassified. This is unexpected behavior.

    We want to know if there is any way to achieve this effectively?

    Also, we are using PDF files as well, and there are no issues with PDFs — classification is working fine.

    shubhama926776
    shubhama926776
    May 28, 2026

    Document Classification needs a stable layout (that's why PDFs work). Excel with constantly changing data has no consistent signature, so it lands as Unclassified; more training won't fix it.
    Convert each Excel to PDF first, then classify. Or skip the AI model for Excel and route by filename, sender, sheet name, or header row (via Excel Tools plugin) using a rule.

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