How to connect Claude to Google Sheets
About two minutes · Free · Mac and Windows
Claude can work directly in your Google Sheets: read what's there, add formulas and totals, clean up formatting, build charts and summarize data with pivot tables. You ask in plain language, and the changes appear in your spreadsheet. This guide sets that up with Sheets MCP, a free add-on for Claude.
What you need
- The Claude desktop app for Mac or Windows, signed in to your Claude account
- A Google account with the spreadsheets you want to work on
Step 1: Install Sheets MCP
- Download Sheets MCP for Claude Desktop.
- Double-click the downloaded file. Claude Desktop opens an install screen.
- Click Install.
Using Claude Code in a terminal or IDE instead? Run claude mcp add --scope user google-sheets -- npx -y @sheetsmcp/server and start a new session.
Step 2: Sign in with Google
Paste a link to one of your spreadsheets into a new chat and ask Claude to summarize it. The first time, a Google sign-in page opens in your browser:
- Choose your Google account.
- If Google shows "Google hasn't verified this app", click Advanced, then Go to Sheets MCP.
- Click Continue to allow access to your spreadsheets.
That's it. You only sign in once, and you can add more Google accounts later by asking Claude to "sign in to another Google account".
Step 3: Ask Claude to work in your sheet
- "Summarize this sheet: <link>"
- "Add a Profit column that subtracts Cost from Revenue, with a total at the bottom, formatted as currency"
- "Chart revenue by month next to the table"
- "Summarize sales by region and product in a pivot table"
- "Freeze the header row, bold it, and auto-fit the columns"
- "Undo that"
In Claude Desktop, Claude shows a live view of your sheet in the chat while it works, so you can watch each change happen. After the first time, you can ask for a sheet by name, like "open my budget sheet".
Is it safe?
Sheets MCP runs on your computer and talks to Google directly. Your Google sign-in is stored only on your computer, it asks for access to spreadsheets only (not the rest of your Drive), and there is no Sheets MCP server in between. Claude checks for broken formulas after each change, and "undo that" puts values back. Details are in the privacy policy.
Common questions
Can Claude edit Google Sheets?
Yes. With Sheets MCP installed, Claude can read your sheet and make changes directly in it: add rows, columns and formulas, format cells, sort and filter, add dropdowns, build and edit charts, and create pivot tables.
Is it free?
Yes. Sheets MCP is free and open source. You use it with your existing Claude account in Claude Desktop or Claude Code.
Does Claude see all my Google Drive files?
No. Sheets MCP asks Google for access to spreadsheets only. It runs on your computer, your sign-in stays on your computer, and there is no Sheets MCP server in between.
Does it work on claude.ai or on my phone?
Not yet. It works in the Claude desktop app on Mac and Windows, and in Claude Code.