Have Claude build a budget-vs-actuals report inside Google Sheets
Claude for Google Workspace (public beta on paid plans) opens in a sidebar in Docs, Sheets and Slides. In Sheets it writes formulas, builds pivot tables, native charts and new tabs, and can pull a range into Python for cleanup; Anthropic's example is a Q3 budget vs. actuals report with a tab per team and a summary chart that flags anything over budget.
Source
gmays on Hacker News · 2026-10-22 · Project link
Written in our own words. Credit to the original author. Link checked 2026-10-23.
What they did
Claude for Google Workspace (public beta on paid plans) opens in a sidebar in Docs, Sheets and Slides. In Sheets it writes formulas, builds pivot tables, native charts and new tabs, and can pull a range into Python for cleanup; Anthropic's example is a Q3 budget vs. actuals report with a tab per team and a summary chart that flags anything over budget.
Result (as claimed)
In the default "Ask before edits" mode every change shows as an approval card first.
Tools they used
Cost: Pricing depends on the tools you pick; check each official pricing page.
Set it up
Map the task
Write the trigger, the inputs, the decisions and the output. Note which steps need a human yes.
Connect the tools
Set up Claude, Google Sheets, Google Docs, Google Slides with the narrowest permissions that work. Use a test account or sandbox first.
Build the workflow
Create the steps in order. Add an approval step before anything sends, pays or deletes.
Run it on real but low-stakes data
Run a few times, read every output, and fix prompts or rules that misfire.
Schedule and monitor
Turn on the schedule or trigger, and add a daily summary or alert so you notice failures.
Copy the full setup prompt
Paste into your agent and it will walk you through the setup, asking before anything that sends, posts or spends.
You are helping me set up this AI use case end to end in Claude Code. Goal: Have Claude build a budget-vs-actuals report inside Google Sheets What the original author did: Claude for Google Workspace (public beta on paid plans) opens in a sidebar in Docs, Sheets and Slides. In Sheets it writes formulas, builds pivot tables, native charts and new tabs, and can pull a range into Python for cleanup; Anthropic's example is a Q3 budget vs. actuals report with a tab per team and a summary chart that flags anything over budget. Reported result (as claimed by the author): In the default "Ask before edits" mode every change shows as an approval card first. Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50190357 Tools they used: Claude, Google Sheets, Google Docs, Google Slides Category: Automation & business Please: 1. Ask me 3 short questions about my situation (accounts I have, budget, what I want the output to look like). 2. Propose a step-by-step plan using these tools or cheaper alternatives, with the time and cost of each step. Use official pricing pages; say "check pricing" if unsure. 3. Then do the setup with me one step at a time, waiting for my OK before anything that sends messages, posts publicly, spends money or deletes data. 4. Finish with a checklist to run it again next time.
You are helping me set up this AI use case end to end in Codex. Goal: Have Claude build a budget-vs-actuals report inside Google Sheets What the original author did: Claude for Google Workspace (public beta on paid plans) opens in a sidebar in Docs, Sheets and Slides. In Sheets it writes formulas, builds pivot tables, native charts and new tabs, and can pull a range into Python for cleanup; Anthropic's example is a Q3 budget vs. actuals report with a tab per team and a summary chart that flags anything over budget. Reported result (as claimed by the author): In the default "Ask before edits" mode every change shows as an approval card first. Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50190357 Tools they used: Claude, Google Sheets, Google Docs, Google Slides Category: Automation & business Please: 1. Ask me 3 short questions about my situation (accounts I have, budget, what I want the output to look like). 2. Propose a step-by-step plan using these tools or cheaper alternatives, with the time and cost of each step. Use official pricing pages; say "check pricing" if unsure. 3. Then do the setup with me one step at a time, waiting for my OK before anything that sends messages, posts publicly, spends money or deletes data. 4. Finish with a checklist to run it again next time.
You are helping me set up this AI use case end to end in Grok Bot. Goal: Have Claude build a budget-vs-actuals report inside Google Sheets What the original author did: Claude for Google Workspace (public beta on paid plans) opens in a sidebar in Docs, Sheets and Slides. In Sheets it writes formulas, builds pivot tables, native charts and new tabs, and can pull a range into Python for cleanup; Anthropic's example is a Q3 budget vs. actuals report with a tab per team and a summary chart that flags anything over budget. Reported result (as claimed by the author): In the default "Ask before edits" mode every change shows as an approval card first. Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50190357 Tools they used: Claude, Google Sheets, Google Docs, Google Slides Category: Automation & business Please: 1. Ask me 3 short questions about my situation (accounts I have, budget, what I want the output to look like). 2. Propose a step-by-step plan using these tools or cheaper alternatives, with the time and cost of each step. Use official pricing pages; say "check pricing" if unsure. 3. Then do the setup with me one step at a time, waiting for my OK before anything that sends messages, posts publicly, spends money or deletes data. 4. Finish with a checklist to run it again next time.
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Guides for this use case
How to use AI agents with Excel and Google Sheets · How to make slides and presentations with AI · How to use AI agents for taxes, bills and budgets
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