Step by step 7 steps

1. 1

   Step 1 of 7

   Open a new sheet

   Sheets start from Claude's Artifacts page. A new sheet opens on a start screen where you describe what you want or import a file you already have.

   Actions

   • Go to claude.ai/artifacts, or open the Artifacts tab in Claude.
   • Under Make something new, click the Sheets tile. It's the green one with a Beta badge.
   • Check that the new sheet asks "What should this spreadsheet work out?" and has a Reply box at the bottom left. You'll use that box in step 2.

   The walkthrough shows the Sheets tile on the Artifacts page, then the start screen of a new sheet.

   Open a blank sheet from Artifacts

   Step 1 of 2

   Under Make something new, click the green Sheets tile with the Beta badge. If there's no Sheets tile, your plan doesn't include it or the rollout hasn't reached you yet.

   

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   Further explanation

   You can also ask for a sheet in an ordinary chat. Either way, every sheet you make is saved on the Artifacts page, so that's where you come back to find it.

   If it didn't work

   • There's no Sheets tile and you're on the Free plan: As of November 2026, Sheets is only on Pro, Max, Ultra, Team and Enterprise. Move to one of those plans to use it.
   • You're on a paid plan and there's still no Sheets tile: Anthropic started rolling Sheets out on 10 November 2026, so it may not have reached your account yet. Check again in a few days.
   • You're on Enterprise and the tile is missing: Ask an Owner to turn on Claude Sheets in Organization settings > Artifacts, in the Artifact templates section. Artifacts must be on too, and a custom role may limit Sheets to part of the organization.
   • The sheet opens but you can't edit it on your phone: Sheets on mobile is basic read-only access. Build the tracker on the web or in Claude Desktop.

2. 2

   Step 2 of 7

   Ask Claude to build the tracker

   One detailed prompt gets you both tabs, the Status dropdown and the formulas in a single pass. Naming every column, the dropdown's values and which cells are formulas saves you a round of fixes.

   Actions

   • Click in the Reply box under the three import cards.
   • Paste the tracker prompt below.
   • Click the return arrow at the bottom right of the Reply box to send it.
   • Wait for a notice that starts "Claude updated". In our run on 12 November 2026, the build took under a minute and the notice read "Claude updated 77 cells on several sheets".
   • Check that the tab bar along the bottom of the sheet shows Tasks and Budget.

   The walkthrough shows the prompt going into the Reply box, then the finished Tasks tab from our run.

   Describe the tracker and let Claude build it

   Step 1 of 3

   Click the Reply box under the three import cards and paste the tracker prompt.

   

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   Tracker prompt

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   Build a campaign tracker for Juniper Tea Co.'s spring webinar. Make two tabs. Tasks: Task, Owner, Due date, Status (a dropdown with Not started, In progress, Done) and Notes, with 8 sample tasks owned by Sam Rivera or Priya Shah. Make three of them due before today and not Done. Budget: Item, Planned, Spent and Remaining, where Remaining is Planned minus Spent as a formula, plus a Total row that adds each column with formulas.

   Further explanation

   Anthropic's own example is "Build a campaign tracker with owners, dates, and status." This version spells out each column and asks for three tasks that are already overdue, so step 4 has something to highlight. For your own project, change the company, the people and the columns, but keep the detail. If the build goes wrong, Undo on the notice takes the whole thing back.

   If it didn't work

   • A tab, column or the dropdown is missing: Click Ask Claude at the right end of the bottom toolbar and ask for just that piece by name, for example "Add a Notes column to Tasks." Or click Undo on the notice and send the prompt again.
   • Your real tracker is a workbook with macros, pivot tables or Power Query: Sheets doesn't support macros, VBA, Power Query or DAX, and pivot tables aren't available yet. Keep that file in Excel and work on it with Claude for Excel, which [our Excel dashboard guide](/guides/4-prompts-that-turn-any-csv-into-an-excel-dashboard-claude-in-excel-tutorial) covers.
   • Your tracker is too big: In the beta a sheet holds up to 100,000 cells. Split a large tracker across two sheets.

3. 3

   Step 3 of 7

   Check the dropdown and the formulas

   Formulas stay in the cells, so you can see how each number was worked out instead of taking it on trust. Check one total yourself, then ask Claude to check the rest.

   Actions

   • On the Tasks tab, click any Status cell and check that its menu lists Not started, In progress and Done.
   • Click the Budget tab at the bottom of the sheet.
   • Click the Total cell under Remaining (D8 in our run) and read the formula bar above the grid. In our run it read =SUM(D2:D7).
   • Drag from the Item heading down to the Total under Remaining to select the whole table.
   • Click Ask Claude at the right end of the toolbar along the bottom of the sheet.
   • Type or paste the formula check below into the Describe a change box.
   • Click the return arrow at the right end of the box to send it.
   • Read Claude's answer. Each Remaining cell should take Spent from Planned in its own row (D2 is =B2-C2).

