Applies to: All plans · Standard plan and above (full access)
Works with: Claude desktop app, Claude in Excel
Layer IQ connects to Claude via MCP (Model Context Protocol), letting you paste in a list of assets or upload a spreadsheet and instantly get back fair market values, disposition paths, and full enrichment reports — without leaving Claude.
Everything you do through Claude creates a real job in Layer IQ. You can open the platform at any time to view your jobs, assets, and reports in full.
Before you start
You need a Layer IQ account. If you don't have one yet, create a free Starter account at app.layer-iq.com/signup →
🎉 Limited-time offer — available until June 1, 2026:
MCP / AI access is normally a Standard plan feature ($500/mo), but we're opening it to Starter accounts for free so you can experience it firsthand. Starter accounts support up to 50 assets per job. Upgrade to Standard → for higher volumes and full platform access.
You also need the Claude desktop app installed on your computer. The desktop app is required both for direct Claude chat and for the Claude in Excel add-in.
Step 1 — Connect Layer IQ to Claude desktop
Open the Claude desktop app.
Go to Settings → Integrations (or Connected tools, depending on your app version).
Click Add integration or Add MCP server.
Enter the following server URL and click Connect:
https://mcp.layer-iq.com/mcp
A browser window will open and take you to the Layer IQ login page. Sign in with your Layer IQ account credentials.
After you authenticate, you'll be prompted to return to the Claude desktop app. Click the prompt or switch back to Claude manually.
Layer IQ will now appear in your integrations list. You're connected.
Tip: Click Configure next to the Layer IQ MCP entry and set tool permissions to Always allow. If left on the default setting, Claude will ask for your permission each time it calls a Layer IQ tool — which gets repetitive quickly when processing a long asset list.
Your data is safe: All 25 Layer IQ tools available through Claude are read-only. The integration enriches and analyzes your assets — it never modifies, deletes, or writes to your existing Layer IQ data.
Step 2 — Get asset values in Claude
Once connected, start a new chat in Claude and describe what you want to value.
You can:
Paste a list directly:
Value these retired assets for me: 1. NVIDIA A100 80GB - condition: Good 2. NVIDIA RTX 3090 - condition: Good 3. Dell PowerEdge R740 - condition: Fair
Upload a spreadsheet:
Drag and drop an Excel or CSV file into the chat. Layer IQ will process each row as an asset.
Claude will return a detailed report for each asset including:
Column | What it shows |
Resale FMV | Layer IQ fair market value based on current market data |
Disposition | Recommended path (Resale, Parts, Recycle, etc.) |
Confidence | HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW based on data quality |
Total $/Unit | Combined value across resale + metals + donation + I-TEC |
Variance | How your estimate compares to Layer IQ's FMV |
Rationale | Plain-English explanation of the recommendation |
Every job you run is automatically created in your Layer IQ account. Sign in to app.layer-iq.com → to view your full job history, asset details, and reports.
Working with multi-tab spreadsheets
If you upload a spreadsheet with multiple tabs, Layer IQ will ask whether you want to:
Create a master job with each tab as a sub-job, or
Create a separate job for each tab
Choose based on whether the tabs are related (e.g., different asset categories for the same customer) or independent.
Step 3 — Work directly in Excel (optional)
Once Layer IQ is connected in the Claude desktop app, you can also use it inside Microsoft Excel through the Claude add-in.
Install the add-in (if you haven't already):
Get the Claude plug-in from Microsoft AppSource → — search for "Claude."
Using it:
Open Excel with your asset spreadsheet.
Open the Claude panel from the Home tab or Add-ins menu.
Ask Claude directly in the panel — for example:
"What's the resale value of each row in this sheet?"
"Route these assets to their best disposition path."
Layer IQ will add columns directly to your spreadsheet with values, disposition paths, and confidence scores — so you can keep working in the format you already use.
Note: The Claude in Excel add-in uses the MCP connection you set up in the Claude desktop app. If Layer IQ isn't connected in Claude desktop, it won't be available in Excel. Always set up the desktop connection first.
What happens in Layer IQ
Every asset list or spreadsheet you process through Claude becomes a job in your Layer IQ account:
View jobs — all your jobs appear in the Layer IQ dashboard with full asset detail
Download reports — export enrichment reports as CSV or PDF
Review variance — see how your estimates compare to Layer IQ's FMV
Track totals — total resale value, metals value, I-TEC value, and CO2 avoided per job
Troubleshooting
The Layer IQ login page didn't open.
Make sure you're using the Claude desktop app (not Claude.ai in a browser) and that you've entered the server URL exactly as shown above.
After signing in, nothing happened in Claude.
Switch back to the Claude desktop app manually. The prompt to return to Claude doesn't always auto-focus. Once you're back in Claude, the connection should be active.
I get an error when processing assets.
Starter accounts support up to 50 assets per job through June 1, 2026. After that, MCP access requires a Standard plan. Upgrade to Standard → for higher volumes now, or split your list into smaller batches in the meantime.
Claude in Excel says Layer IQ isn't available.
The Excel add-in requires an active MCP connection in the Claude desktop app. Follow Step 1 above to connect, then reload Excel.
My job isn't showing up in the Layer IQ dashboard.
Jobs appear within a few seconds of Claude finishing the enrichment. Refresh the dashboard. If it's still missing after a minute, contact support.
Questions? Chat with us below or email [email protected]