Claude adds a Google Workspace sidebar for Docs, Sheets and Slides

Anthropic says the Workspace add-on brings Claude into Docs, Sheets and Slides so people can work with it in open files.[1] It opens in a sidebar beside the file, which Anthropic says avoids switching apps or browser tabs.[1] Claude can read the open document, spreadsheet or presentation, including selected text, cells or slides, and make changes directly in that file.[1] Users can also ask Claude to create or edit Google files directly from Claude.[1] The add-on is in public beta on all paid Claude plans.[1]

In Docs, Anthropic says Claude can correct a sentence or restyle a heading without changing surrounding formatting, and offer larger rewrites as suggestion cards in the sidebar.[1] In Sheets, it can write formulas, build pivot tables and native Sheets charts, and add tabs.[1] Anthropic also says Claude can use Python to join or clean data and write the results back to a Sheet.[1] In Slides, Claude can build new slides using the deck’s layouts and themes, then check for overlapping or off-slide elements and hard-to-read text.[1] Users can add a PDF, CSV or Office file to the sidebar for Claude to read alongside the open file.[2]

Anthropic describes two modes for applying changes.[1] In the default “Ask before edits” mode, Claude presents each change for approval before applying it.[1] With “Accept all edits,” it can complete a task and apply changes without pausing for approval.[1] The sidebar includes the same models, connectors and skills users have in Claude, according to Anthropic.[1] These options give teams a choice between reviewing changes as they happen and allowing a task to proceed without individual approval prompts; the appropriate setting depends on the review process they want to use.

Anthropic says Claude’s access to Google files matches the user’s existing Google sharing permissions, and Claude in Workspace sees only the open file and connectors the user has enabled.[1][2] Admins can deploy the add-on across their domain or to selected groups from the Google Admin console.[1] A Team or Enterprise plan owner or primary owner must enable connectors before use.[1] Anthropic says Enterprise controls—including the Compliance API, customer-managed encryption keys and OpenTelemetry audit export—also apply to the add-on.[1] The Google add-on covers Docs, Sheets and Slides; Anthropic’s Microsoft 365 offering covers Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Outlook.[2]