Introducing SheetLink for Claude Desktop

SheetLink Max now connects directly to Claude Desktop. Ask natural language questions about your spending. Claude pulls live transaction data from your Plaid-connected accounts and answers in seconds.

No exports. No copy-paste. Just ask.

What you can do

Once connected, Claude has full access to your transaction history across all linked accounts. Some examples:

• "How much did I spend last month, broken down by category?"
• "What are my top 10 merchants this year?"
• "How much have I spent on food vs. entertainment in 2026?"
• "Show me all transactions over $200 in March"
• "Am I spending more on subscriptions than last quarter?"

Claude handles the filtering, aggregation, and math, and can explain what it finds in plain English.

How it works

SheetLink's MCP server runs locally on your machine as a lightweight Node.js process. When Claude needs data, it calls one of six tools:

• list_accounts: lists your connected banks and last sync time
• list_transactions: fetches transactions filtered by account, date range, or category
• get_spending_summary: aggregates spending by category or merchant
• list_investment_holdings: lists your investment positions, with cost basis and value
• list_investment_activity: lists buys, sells, dividends and fees
• get_portfolio_summary: shows your allocation by sector or security

Data is fetched live from the SheetLink API (backed by Plaid) each time Claude calls a tool. SheetLink keeps no copy, and what Claude reads stays in that conversation, like anything else you share in a chat.

Getting started

You'll need a SheetLink Max plan and Claude Desktop installed.

1. Get an API key

Go to Dashboard → API Keys and create a new key. It'll start with sl_.

2. Edit your Claude Desktop config

Open the config file:

# Mac
open -e ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

# Windows
notepad %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Add the mcpServers block alongside your existing preferences:

{
  "preferences": {
    ...
  },
  "mcpServers": {
    "sheetlink": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@sheetlink/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "SHEETLINK_API_KEY": "sl_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop

Fully quit (Cmd+Q on Mac) and reopen. SheetLink will appear in the tools panel on your next conversation.

Why Claude + SheetLink

Spreadsheets are great for structured tracking: running totals, budget dashboards, month-over-month comparisons. But for open-ended questions where you're not sure what you're looking for, natural language is faster. Claude can combine filters, do math, and explain context in one shot without you writing a formula.

The two work well together: Sheets for the persistent dashboard, Claude for on-demand investigation.

Troubleshooting

npx: command not found. Claude Desktop launches with a limited PATH. If you use nvm, replace npx with the full path: run which npx in your terminal and use that value (e.g. /opt/homebrew/bin/npx).

SheetLink API error 403. API keys require the Max plan. Check your plan at Dashboard → Billing.

Full setup guide with all the details at sheetlink.app/docs/claude-desktop. The MCP server is open source at github.com/sheetlink/mcp.

Questions