How to Use Claude in Excel

Yes. Claude has an Excel add-in that reads, explains and edits your workbook in a sidebar. You need a paid Claude plan.

Picks: 2; ranked

To use Claude in Excel, install the Claude for Microsoft 365 add-in from Microsoft AppSource and sign in with your Claude account. It works on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans, not Free.

Claude then answers questions about your workbook with cell-level citations, and it changes values while keeping your formulas intact. It can also build a model from a description, find the cause of an error, sort, filter and edit pivot tables.

Know this first: a spreadsheet from outside can hide instructions that trick the add-in, so use it only on files you trust.

Good for

Finance and analysis teams who trace formulas and flex assumptions in a model
Anyone who builds a model or fills a template from a plain description
IT admins rolling Claude out to a Microsoft 365 organization
Developers who want Claude to edit .xlsx files outside Excel

Install Claude

Claude app

1
Open it in the marketplace

Requires Claude Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise plan, Excel on the web, Windows (Microsoft 365) or Mac 16.46 or later.

Read-only mode: There is no read-only switch. Claude asks you to confirm risky operations.

Pick the AppSource install if you are setting it up for yourself. Admins deploy it from the Microsoft 365 admin center. Admin roles activated through Entra PIM can fail to deploy, so use an account with the role permanently active or have users install it themselves. Organizations on Amazon Bedrock, Google Vertex AI or Azure AI Foundry can deploy it without individual Claude accounts.

From the vendor's docs. Source.

Add Claude to Excel and work on your first model

Claude

1
Check your plan and Excel version
You need a Claude Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise plan. Use Excel on the web, on Windows with a Microsoft 365 subscription (build 16.0.13127.20296 or later), or on Mac 16.46 or later.
2
Install the add-in
Follow the setup box above. Open the Claude for Microsoft 365 listing on Microsoft AppSource and select Get it now.
3
Open Claude in Excel and sign in
On Windows, go to Home > Add-ins. On Mac, go to Tools > Add-ins. Activate Claude and sign in with your Claude account.
4
Set standing instructions (optional)
Open Settings in the sidebar and fill in the Instructions field. They apply to every Excel conversation, such as number formats or bold headers, and do not carry over to Word or PowerPoint.
5
Ask how a number is built
Answers include cell-level citations. Select one to jump to that cell.
Prompt
```
Walk me through how the revenue number in cell C42 is calculated.
```
6
Change an assumption
Claude updates the value and keeps formula relationships, so downstream cells recompute. It warns you before it overwrites existing data.
Prompt
```
Change the discount rate to 8% and update dependent calculations.
```
7
Debug an error
Claude traces the cause and suggests a fix. Review each change before you finalize the file.
Prompt
```
Find the source of the #REF! error in the summary tab.
```
Tip: Start with a trusted copy of the workbook before you ask for wide edits.

Permissions

Medium risk

The add-in can read and change your whole workbook, and a file with hidden instructions can trick it into extracting data or changing records. Open only workbooks you trust and work on a copy before big edits.

What it can do

Read your data
Create and change things
Delete things
Read-only mode

Watch out for

Untrusted workbooks can hijack the add-in
Downloaded templates, vendor files and data imports can hide instructions. Anthropic found they can make Claude extract data or change records, so open only trusted files and read each confirmation. claude.com
It can change or overwrite your data
Claude edits cells, formulas, pivot tables and formatting. It warns before overwriting existing data, but keep a saved copy and review the result. claude.com
Not for audit-critical or regulated data
Anthropic does not recommend it for final client deliverables without review, audit-critical calculations without checks, or highly sensitive data without controls. claude.com
Your workbook content goes to Anthropic
The add-in sends the conversation and the content Claude reads, plus attached files. Clearing chat history removes only the copy in your browser. claude.com
Enterprise audit logs do not include it; the Compliance API does
Anthropic says add-in activity is not in Enterprise audit logs. Enterprise organizations with the Compliance API turned on get Claude for Excel sessions there, with no extra setup. claude.com

Security advisories

No published security advisories as of Nov 3, 2026.

Technical details

Turning on read-only	No read-only switch is documented. Claude asks you to confirm risky operations.
Talks to	Workbook content Claude reads is sent to Anthropic. Connectors you turn on, such as S&P Global, LSEG or Daloopa
Sign-in and keys	You sign in with your Claude account. The add-in keeps an access token and a refresh token in its local storage on your device.
Data retention	Inputs and outputs are deleted from Anthropic's backend within 30 days, with exceptions. Chat history stays in your browser storage until you clear it.