   The walkthrough shows the Status menu, the Total formula on the Budget tab, and Claude's answer to a formula check like the one below.

   Check what Claude built

   Step 1 of 6

   The Status menu on Book webinar platform lists Not started, In progress and Done, the statuses from your prompt. Add option adds another, such as Blocked.

   

   Continue

   Formula check

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   Explain how Remaining and the Total row are calculated in the cells I've selected. Point out any cell that has a typed number instead of a formula.

   Further explanation

   In the grid, a typed number and a formula's result look the same. Only the formula bar tells them apart, and only a formula changes when you update Spent. You can edit any formula yourself.

   If it didn't work

   • The formula bar shows a plain number, not something starting with =: That cell was typed, so it won't update. Select it, click Ask Claude and ask for Planned minus Spent as a formula.
   • A total looks wrong: Click it and read the range in the formula bar. If it misses rows, select the cell, click Ask Claude and ask Claude to fix the range.
   • You can't find Ask Claude: It's the last button on the right of the toolbar along the bottom of the sheet.
   • There's no return arrow in the Describe a change box: It only appears once the box has text in it. Click in the box and type or paste the request again.
   • You need a status the dropdown doesn't have: Open any Status cell's menu and click + Add option, or use Edit options to rename one.

4. 4

   Step 4 of 7

   Highlight overdue tasks

   Ask Claude to color the overdue rows and it sets up the conditional formatting for you. Which rows change color depends on today's date, so your result won't match ours exactly.

   Actions

   • Click the Tasks tab.
   • Click Ask Claude at the right end of the bottom toolbar.
   • Type or paste the overdue request below into the Describe a change box.
   • Click the return arrow at the right end of the box to send it.
   • Check the result: tasks past their due date that aren't Done are colored, and Done tasks and tasks due later aren't.

   The walkthrough shows where Ask Claude sits, then the Tasks tab after a request like this one in our run on 12 November 2026.

   Ask Claude to color overdue rows

   Step 1 of 2

   On the Tasks tab, click Ask Claude at the right end of the toolbar along the bottom of the sheet.

   

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   Overdue request

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   Highlight any task that's past its due date and isn't marked Done.

   Further explanation

   In our run, three past-due tasks turned pink. Approve campaign budget stayed white because its Status is Done, even though its date had passed.

   If it didn't work

   • Done tasks are highlighted too: Click Ask Claude and ask: "Don't highlight rows whose Status is Done."
   • Nothing is highlighted: Check that some tasks are due before today and aren't Done. If they are, click Ask Claude and ask Claude to check that the Due date column holds real dates and that the rule covers every task row.
   • You don't like the change: Click Undo on the notice that starts "Claude updated".

5. 5

   Step 5 of 7

   Replace the sample rows with yours

   Paste your real tasks over the samples and have Claude clear the ones left over, then type your budget over the sample items. Claude also checks that the dropdown and the highlighting still reach every task row.

   Actions

   • In Excel or Google Sheets, copy your task rows without the header row. The columns must run in this order: Task, Owner, Due date, Status, Notes.
   • On the Tasks tab, click cell A2. In the sample tracker it holds Approve campaign budget.
   • Paste with Ctrl+V, or Cmd+V on a Mac.
   • Click Ask Claude at the right end of the bottom toolbar.
   • Type or paste the cleanup request below into the Describe a change box.
   • Click the return arrow at the right end of the box to send it.
   • Read Claude's answer and check that only your rows are left.
   • Click the Budget tab and type your Item, Planned and Spent values over the samples, starting in row 2. Leave the Remaining column and the Total row alone, so their formulas keep working. The sample has six items; if you have more or fewer, use the budget fix under If it didn't work.
   • Click the Total under Remaining and check that the range in the formula bar covers every item row, as you did in step 3.

   The walkthrough shows cell A2, where your rows start, then Claude's answer in our run after five tasks were pasted in.

   Paste your tasks and clear the samples

   Step 1 of 2

   On the Tasks tab, click cell A2, where the first sample task sits. That's where your pasted rows will start.

   

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   Cleanup request

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   Delete any sample tasks that are left. Make sure every Status cell has the dropdown and the overdue highlighting covers every task row.

   Further explanation

   In our run, Claude deleted the three sample tasks left below the pasted ones. It reported that the dropdown covers D2:D16 and the highlighting covers rows 2 to 16: the five pasted tasks plus ten empty rows for new ones.

