How to Connect Claude to Microsoft 365 (and Is It Safe?)

Claude works in Microsoft 365 through add-ins in four apps and a connector for your work files, mail and Teams. Both need an admin step.

Picks: 3; ranked

Claude works with Microsoft 365 in two ways. The Claude add-ins run inside Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook on a paid plan, and the Microsoft 365 connector lets Claude in claude.ai search SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook and Teams.

Pick the add-ins to edit one file in place, and the connector to find and act on work information across your account. The add-ins share one conversation, so a single chat can span a workbook, a deck, a document and your inbox.

Know this first: the connector needs a work or school account, and a Microsoft Entra Global Administrator has to grant consent for your organization before anyone can use it.

Good for

Professionals who live in Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook
Teams that want Claude to search SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook and Teams
Microsoft 365 admins deciding what to approve for the tenant
Claude Team and Enterprise Owners adding the connector for staff

Install Claude

Claude app

1
Open it in the marketplace

Requires Claude Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise plan, Microsoft 365 apps on the web, Windows or Mac.

Read-only mode: For the connector, ask your admin to keep write actions off. For the add-ins, there is no read-only switch and Claude asks you to confirm risky operations.

Pick the add-ins to work inside one Excel, Word, PowerPoint or Outlook file. Pick the connector to let Claude in claude.ai search SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook and Teams. Admins deploy the add-ins from the Microsoft 365 admin center, and the Outlook add-in needs a one-time Microsoft Graph consent first.

From the vendor's docs. Source.

Set up Claude for Microsoft 365 and ask a first question

Claude

1
Pick what you need
Use an add-in to work inside one file. Use the connector to search across SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook and Teams from claude.ai.
2
Install an add-in
Follow the setup box above. Excel, Word and PowerPoint share one AppSource listing. Claude for Outlook has its own listing and is in beta.
3
Connect the connector
On Team and Enterprise, an Owner adds Microsoft 365 under Organization settings > Connectors and a Global Administrator grants consent. Then go to Customize > Connectors, select Microsoft 365 and sign in with your work account.
4
Turn it on in a chat
Select + at the lower left of the message box, select Connectors and turn on Microsoft 365.
5
Find a document
Name the SharePoint site or the exact filename if results are partial. The file must be in SharePoint or OneDrive, not only on your computer.
Prompt
```
Find the Q4 strategic planning document in SharePoint.
```
6
Catch up on mail and Teams
Try also: What discussions happened in Teams about the marketing campaign?
Prompt
```
Summarize email conversations about the product launch.
```
7
Take an action
Claude cannot attach files to the drafts it creates.
Prompt
```
Draft a reply to the latest email about the vendor contract.
```
Tip: Actions that change things work only when your administrators have turned on write actions. Otherwise Claude can still read and search.

Permissions

Medium risk

The connector can read your work mail, files and Teams chats, and with write actions on it can send mail and Teams messages as you. Ask your admin to leave write actions off unless you need them, and read each action before you allow it.

What it can do

Read your data
Create and change things
Delete things
Read-only modeHow to turn it on

Watch out for

Files and emails from outside can hide instructions
The add-ins can be tricked by hidden text in a workbook, document, deck or email into extracting data or changing content. Open only trusted files and read each confirmation. claude.com
The connector can send mail and Teams messages as you
Only when your administrators turn on write actions. Ask for them only if you need them, and read each action before you allow it. claude.com
It can change calendars and SharePoint files
Write actions include creating, updating and deleting calendar events, and creating or updating files in SharePoint. All stay within what your own account can change. claude.com
Anything your account can open, Claude can read
Access is delegated, so Claude reaches your SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook and Teams content. What it reads goes to Anthropic, so connect only where your policy allows. claude.com
One consent covers the whole tenant
A Global Administrator approves the connector for the organization. Permissions added later need another approval from a Global or Application Administrator. claude.com
Add-in activity is not in Enterprise audit logs
Anthropic says add-in activity is not in Enterprise audit logs. Enterprise organizations with the Compliance API turned on get add-in 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	Admins control write actions in the Microsoft 365 connector configuration under Organization settings > Connectors, and in Microsoft Entra. With write actions off, Claude can still read and search.
Talks to	Your Microsoft 365 services: SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook and Teams. Anthropic, which receives the content Claude reads
Sign-in and keys	You sign in with your work or school Microsoft account for the connector, and with your Claude account for the add-ins.
Data retention	Add-in inputs and outputs are deleted from Anthropic's backend within 30 days, with exceptions. Add-in chat history stays in your browser storage until you clear it.
Scopes	Team.ReadBasic.All People.Read ChatMessage.Send ChannelMessage.Send Chat.Create

