Claude comes to Google files: edit documents and sheets without copying text back and forth

On October 6, 2026, Anthropic launched the Claude for Google Workspace public beta for paid Claude plans. After installing the add-on, you can chat in a sidebar in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, letting Claude read the current file, understand a selection and make edits directly.

This entry point serves the file you already have open. The Google file connector released the same day starts from Claude chat and supports a different workflow; this article covers the in-file sidebar.

For example, you might be drafting a registration notice in Google Docs and want a shorter opening while retaining the date, fees and refund conditions. A suggested use is to select that paragraph and request the change, then review the proposed edit beside the file. You do not have to copy it to a separate chat and find the right place to paste it back.

In a sheet, you can select relevant cells and ask for an explanation before deciding whether to change a formula. In slides, you can work on the current page. The benefit is less moving content around and a shared reference point for the request and result. Important figures and intended meaning still need your review.

You need a paid Claude account and a Google account allowed to install Marketplace apps. The file must use native Google Docs, Sheets or Slides format; opening an Office file in the Google interface is not enough. The official guide documents this path:

1. Install the add-on. Follow the guide’s Google Workspace Marketplace link to install Claude; skip this if your administrator has already installed it. If your organization blocks installation, an administrator must allow it.
2. Open the file sidebar. Choose Extensions > Claude > Open Claude, review Google’s permission request, and sign in to Claude. Refresh the file if the menu does not appear after installation.
3. Define the edit’s scope. Select the notice’s opening and try: “Shorten this paragraph to two sentences, keeping the date, fees and refund conditions. Do not change other paragraphs.” Adapt this suggested prompt to your task.
4. Review before applying. For a first attempt, keep the default Ask before edits and approve the proposed changes after reading them. Accept all edits can apply ordinary edits directly, while actions involving links, external images or access permissions may still require separate confirmation.
5. Check the result in the file. Review meaning, figures and formatting. Use Undo for a recent mistake or the Google file’s version history for an earlier version. Keep the sidebar open while the operation runs.

The current guide supports Chrome, Edge and Safari, but not Firefox. If the sidebar will not open or act, check the browser, file format, signed-in account and organization permissions before repeatedly submitting the same task.