   If it didn't work

   • Your values landed in the wrong columns: Reorder the columns in Excel or Google Sheets to Task, Owner, Due date, Status, Notes, copy them again and paste over the top, starting at A2.
   • Your Status values don't match the dropdown (for example Blocked or To do): Open a Status cell's menu and use + Add option or Edit options, or change the values in your list before you paste.
   • Your list is a file you can't copy from: Open it in Excel or Google Sheets and copy from there. To start over from the file instead, open a new sheet and use Import from Excel, Import from Google Sheets or Import CSV on its start screen, then ask Claude to add the dropdown and the highlighting. Import from Google Sheets brings in values only for now, so formulas won't come across.
   • Rows you add later have no dropdown or highlighting: Click Ask Claude and ask Claude to extend both to cover the new rows.
   • You have fewer budget items than the samples, or more: Click Ask Claude on the Budget tab and send "Delete any sample items I haven't replaced and add 3 empty rows above Total. Make every Remaining cell Planned minus Spent from its own row, and make each Total add every item row." Change 3 to the number of rows you need, or 0. Then click the Total and check its range in the formula bar.
   • Remaining stopped updating: You probably typed over its formula. Select the cell, click Ask Claude and ask Claude to put back Planned minus Spent as a formula.

6. 6

   Step 6 of 7

   Share it with your team

   Sheets start private to you. Invite each teammate with Can edit, and leave General access on Only you so the level you pick is the one they get.

   Actions

   • Click Share at the top right of the sheet.
   • Type your teammate's address into Invite people by email, for example priya@example.com. On Team and Enterprise this field is called Add people.
   • Click the Invite priya@example.com option under the field. On Team and Enterprise, a colleague in your organization is added straight away instead of getting an invitation.
   • Under Their access, choose Can edit.
   • Click Invite.
   • Check that General access says Only you. On Team and Enterprise, choose Only people invited. Anyone with the link would give everyone you invited link-level access, whatever level you chose.

   The walkthrough shows the Share button, the Invite people by email field on an Ultra plan, and the invite option that appears once you type an address.

   Invite a teammate who can edit

   Step 1 of 3

   With the tracker open, click Share at the top right of the sheet. Until you share it, only you can open it.

   

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   Further explanation

   Can view lets someone open the sheet and read comments. Commenter can also comment and download files the sheet offers. Can edit adds making changes, which a teammate who updates the tracker needs.

   On Pro, Max and Ultra, everyone you invite counts as outside your organization. They can't invite others or change sharing settings, and the parts that use Claude don't work for them. You can invite up to 50 people per sheet, and pending invitations expire after 30 days. As of November 2026, email invitations are themselves a beta.

   If it didn't work

   • Your teammate can't open the sheet: They need a Claude account under the exact email you invited. If they've only just signed up, or the invitation is more than 30 days old, remove it and invite them again.
   • Your teammate can open it but can't change anything: Click Share, check that their level is Can edit, and check that General access isn't Anyone with the link, which overrides the level you gave them.
   • Your teammate can edit cells but can't ask Claude: On Pro, Max and Ultra, parts of the sheet that use Claude don't work for people you invite. Make those changes yourself.
   • On Team or Enterprise you can't invite someone outside your company: An admin has to turn on Email invitations outside your organization in Organization settings > Artifacts. It's on by default on Team and off on Enterprise.
   • You can't change sharing on your phone: Sharing settings can't be changed in Claude for iOS or Claude for Android. Use the web or Claude Desktop.

7. 7

   Step 7 of 7

   Download a copy

   Download an .xlsx copy before any big change. If an edit goes wrong, you still have the tracker as it was.

   Actions

   • Click Share at the top right of the sheet.
   • Click the Export tab at the top of the menu.
   • Click Excel to download an editable .xlsx copy, or CSV for the table data as plain text.
   • If you'd rather keep a copy in Google Drive, click Google Sheets under Send to.

   The walkthrough shows the Export tab in the Share menu and its Excel option.

   Export a copy and roll back

   Step 1 of 2

   Share, at the top right of the sheet, opens this menu on its Share tab. Click Export to see the download options.

   

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   Further explanation

   Anthropic's help page says you can restore an earlier version of a sheet, and that restoring removes every edit made after that version. If a restore takes out edits you wanted, copy them back from your download.

   If it didn't work

   • You only want to take back Claude's last change: Click Undo on the notice that starts "Claude updated".
   • You want a PDF: PDF export isn't available in the beta yet. Download the Excel file and save it as a PDF from Excel.

Background and context

Frequently asked questions