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# Choose and explore the data Ask answers from

> Pick the projects, folders and tables Mammoth's Ask mode answers from, see every file you can read and the dates it covers, and look through rows in Explore.
>
> Applies to: Enterprise plans. Where: Ask › Your data

By default [Ask mode](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/agent/ask-mode/) answers from everything you can read. Narrow it from the **Your data** card in the Ask navigation to keep answers, Today and Explore on the tables that matter. "This only changes what the agent looks at for you. Everyone else keeps their own access."

## Set up Ask on your first visit

The first time you open Ask with enough data to choose from, it greets you: "Hi Pat. Which data should we start with?" (with your name, or a **Your name** box if Mammoth doesn't know it). Ask has grouped what you can open into topics (one per project, described in plain words) and ticked what looks like real work. It folds away copies, test files and nearly empty tables, for example "I left out 4 copies, tests and nearly empty tables".

- **Looks right, let's start**: keeps the ticked topics and opens Today with one standout answer while your page is written.
- **Choose tables myself**: opens **Choose tables**, where you pick whole topics or single tables.

If you can read only a few tables (as a guest, for example), there is no choice to make: "Here's what you can ask about. I'll answer questions on it and keep a daily page for you."

## Choose which tables Ask answers from

Today might show a **Choose what Ask uses** note with **Choose…** and **Keep everything**. To change it later:

1. Click the **Your data** card, then **Change…**.
2. In **Your data for Ask**, tick whole projects, folders or single tables. Search with the box at the top.
3. Click a file to see its description, size, when it was updated and its first rows.
4. Click **Save**. The bottom of the chooser says **Ask answers only about these**.

| Option | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Tick a project | Includes every table in it, and new ones added later ("All 12, and new ones") |
| Tick a folder | Includes its tables. **Only this folder** keeps only that folder. |
| Search, then **Add these 3** or **Only these 3** | Adds the matching tables, or keeps only them |

You must keep at least one table ("Pick at least one table").

### Add one file to Ask

On a file you can read but Ask doesn't use (in Explore it's marked **Not in Ask**), click **+ Add to Ask**. "Ask will answer from this file too. Remove it any time in Your data."

## See every file you can read on the Your data page

| Control | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Which files** | **All you can read** or **Ask answers from**, each with its count |
| **Project** | Show one project's files, or **All 9 projects** |
| **Updated** | **Any time**, **This week** or **Older** |

The table has **Name**, **Project**, **Rows**, **Updated** and **Covers** columns. Each file says "Rows can be downloaded." or "Rows can't be downloaded or exported." From a row, **Ask about this file** starts a chat about it and **Look through its rows in Explore** opens it in Explore. With nothing shared yet: "Nothing has been shared with you yet. Files you can read will show here."

### Check which dates a table covers

Click a file's **Covers** cell to open **About this table**: the dates the table covers, how often rows arrive (**Daily**, **Weekly**, **Monthly**, **Quarterly** or **Yearly**) and a bar of **Rows per month**. Lighter months are only partly covered; hatched months are **Planned** (rows dated after today). A table with no date column shows **No dates**.

### See examples of what your agent can do

**What can my agent do?** opens examples. "It answers from the files listed here and changes nothing."

| Kind | Example |
| --- | --- |
| **Answer questions** | "What were our five biggest customers last quarter?" |
| **Make charts** | "Chart monthly revenue by region for this year" |
| **Compare periods** | "How does this month compare with the same month last year?" |
| **Explain what changed** | "Why did collections drop in September?" |
| **Set alerts** | "Tell me when weekly signups fall more than 10%" |
| **Write updates** | "Write my weekly update from these numbers" |

## Look through a file's rows in Explore

**Explore** lets you look through rows yourself: filter, sort, chart and, where allowed, download. It uses the same Explore view as dashboards (see [Explore and Q&A pages](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/dashboards/explore-and-qa/)).

1. Click **+** beside **Explore** (or **+ Add to Explore**).
2. In **Add to Explore**, search ("Search 214 files…") and click a file to preview its first rows.
3. Tick the files you want and click **Add 2 files**.
4. Pick a file under **Explore** in the navigation.

| Button | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Ask about this** | Starts a chat about the file, limited to the rows you filtered |
| **Show in Data Library** | Opens the file in Build, if you can open it there |
| **+ Add to Ask** | Shown on a file marked **Not in Ask** |

Explore's list is separate from what Ask answers from. Files Ask left out show why, such as "Named as a test", "Nearly empty" or "A copy of" another file. Hover a file in the navigation and click **Remove from Explore** to drop it.

## Troubleshooting your data in Ask

| Message | Cause | Fix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| "Your data for Ask could not be saved. Try again." | Saving your table choice failed | Click **Save** again |
| "Pick at least one table" | You unticked every table | Tick at least one table |

## Related

- [Ask mode](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/agent/ask-mode/): switch to Ask and ask questions.
- [Today, alerts and dashboards](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/agent/today/): the page built from the data you choose.
- [Your agent](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/agent/your-agent/): the **What I answer from** line.

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Source: https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/agent/ask-your-data.md · Updated: 2026-11-08