Global companion is the next step for Workiva AI, bringing together several previously isolated features into a single assistant that works across the entire platform. Instead of opening a separate Workiva AI panel in each area of the product, you'll now open the Global Companion just once — it then follows you between files and screens, carrying the full context of the conversation you're working on.
This feature is currently available to select customers as part of the Workiva AI Global Companion preview. The preview feature is provided to you for technical testing and evaluation only from July 2026 to September 2026. Workiva may extend the testing period of the preview features at its discretion. If your team is interested in using this feature, please contact your Customer Success Manager (CSM).
Supported experiences
The global companion understands the context of your work in:
- Documents
- Spreadsheets
- Presentations
- Wdata
- Files
Support for Files is new in this preview.
How to access the global companion
During this preview, you can open the global companion from several places:
- Platform toolbar: Click the sparkles icon in the toolbar at the top-right of the platform.
- File or search result: Right-click a file or a search result and select Ask Workiva AI.
- Intelligent search: Click the sparkles icon in your intelligent search results.
- Quick edit: Starting a quick edit in a supported experience opens the global companion automatically.
The existing launch locations of Workiva AI in documents, spreadsheet, and Wdata may change based on user feedback.
Workflows
Global companion supports various workflows for complex, multi-step reporting tasks. You'll only see the Workflows your workspace has access to.
- Benchmarking: Compares your reporting content against peer data.
- Tie-outs: Checks a report for internal consistency and compares it against prior periods.
- Sustainability disclosure agent: Turns your data and narrative content into disclosures that follow reporting frameworks such as ESRS.
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Roll forward: Moves data and project artifacts into the next reporting period.
How to sign up
If your team is interested in joining the preview, contact your CSM or Workiva Account Executive to discuss eligibility. Please CC kevin.walker@workiva.com and sarah.palumbo@workiva.com from the Workiva AI Product team.
What's expected of participants
This preview invites early adopters and partners to help shape the future of Workiva AI.
As a participant, you'll work with our product and design teams to:
- Provide early feedback on the global companion and its integrated workflows.
- Test how well the global companion holds context and understands your work as it moves between areas of the platform.
- Evaluate the accuracy and usefulness of global companion's results against previous processes.
- Validate the efficiency and behavior of automated outputs.
Participants gain:
- Preview access to the global companion and its workflows.
- Direct support from Workiva's AI product team.
- The opportunity to influence feature design and roadmap decisions.
Participants should be open to:
- Signing Workiva's standard Preview Terms.
- Providing feedback during live review sessions.
- Sharing examples of real work, where possible, for testing.
Share feedback
Your feedback is critical during the preview period and helps shape the future of global companion. We ask that you:
- Report bugs and technical issues to your CSM and kevin.walker@workiva.com.
- Create a feedback spreadsheet to record usability observations, surprises, and feature requests, which can be shared with your CSM and the Workiva AI team during a weekly sync.
- Participate in a weekly sync with the Workiva AI team to provide feedback on fixes and raise any new issues.
You agree that Workiva may use your feedback to modify, enhance, or improve the preview features. These features and any resulting enhancements are owned by Workiva and are considered confidential information.
Things to know
- Some integrations are still being refined. The global companion may lose context when you move into an experience it doesn't support yet.
- The workflows available to you change based on workspace access and where you are in the platform.
- The global companion automatically uses the files you're working in as references, but you should always check that these references match the work you intended before relying on a response.