Claude for Excel is an official add-in from Anthropic that brings Claude directly into your spreadsheets. You can ask questions about a workbook, adjust assumptions while keeping formulas intact, debug errors, and build or fill in models without leaving Excel.

Requirements

A Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise plan (not available on the free plan).

Supported

Excel on the web
Excel on Windows with a Microsoft 365 subscription (build 16.0.13127.20296 or later)
Excel on Mac, version 16.46 or later (build 21011600 or later)

Not supported

Excel 2016 or 2019 (perpetual or volume license)
Excel on iPad or Android
Older Microsoft 365 builds below the required version

Installation (for yourself)

Activation & sign-in

On Windows: Home → Add-ins → activate the Claude add-in → sign in.

On Mac: Tools → Add-ins → activate the Claude add-in → sign in.

Deploying for a whole team

Organization admins can deploy Claude for Excel to every user from the Microsoft 365 Admin Center (Settings → Integrated apps → Add-ins), or via a custom manifest file if the Office Store is restricted on your tenant.

What you can actually do with it

Ask questions about a workbook and get answers with cell-level citations you can click to jump to.
Adjust assumptions while Claude keeps formula relationships intact, so dependent cells recalculate correctly.
Find the root cause of errors like #REF! or #DIV/0! and get a suggested fix.
Generate a new model from a description, or populate an existing template.
Sort, filter, edit pivot tables, and apply conditional formatting directly.

What it can't do (and when to be careful)

No support for macros, VBA, or data tables.
Only use it with spreadsheets you trust - a file from an external source can contain hidden instructions designed to manipulate Claude into leaking data or making destructive changes. Claude asks for confirmation before risky actions - review those carefully.
Not recommended for final client deliverables or audit-critical calculations without a human review.
Chat history is stored locally in your browser only - it isn't synced across devices, and inputs and outputs are deleted from Anthropic's servers within 30 days.