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Using Claude

Claude in Excel and PowerPoint Guide: Automate Spreadsheets and Slides

What the Claude for Microsoft 365 add-ins for Excel and PowerPoint can do, how to use them, supported environments, and what to watch out for.

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Claude works inside Excel and PowerPoint as Microsoft 365 add-ins, so you can hand off questions, edits, and generation without leaving your spreadsheet or slides. This guide covers what each add-in does, how to use it, supported environments, and caveats, based on official documentation. See the separate article for the Word add-in.

🟢 Model references match the current lineup · model notice · Fable subscription
🟢 Model references match the current lineup · Claude Opus 5.5 / Claude Sonnet 5 / Claude Haiku 4.5 (higher tier: Claude Fable 5.1). This notice changes only when Anthropic ships a new model.

Fable 5 and 5.1 subscription (updated September 7, 2026): Claude Fable 5.1, released September 1, 2026, is the current Fable model and Fable 5 is now legacy. Plan terms are the same for both — Max and Team Premium plans include Fable at up to 50% of the weekly usage limit; Pro and Team Standard use usage credits (

🟢 Model references match the current lineup · Claude Opus 5.5 / Claude Sonnet 5 / Claude Haiku 4.5 (higher tier: Claude Fable 5.1). This notice changes only when Anthropic ships a new model.
0/M input, $50/M output tokens). The one-time
🟢 Model references match the current lineup · Claude Opus 5.5 / Claude Sonnet 5 / Claude Haiku 4.5 (higher tier: Claude Fable 5.1). This notice changes only when Anthropic ships a new model.
00 credit applied only to the Fable 5 transition and is not offered for 5.1. Some coding and debugging requests may be answered by an Opus model due to a security classifier (both models). See the Fable 5.1 guide and the Fable 5 availability guide for details.

What you can do in Excel and PowerPointClaude in Excel- Ask about a workbook + cell-level citations- Edit assumptions with formulas intact / debug- Build models, fill templates- Sort, filter, pivots, charts, formatting.xlsx, .xlsm - no VBA/macrosClaude in PowerPoint- Slides following your template- Pinpoint-edit a single slide- Full deck from a description- Bullets to diagrams / native chartsWeb, Windows, Mac (no iPad)

Common to both

Both add-ins are beta features available on Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans. Install the "Claude for Microsoft 365" add-in from the Microsoft Marketplace, then activate it in Excel/PowerPoint and sign in with your Claude account. From the sidebar you can pull context from other tools via connectors, call enabled Skills with a / command, or save Instructions that apply to every conversation. Your Instructions and chat history are kept separate between Excel and PowerPoint.

Claude in Excel

Built for spreadsheet-heavy work like financial analysis and modeling. What it can do:

  • Ask questions about a workbook and get answers with cell-level citations
  • Edit assumptions while keeping formula dependencies intact (changed cells are highlighted)
  • Debug errors such as #REF!, #VALUE!, and circular references
  • Build models from scratch or fill templates, and navigate multiple tabs
  • Apply native Excel operations directly — sorting, filtering, pivot tables, charts, conditional formatting, data validation

Supported files are .xlsx and .xlsm, and it runs on the web, Windows, Mac, and iPad. However, data tables, macros, and VBA are not supported.

Claude in PowerPoint

Built for people who frequently create presentations. What it can do:

  • Generate slides that follow your existing template (slide master, fonts, colors)
  • Pinpoint-edit a single slide without regenerating the whole deck
  • Generate a full deck structure from a natural-language description
  • Turn bullets into diagrams, process flows, and editable native charts (not static images)

It runs on the web, Windows, and Mac (no iPad or Android). It tries to respect template rules, but it is worth reviewing the output for complex templates.

Excel vs PowerPoint — what each doesClaude in ExcelAsk about workbooks, cited by cellChange assumptions, formulas intactDebug #REF!, #VALUE!, circular refsBuild models, fill templatesClaude in PowerPointFollows your template & fontsEdit specific slides onlyGenerate deck structure from wordsBullets → diagrams, native chartsBoth are beta — review final outputs, use only with trusted files

What to watch out for

Both add-ins are beta, so a human must review final client-facing deliverables and any audit- or verification-critical work. It is also safest to use them only with trusted files — externally received templates, vendor files, and the like may contain hidden malicious instructions (prompt injection) that could trick Claude into unintended actions.

Related: see the Claude in Outlook Guide for email and scheduling.

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