What the AI sees of your data
ListPlus uses AI in several places while you work in a list — the Prompts panel, AI checks, AI Column, import, and enrichment providers. Each of these sees a different, narrow slice of your data, sized for that one job. This article is the canonical answer for what goes where; other topics point here instead of repeating it.
AI commands and questions (Prompts panel). When you type an instruction or a question in Ask about your data..., ListPlus sends your text, the names and types of your columns, the total row count, your sublist names and, if you have rows selected, how many (not which ones or their values). No cell values are sent to understand the request. For a column with up to eight fixed options (for example a status column), the option labels are included too. Some commands then need to look at values, for example "select all CEOs", "find companies in Germany" or "unify country spellings". For those, ListPlus sends the distinct values of the column(s) involved, with duplicates removed (or unique value combinations when several columns are compared), and applies the answer to the matching rows.
AI checks and AI Column. The optional "Include AI Analysis" checks in the Analyze panel never see full rows. They collect the distinct values of the column being checked, remove duplicates, or unique pairs of values for checks that compare two columns, such as city and country, and send only that short list to the AI together with the rule. The AI Column feature works on the same principle but keyed to your own prompt: it sends your prompt filled in once per unique combination of the values in every column your prompt references — never whole rows. A 10,000-row list with only a few hundred unique job titles, for example, is sent as a few hundred combinations, not ten thousand rows. Each combination's one answer is then mapped back to every row that shares it. A Normalize fix (offered on checks like inconsistent country, state or industry spellings) works the same way: it sends the distinct values of that column, with duplicates removed, and asks the AI to group them and propose one standard value per group, which you confirm before anything changes.
Enrichment providers. When you enrich a contact, the provider (such as Prospeo, FullEnrich or CompanyEnrich) receives only the identifier needed for that lookup — an email address, a domain, a LinkedIn URL, a name and company, or a company name — never your other columns.
AI Research. A research run sends your search description (for a target group) or the known identity details of one person (name, company, job title, location) to search public web sources. When you research a contact from your list, only that person's details are sent, not the rest of your list.
Column detection on import. When you import a file, ListPlus analyses a sample of its first rows, including the actual cell values. The sample is 10% of the file, at least 50 and at most 200 rows, or the whole file if it's smaller. The AI receives your column headers plus a few example values and statistics per column, to suggest column types and names. For gender, country or yes/no columns it also receives the distinct values from the whole file, so it can standardise them. This step runs on every import. The Skip AI Enhancement button only appears if the analysis is unavailable or fails.
Where this runs. All of this happens on ListPlus's servers, never in your browser — provider keys and AI keys are never sent to the client. Each request is scoped to the list you're working in and requires you to be signed in.
FAQ#
What does the AI see when I use an AI command in the Prompts panel?#
It sees your instruction, your column names and types, the total row count, your sublist names and, if rows are selected, how many are selected. Your cell values aren't sent to understand the request. If a command has to judge values (such as "select all CEOs"), the distinct values of the columns involved are sent in a second step, with duplicates removed.
Does the Prompts panel AI see the values in my cells?#
Not to understand your request. Only column names and types, plus the option labels of columns with up to eight fixed options, are sent. Commands that judge values, like selecting by job title or unifying spellings, send the distinct values of the columns involved, with duplicates removed, and never whole rows.
If I select rows before asking the AI something, does it see those rows' data?#
No. The AI learns only how many rows are selected, not their IDs or values; ListPlus then applies the resulting command to your actual selection.
What do AI checks and AI Column send to the AI?#
AI checks send only the distinct (unique) values of the column being checked, with duplicates removed, or unique pairs of values for checks that compare two columns, such as city and country, plus the rule you're applying — a Normalize fix works the same way, sending the column's distinct values and asking the AI to suggest one standard value per group for you to confirm. AI Column sends your prompt filled in once per unique combination of the values in the columns your prompt references — never whole rows. Either way, a 10,000-row list might have only a few hundred unique combinations, so that's all that's sent, and each answer is mapped back to every row that shares it.
What do enrichment providers receive when I enrich a contact?#
Only the identifier needed for that specific lookup: an email address, a domain, a LinkedIn URL, a name and company, or a company name. Enrichment providers (such as Prospeo, FullEnrich or CompanyEnrich) never receive your other columns.
What does AI Research send?#
A target-group description or a known person's identity details (name, company, job title, location), used to search public web sources for matches. When you research a contact from your list, only that person's details are sent, not the rest of your list.
What does the AI see when it detects columns during import?#
Your column headers and a sample of your file's first rows (10% of the file, 50–200 rows), including real cell values: a few example values per column go to the AI. For gender, country or yes/no columns, the distinct values from the whole file are sent too. It runs on every import; Skip AI Enhancement only appears if the analysis fails.
Does AI processing happen in my browser or on ListPlus's servers?#
On ListPlus's servers. AI commands, checks, AI Column, enrichment and AI Research all run server-side; provider and AI keys are never sent to your browser.
Can the AI see data from my other lists?#
No. Each AI request is scoped to the one list you're working in and requires you to be signed in; it doesn't include your other lists.
Do values the AI fills in or derives need to be saved like other changes?#
Yes. Values from AI Column, AI checks' fixes, or enrichment you apply to cells are ordinary grid changes — they stay unsaved until you click Save, same as any manual edit.