Where it works

Where	Status	Note
Claude add-in for Excel	Official app	Runs in Excel on the web, Windows and Mac. Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise.
Claude Desktop	Not available	The add-in runs inside Excel, not in Claude Desktop. Claude Desktop can create .xlsx files in chat.
Claude mobile	Not available	The add-in does not run in Excel for iPad or Android. Claude mobile can create .xlsx files in chat.
Claude Code	Not available	No Excel add-in. Anthropic's xlsx skill lets Claude Code create and edit .xlsx files.
Excel MCP Server (community)	Community server	Edits .xlsx files directly, so Excel does not need to be installed.
ChatGPT for Excel	Official app	Sidebar add-in from the Microsoft Marketplace, in Excel desktop or web. Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu plans.
Microsoft Copilot	Native connector	Microsoft says Personal and Family subscriptions include Copilot in Excel and other Microsoft 365 apps.

Top picks

Ranked by official status, then GitHub stars.

Verdict

Use the Claude add-in if you have a paid Claude plan and work in Excel on Windows, Mac or the web. Its limits are the plan, no macros or data tables, and trusted files only. On Free, ask Claude in claude.ai for an .xlsx file.

Our pick: Claude

Use the Claude add-in if you have a paid Claude plan and work in Excel on Windows, Mac or the web. Its limits are the plan, no macros or data tables, and trusted files only.

On Free, ask Claude in claude.ai for an .xlsx file.

Best for

Tracing and explaining a complex model
Flexing assumptions without breaking formulas
Building a model from a template or description

Skip it if

You are on the Claude Free plan and want editing inside Excel
You rely on macros, VBA or data tables
You use Excel 2016 or 2019 perpetual, iPad or Android
Your workbooks come from untrusted sources

Questions

How do I add Claude to Excel?

Install the Claude for Microsoft 365 add-in from Microsoft AppSource, then sign in with your Claude account. Use the setup box above for the steps.

Is Claude for Excel free?

No. It needs a Claude Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise plan, and it counts against your normal usage limits. On Free, you can still ask Claude in claude.ai to create an .xlsx file.

Does Claude for Excel work on Mac, the web or iPad?

It works in Excel on the web, on Windows with a Microsoft 365 subscription (build 16.0.13127.20296 or later) and on Mac 16.46 or later. It does not work in Excel 2016 or 2019 perpetual, on iPad or on Android.

Will Claude break my formulas?

Anthropic says Claude updates cell values while keeping formula relationships intact, so dependent cells recompute. It warns before it overwrites existing data. Still check the result before you share the file.

What can Claude not do in Excel?

Data tables and macros or VBA operations are not supported. Claude can sort, filter, edit pivot tables, apply conditional formatting and create dropdowns.

Can Claude for Excel pull in outside data?

Yes, through connectors such as S&P Global, LSEG and Daloopa, plus custom connectors your organization has enabled. Skills you turned on in Claude apply automatically.

Can Claude make an Excel file without the add-in?

Yes. In claude.ai, turn on file creation under Settings > Capabilities and ask for an .xlsx file with formulas and charts. It works on every plan, with a 30MB limit per file.

Is Claude for Excel safe for company data?

Use it on files you trust. Files from outside can hide instructions, and Anthropic does not recommend it for highly sensitive or regulated data without controls. Content Claude reads is sent to Anthropic and deleted from its backend within 30 days.

Can I use an MCP server instead of the add-in?

Yes. Community servers such as Excel MCP Server edit .xlsx files without Excel installed and have a read-only option. See the Excel MCP server comparison.

Why is my chat history missing in the Excel add-in?

After the September and October 2026 Microsoft 365 updates on Windows, some users lost chat history and uploaded skills. Anthropic is working with Microsoft on it, and its data storage page lists what you and your IT team can do.

Information

updated Nov 3, 2026

Made by: Anthropic
Connector directory: claude.ai/directory

In the Claude directory

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 9

Use Claude for Excel · claude.com
Claude for Microsoft 365 on Microsoft AppSource · marketplace.microsoft.com
Data storage and retention · claude.com
Create and edit files with Claude · support.claude.com
Connectors and Skills · claude.com
Excel MCP Server · github.com
anthropics/skills · github.com
Where can I get Microsoft Copilot · support.microsoft.com
ChatGPT for Excel and Google Sheets · help.openai.com