Disclosed herein is a computer-implemented tool that facilitates data analysis by use of machine learning (ML) techniques. The tool cooperates with a data intake and query system and provides a graphical user interface (GUI) that enables a user to train and apply a variety of different ML models on user-selected datasets of stored machine data. The tool can provide active guidance to the user, to help the user choose data analysis paths that are likely to produce useful results and to avoid data analysis paths that are less likely to produce useful results.