AddThisFeature

Spreadsheet Viewer

Open an uploaded spreadsheet in the browser with its sheets and headers intact.

moderate Documents & Files

What it adds

An in-app read-only viewer for uploaded spreadsheet and delimited files, with sheet tabs and frozen headers.

What your agent is told to do

5
  1. 1

    Reuse the app's existing file preview surface and Attachment Gallery entry points so a spreadsheet opens where every other file type opens, rather than in a separate viewer page.

  2. 2

    Parse on the server and send the viewer only the rows it currently needs. Shipping an entire workbook to the browser will stall the tab on any file of real size.

  3. 3

    Build on the app's existing table components, including its sticky header and frozen column behaviour, instead of a second grid implementation.

  4. 4

    Keep it read-only and say so. If the app has a CSV Import, link to it from the viewer for anyone who wants the data in the app rather than quietly adding editing here.

  5. 5

    Do not evaluate formulas. Show what the file recorded and be explicit when a value could not be resolved.

Edge cases it handles

8
  • A sheet with a hundred thousand rows or three hundred columns will freeze the browser if every cell is rendered. Virtualize in both directions and keep scroll position stable as rows load.
  • Files often store a formula alongside its last computed value, and files written by other tools may store neither. Show the cached value where one exists, show the formula text where it does not, and never show an error token as if it were data.
  • Plain text files arrive with semicolons, tabs, or pipes as separators and in encodings other than UTF-8, and guessing wrong produces one column of mojibake. Detect delimiter and encoding, show what was detected, and let the user override it.
  • Merged cells and frozen header rows drift out of alignment as soon as rows are virtualized or columns are resized. Measure them explicitly rather than assuming a uniform row height.
  • Past a defined row or cell ceiling the viewer should decline clearly and offer the original file for download instead of attempting the render and timing out.
  • Spreadsheets carry hidden sheets, hidden columns, and cell comments that the uploader may not know are there. Decide whether to surface them and be consistent, rather than exposing them by accident.
  • Dates, currencies, and percentages lose their meaning when rendered as raw serial numbers. Apply the recorded cell format, and render numbers right-aligned so columns read as columns.
  • A corrupt, password-protected, or macro-bearing file must fail with a specific message, and macros must never be executed or offered.

Definition of done

9
  • An uploaded spreadsheet opens in the app with its sheets selectable and headers frozen.
  • Very long and very wide sheets scroll smoothly with rows and columns virtualized.
  • Cached values are shown where formulas cannot be evaluated, and unresolvable cells are marked as such.
  • Delimiter and encoding are detected for text files, displayed, and overridable.
  • Merged cells and frozen headers stay aligned while scrolling and resizing.
  • Files past the row ceiling are declined with a download offered instead.
  • Dates, currencies, and percentages render using the recorded cell format.
  • The feature matches the existing design system.
  • No existing functionality is broken.

Related features

How it works

  1. 1

    Copy the link

    Grab the Markdown instruction URL for this feature.

  2. 2

    Give it to your AI

    Paste it into Claude Code, Cursor, v0, Lovable — whatever you build with.

  3. 3

    It inspects, then implements

    Your agent reads your existing app first, then adds the feature to fit it.

Works with your stack

These instructions are written to adapt. They tell the agent to detect your framework, match your existing design system, and reuse what you already have — rather than assuming a particular stack.

Need it tighter than that? Customize the feature and tell it exactly what you're running.