Describe the usable unit
Models, formulas, change history and connected workbooks. Explain whether the archive preserves the connections between records and the process they represent. File count alone does not show coverage, quality or usefulness.
Ask this before preparing a sample
Ask whether formulas and relationships must survive export; CSV removes formulas and workbook structure.
Review sensitive and restricted elements
Hidden sheets, comments, external links and confidential inputs. Check the actual contents, including hidden fields, metadata, embedded files and related records. Data minimization and de-identification are separate from confirming the right to license the material.
Evidence to bring to a fit discussion
Prepare a schema or category-level description, date range, approximate volume, export format, known gaps and exclusion list. Clearly distinguish measurements from estimates. Do not upload the underlying archive simply to obtain a preliminary opinion.
Compare the proposed use
Ask whether the provider wants training examples, evaluation material, retrieval content or a simulated environment. These are different purposes and should not be bundled into vague unrestricted language. Confirm downstream recipients, duration and any right to sublicense.
Tests to agree before a sample
- Inspect hidden rows, sheets, comments and named ranges.
- Check whether external links resolve and whether cached values differ from formulas.
- Agree whether the provider needs workbook logic or a bounded extract of values.