Where it works

Where	Status	Note
Claude on the web	Native connector	Microsoft 365 connector under Customize > Connectors. Add-ins run inside the Office apps.
Claude desktop app	Native connector	Remote connectors work in the desktop app. Third-party inference setups use a different guide.
Claude mobile app	Native connector	Remote connectors work in the mobile app once connected.
Claude Code	Native connector	Uses your claude.ai connectors when you sign in with your Claude account.
Microsoft Work IQ	Official server	Microsoft's official server for mail, calendar, files and Teams. Admin approval and Copilot Credits.
Softeria's Microsoft 365 server	Community server	Runs on your computer with your own sign-in. Has a read-only flag.
ChatGPT	Native connector	Outlook Email and Calendar apps, plus Word and Excel add-ins. Access depends on plan, region, workspace and admin settings.
Microsoft Copilot	Native connector	Microsoft says Personal and Family subscriptions include Copilot in the Microsoft 365 apps.

Top picks

Ranked by official status, then GitHub stars.

Verdict

Use the Claude add-ins when you work inside Excel, Word, PowerPoint or Outlook, and the Microsoft 365 connector when you want Claude to search SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook and Teams. Both start with an admin step, so ask IT first.

Our pick: Claude

Best for

Editing a workbook, document or deck inside the Office app
Searching SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook and Teams from one chat
Organizations that already manage apps in the Microsoft 365 admin center

Skip it if

You only have a personal Microsoft account
Your admin will not grant tenant consent
You use Office 2016 or 2019 perpetual, iPad or Android for the add-ins

Questions

What is Claude for Microsoft 365?

It is two things. Claude add-ins run inside Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook, and the Microsoft 365 connector lets Claude search SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook and Teams.

Which Claude plans work with Microsoft 365?

The add-ins need Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise. Anthropic says the connector is available on every plan, including Free, but still needs a work or school Microsoft account and admin consent.

Can I use a personal Microsoft account?

Not with the connector. Personal accounts such as outlook.com, hotmail.com and live.com are not supported, and you need a work or school account on a Microsoft Entra tenant.

Do I need an IT admin?

For the connector, yes. A Microsoft Entra Global Administrator must grant tenant consent, and on Team and Enterprise a Claude Owner adds it first. For the add-ins, individuals can install from AppSource themselves, and admins can deploy them to everyone.

Can Claude send email from Microsoft 365?

Yes, but only when your administrators have turned on write actions. Then Claude can send mail, manage drafts and labels, and change calendar events. Without them, it can read and search.

Can Claude read my Teams chats?

Yes. The connector reads channel and chat discussions and meeting summaries and attendance. It can send chat and channel messages only when write actions are on.

Why can Claude not find my document?

Check that you can open it in Microsoft 365 and that it lives in SharePoint or OneDrive, not only on your computer. New uploads can take time to index, so name the site or the exact filename.

Is there a Claude add-in for Outlook?

Yes, in beta, for Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. It triages your inbox, drafts replies unsent in the compose pane, summarizes threads and finds meeting times. It needs Exchange Online, not on-premises mailboxes.

Claude or Microsoft Copilot in Microsoft 365?

Microsoft says its Personal and Family subscriptions include Copilot in the Microsoft 365 apps. Claude needs its own Claude plan, and its add-ins and connector are separate from Copilot.

Is there a Microsoft 365 MCP server I can use instead?

Yes. Microsoft's Work IQ is the official one, with admin approval and Copilot Credits billing. Community servers such as Softeria's use your own sign-in. See the Microsoft 365 MCP server comparison.

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 14

Claude for M365 overview · claude.com
Microsoft 365 connector · claude.com
Claude for Microsoft 365 on Microsoft AppSource · marketplace.microsoft.com
Use Claude for Outlook · claude.com
Use Claude for Excel · claude.com
Where can I get Microsoft Copilot · support.microsoft.com
Work IQ MCP overview · learn.microsoft.com
Get started with connectors · claude.com
ms-365-mcp-server · github.com
Outlook Email and Calendar apps in ChatGPT · help.openai.com
Connected apps in ChatGPT · help.openai.com
ChatGPT for Word · help.openai.com
ChatGPT for Excel and Google Sheets · help.openai.com
Work IQ · github.com