Claude for Google Workspace: a sidebar in Docs, Sheets, and Slides, now in public beta
In brief
On October 6, 2026 Anthropic put Claude in a sidebar inside Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides and added connectors so Claude can edit Google files from its own app. Here is what each app can do, how to turn it on, and what admins control.
Contents
On October 6, 2026, Anthropic released Claude for Google Workspace in public beta. It has two parts: a sidebar that opens inside Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, and connectors that let you work on Google files from the Claude app itself. It is available on all paid Claude plans.
If you have read Using Claude for Google Docs or Claude for Google Sheets, those cover working with Claude around Google files. This release puts Claude inside the file.
What it does in each app
- Docs: edits text and formatting in the document you have open.
- Sheets: writes formulas and builds charts.
- Slides: creates slides with layouts that match the rest of the deck.
Two edit modes
The sidebar has two modes. Ask before edits is the default: Claude proposes a change and you approve it. Accept all edits applies changes automatically. Start with the default on any document other people also edit, and switch to automatic for your own drafts where you can undo.
How to turn it on
- Install Claude from the Google Workspace Marketplace.
- Open a Doc, Sheet, or Slides file and choose Extensions > Claude > Open Claude.
Admins can deploy it to the whole organization from the Google Admin console. The connectors, which let Claude read and edit Google files from the Claude app, need a Team or Enterprise plan owner to set them up.
What admins get on Enterprise
Enterprise plans get the Compliance API, customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK), and OpenTelemetry audit export for this integration. If your security team asks where Claude edits are logged, that is the answer to bring them. Security and privacy for Claude admins covers the wider checklist.
How to try it
Pick one recurring job and run it both ways for a week. Good candidates: cleaning a messy sheet into a pivot-ready table, or restyling a deck from last quarter to match the new template. Time the sidebar against your usual method. Keep the mode on Ask before edits until you have seen it make the kind of change you would reject.
It is a beta, so expect behavior to shift. Check Anthropic's announcement for current limits.