// Official Anthropic Plugin

Claude for PowerPoint

Everything you need to install, configure and effectively use the Claude plugin in PowerPoint.

Step-by-step installation

Open Microsoft AppSource from PowerPoint

In PowerPoint, go to the Home ribbon (Windows) or the Tools menu (Mac), then click Add-ins or Get Add-ins.

Search for "Claude by Anthropic"

In the add-ins store, search for Claude by Anthropic and click Add or Get it now.

Verify activation

The Claude panel should appear on the right side of your PowerPoint window. If it doesn't show up, go to Home → Add-ins and enable "Claude by Anthropic" in the list.

Enter your Claude credentials (Pro / Max / Team / Enterprise). Each user signs in with their own account.

Final check

Test by typing a simple message in the Claude panel, for example:

Describe the structure of this presentation

Known limitations

⚠ Single file

Claude can only read the presentation that is currently open. Closed files and other documents are not accessible.

⚠ No cross-session history

Each time the panel is opened, it starts a fresh conversation. Context from the previous session is not retained.

⚠ Long decks (30+ slides)

For very long presentations with a long session, Claude may start a new conversation to avoid context overflow. The file remains intact.

⚠ Independent instructions per tool

Persistent instructions configured in PowerPoint do not affect Excel, and vice versa.

Frequently asked questions

Q The Claude panel doesn't appear in my ribbon. What should I do? ▼

First check that the add-in is enabled: Home → Add-ins (Windows) or Tools → Add-ins (Mac). If "Claude by Anthropic" is missing from the list, restart the installation from Microsoft AppSource. Make sure your PowerPoint version is compatible (build 16.0.13127+ on Windows, 16.46+ on Mac).

Q Claude modified my slides without my approval. Is that normal? ▼

The plugin has protection against accidental overwriting: it warns you before overwriting existing content. Always read this warning. If a mistake occurs, use Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z to undo — PowerPoint keeps the full undo history.

Q Is my data retained by Anthropic? ▼

According to official Anthropic documentation, inputs and outputs are deleted within 30 days. No history is retained between sessions. Enterprise audit logs do not yet cover Claude for PowerPoint.

Q Can I use Claude with a template downloaded from the internet? ▼

Not recommended. Unverified external files may contain malicious instructions (prompt injection) that Claude would execute on your deck. Use only validated internal templates or files whose content you fully control.

Q How do I configure instructions that automatically apply to every session? ▼

Use the Instructions field in the Claude panel (gear icon). Instructions entered here apply to all your PowerPoint conversations without having to repeat them. Example: "Single-line bullets. Titles: max 6 words. Accent color #0070C0."

// Official Anthropic Plugin

Claude for Excel

Everything you need to install, configure and effectively use the Claude plugin in Excel.

Step-by-step installation

Open Microsoft AppSource from Excel

In Excel, go to the Home ribbon (Windows) or the Tools menu (Mac), then click Add-ins or Get Add-ins.

Search for "Claude by Anthropic"

In the add-ins store, search for Claude by Anthropic and click Add or Get it now.

Verify activation

The Claude panel should appear on the right side of your Excel window. If it doesn't show up, check in Home → Add-ins that "Claude by Anthropic" is checked.

Enter your Claude credentials (Pro / Max / Team / Enterprise). The plugin is tied to your individual account.

Final check

Test with a first message in the Claude panel:

Describe the structure of this workbook and the content of each sheet

Known limitations

⚠ Active workbook only

Claude can only read the workbook that is currently open. Other Excel files are not accessible.

⚠ No cross-session history

Each time the panel is opened, it starts a fresh conversation. No context is retained between work sessions.

⚠ Large files

For very large workbooks (many sheets, thousands of rows), Claude may have only a partial view of the data. Always specify the relevant cell range in your prompts.

⚠ Independent instructions per tool

Persistent instructions configured in Excel do not affect PowerPoint, and vice versa.

Frequently asked questions

Q Can Claude read all the sheets in my workbook? ▼

Yes, Claude has access to all sheets in the open workbook. For large workbooks, specify the sheet and data range in your prompt to get more accurate responses. Example: "On the 'Sales' sheet, analyze the data in range A1:F200."

