Claude now works inside Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Anthropic's Claude for Google Workspace add-on puts a sidebar next to the file you have open. From there, Claude can read what's on the page, answer questions based on it, and edit it in place. It's in public beta and available across every paid plan.
How the Claude Sidebar Works in Your Files
The sidebar sits beside your document, spreadsheet, or presentation. Claude reads whatever you have open, so its answers come from that file. Highlight something and Claude sees exactly what you picked, which means you can point it at one spot instead of describing where to look.
The same setup covers all three apps, including automated work in Sheets.
You Approve Edits Before They Land
Claude edits the file in place, but it doesn't change anything without your permission. You can approve each edit before it goes in, so nothing shows up in your file that you didn't sign off on.
Smarter Slides: Layouts and a Built-In Self-Check
In Slides, Claude builds new pages from your deck's own layouts, so new slides start from the design you already have. It also audits its own work. That self-check looks for overlapping elements and text that's hard to read.
Two Ways to Work With Claude
Your Docs, Sheets, and Slides files also open inside Claude. So there are two routes: the in-file sidebar and chat-based editing. Claude now covers both.
Where Claude Fits Next to Gemini
Gemini has had a home-turf advantage in Google's apps for more than two years. Claude is arriving later, as an add-on that works alongside the files you already use.
Current Limits of the Sidebar
The add-on is still in beta, and a few things are off the table for now:
- The sidebar can't touch other Drive files.
- It can't work with Docs comments.
- Slides charts arrive as images.