Help & support
Everything you need to get started, and quick fixes for the most common problems. Still stuck? Write to [email protected].
Get started in one minute
- Install ExplainStats from the Google Workspace Marketplace (see how).
- In any spreadsheet, open Extensions › ExplainStats › Open ExplainStats. The sidebar opens on the right.
- No data at hand? Choose Extensions › ExplainStats › Insert sample data to get example datasets and a step-by-step guide.
- In the sidebar, pick a tool (or the which-test Assistant), select your data in the sheet, click Use selection, then Run.
- The results appear in a new sheet, with a plain-language interpretation under the table.
The language of the sidebar can be changed with the selector at the top of the sidebar (English, Français, Español, Português).
How to lay out your data
- Put each variable in its own column, with a short name in the first row, and keep the box Labels in first row ticked.
- To compare groups, either put each group in its own column (one column per group), or use two columns: one with the group name and one with the values.
- For a chi-square test, select a table of counts with the row and column names.
- Empty cells are ignored. Text in a numeric column is reported, not silently used.
Common problems
The sidebar does not open, or keeps asking for authorisation
This usually happens when you are signed in to several Google accounts in the same browser: Google Sheets add-ons don't always work in that case. Open the spreadsheet in a private window signed in to one account only, or sign out of all accounts and sign in first with the one that installed ExplainStats.
The ExplainStats menu is missing
Reload the spreadsheet. If it is still missing, check Extensions › Add-ons › Manage add-ons. On a school or company account, your administrator may need to allow the add-on.
“Select a range first” or no data found
Click in the sheet and select the cells that hold your data (including the header row if Labels in first row is ticked), then click Use selection in the sidebar again.
My numbers are treated as text
Check that the numbers use the decimal separator of your spreadsheet's locale (File › Settings › Locale), and that the cells contain no spaces or units such as “kg” or “%” typed as text.
My results differ from another program
Check that you ran the same test with the same options: Welch or equal-variance t-test, one or two tails, the same significance level. Quartiles and percentiles also have several definitions.
Exam mode: I forgot the PIN
The PIN can't be recovered: only a protected fingerprint of it is stored in the spreadsheet. Copy your data (values only) into a new spreadsheet, which will not be in exam mode.
Guides
Step-by-step guides for the most common analyses: t-test, ANOVA, regression, chi-square, correlation, which test to use, and more.
Contact
Found a bug or have an idea? Email [email protected]. Tell us which tool you used and what you expected, and never send personal or confidential data. A small example with made-up numbers is perfect.