Q Can Claude directly modify my Excel data? ▼

Yes, Claude can write data, generate formulas and create structures directly in your workbook. It warns you before overwriting existing content. Use Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z to undo an unwanted action.

Q Do formulas generated by Claude work in all versions of Excel? ▼

Claude generates formulas tailored for Excel Microsoft 365. Some recent functions (XLOOKUP, FILTER, SORT, dynamic array formulas) are not available in Excel 2016 or 2019. Specify in your prompt: "generate a formula compatible with Excel 2019" if needed.

Q Is my confidential data safe? ▼

Data sent to Claude is processed according to Anthropic's privacy policy. Inputs and outputs are deleted within 30 days. For sensitive data (customer data, HR data, regulated financial data), first verify that your internal data policy permits use of the plugin.

Q How do I set instructions that apply to all my Excel sessions? ▼

Use the Instructions field in the Claude panel (gear icon). Example of useful instructions: "Always use named ranges in formulas. Generate VBA code compatible with Excel 365. Comment complex formulas in English."

// Learn Claude

Training & Claude Resources

Official training, documentation and resources to understand Claude's capabilities and use it effectively beyond Office plugins.

🎓

Official Anthropic Training

Anthropic-certified training courses — start with Claude 101 if it's your first time.

🎓

Claude 101

↗

The reference training by Anthropic. Introduction to Claude's fundamentals: how to interact, structure your prompts and understand the model's behaviors. The ideal starting point for any new user.

Free

📚

Anthropic Skilljar Catalog

↗

All official Anthropic training available online: modules on advanced features, the API, security, and best practices for using Claude in a professional context.

Official

📖

Official Documentation

↗

Anthropic's complete technical documentation: usage guides, model reference, prompt engineering best practices and documentation for Claude's advanced features.

docs.anthropic.com

✨

Claude.ai — Direct Access

↗

Access Claude directly via the web interface to practice, test your prompts and explore the model's capabilities outside of Office plugins. The best training ground.

Web interface

Key Claude capabilities to know

🧠

Complex reasoning

Claude can analyze multi-step problems, compare options and reason in a structured way. Ideal for data analysis or structuring presentations.

Relevant for → Excel & PowerPoint

💬

Long context window

Claude can process long documents all at once. For large Excel workbooks or 30+ slide decks, specify the relevant range or section for optimal results.

200,000 token context

🌍

Native multilingual

Claude understands and generates content in English, French and many other languages without loss of quality. Use whichever language you are most comfortable with.

No need to write in English

🔒

Constitutional model

Claude is trained according to strict safety principles (Constitutional AI). It will refuse certain requests deemed inappropriate and will clearly indicate its limits.

Anthropic Constitutional AI

✏️

Generation and transformation

Claude excels at transforming existing content: summarizing, rephrasing, adapting tone, translating, structuring. Give it raw content and a precise instruction.

Relevant for → PowerPoint

💻

Code generation

Claude generates VBA code, complex Excel formulas, Python for data analysis and many other languages. Always verify generated code before running it.

Relevant for → Excel (VBA)

Tips for better prompts

Be precise and quantified. "Summarize in 3 bullet points of fewer than 15 words each" is far more effective than "summarize". Give measurable constraints: number of items, length, expected format.

Provide context about your audience. Claude adapts its level of detail and vocabulary based on the audience you describe. "For non-technical executives" radically changes the style of the response.

Describe the expected result, not the action. Rather than "make a chart", say "create a native PowerPoint line chart showing the monthly trend, with the following values: [data]". The more the result is described, the better Claude can achieve it.

Iterate rather than asking for everything at once. A complex prompt can be broken down into several exchanges. Start with the structure, adjust, then refine the details. Claude retains the conversation context.

Use persistent instructions for your habits. Anything you repeat from one prompt to the next (format, tone, constraints) should be in the Instructions field of the Claude panel. This frees up your prompts for the actual content.

Always verify numerical data. Claude can hallucinate statistics, rounded figures or references. For any important number in a deliverable, cross-check with the original source before sharing.