Claude in PowerPoint is an official Anthropic add-in that lets you build and refine slides right inside PowerPoint — no copy-pasting from a separate tool. The key idea: Claude first reads your deck's template (slide master, layouts, fonts, colors) and then generates and edits slides to match that formatting. (It launched as a research preview; per the official docs it is available on the Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans.) Think of it as the PowerPoint counterpart to Claude in Excel and Claude in Chrome.
What it does
According to the official docs, the main features are these. Build new slides from an existing client or corporate template, make pinpoint edits to a single slide without regenerating the whole deck, generate a full deck structure from a natural-language description, and turn bullet lists into diagrams or native charts. Connectors let it pull context from your other tools, and the Skills you enable in your Claude settings work here too (type / in the sidebar to pick one directly).
Installing it
Setup is straightforward.
From the "Claude for Microsoft 365 (Excel, PowerPoint, and Word)" listing on Microsoft Marketplace, click "Get it now," then open PowerPoint, activate the add-in (Home > Add-ins on Windows, Tools > Add-ins on Mac), and sign in with your Claude account — the Claude sidebar opens on the right.
Supported: PowerPoint on the web, Windows (Microsoft 365 subscription, build 16.0.13127.20296+), and Mac (version 16.46+). Not supported: PowerPoint 2016/2019 (perpetual license), iPad, and Android.
How it works
The biggest trait is that it respects your template. Claude reads the slides, text, shapes, and slide master of your currently open presentation, and produces results in the same layout, fonts, and colors.
The charts and diagrams it makes are editable native PowerPoint elements, not pictures, so you can keep editing them as usual afterward. Example prompts: "Create a market sizing section — 3 slides on TAM, SAM, SOM," "Simplify the text on this slide," "Restructure the storyline across slides 4-7," "Turn these bullets into a process flow." Brand rules you want applied to every conversation go in the sidebar's Instructions field (these are PowerPoint-only, separate from Excel).
Using it safely · good to know
The official docs make a few things clear. It is not recommended for final client deliverables without human review, for sensitive or regulated data without proper controls, or for replacing your own judgment on design and narrative. Untrusted external files (downloaded templates, vendor files) can carry hidden instructions — a prompt-injection risk — so use it with trusted files only. Chat history is stored locally in your browser (IndexedDB), not on Anthropic's servers, and does not sync across devices.
Wrap-up
In short, Claude in PowerPoint is an add-in that reads your template and builds and edits slides in that format. Apply your template first, be specific, and always review the output, and you can cut deck-building time dramatically. If you are curious about other ways Claude works directly with files, see the Claude Cowork guide. For the most accurate, current specs, check the official help article (Use Claude for PowerPoint).
Microsoft 365 Series
Claude shares context across your Office apps. See the companion guides: Claude in Excel guide, Claude in Word guide, Claude in Outlook guide.