Excel MCP Server

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README.md

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that reads and writes MS Excel data.

Excel MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that reads and writes MS Excel data.

Features

  • Read/Write text values
  • Read/Write formulas
  • Create new sheets

🪟Windows only:

  • Live editing
  • Capture screen image from a sheet

For more details, see the tools section.

Requirements

  • Node.js 20.x or later

Supported file formats

  • xlsx (Excel book)
  • xlsm (Excel macro-enabled book)
  • xltx (Excel template)
  • xltm (Excel macro-enabled template)

Installation

Installing via NPM

excel-mcp-server is automatically installed by adding the following configuration to the MCP servers configuration.

For Windows:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "excel": {
            "command": "cmd",
            "args": ["/c", "npx", "--yes", "@negokaz/excel-mcp-server"],
            "env": {
                "EXCEL_MCP_PAGING_CELLS_LIMIT": "4000"
            }
        }
    }
}

For other platforms:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "excel": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": ["--yes", "@negokaz/excel-mcp-server"],
            "env": {
                "EXCEL_MCP_PAGING_CELLS_LIMIT": "4000"
            }
        }
    }
}

Installing via Smithery

To install Excel MCP Server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @negokaz/excel-mcp-server --client claude

Tools

`excel_describe_sheets`

List all sheet information of specified Excel file.

Arguments:

  • fileAbsolutePath
    • Absolute path to the Excel file

`excel_read_sheet`

Read values from Excel sheet with pagination.

Arguments:

  • fileAbsolutePath
    • Absolute path to the Excel file
  • sheetName
    • Sheet name in the Excel file
  • range
    • Range of cells to read in the Excel sheet (e.g., "A1:C10"). [default: first paging range]
  • showFormula
    • Show formula instead of value [default: false]
  • showStyle
    • Show style information for cells [default: false]

`excel_screen_capture`

[Windows only] Take a screenshot of the Excel sheet with pagination.

Arguments:

  • fileAbsolutePath
    • Absolute path to the Excel file
  • sheetName
    • Sheet name in the Excel file
  • range
    • Range of cells to read in the Excel sheet (e.g., "A1:C10"). [default: first paging range]

`excel_write_to_sheet`

Write values to the Excel sheet.

Arguments:

  • fileAbsolutePath
    • Absolute path to the Excel file
  • sheetName
    • Sheet name in the Excel file
  • newSheet
    • Create a new sheet if true, otherwise write to the existing sheet
  • range
    • Range of cells to read in the Excel sheet (e.g., "A1:C10").
  • values
    • Values to write to the Excel sheet. If the value is a formula, it should start with "="

`excel_create_table`

Create a table in the Excel sheet

Arguments:

  • fileAbsolutePath
    • Absolute path to the Excel file
  • sheetName
    • Sheet name where the table is created
  • range
    • Range to be a table (e.g., "A1:C10")
  • tableName
    • Table name to be created

`excel_copy_sheet`

Copy existing sheet to a new sheet

Arguments:

  • fileAbsolutePath
    • Absolute path to the Excel file
  • srcSheetName
    • Source sheet name in the Excel file
  • dstSheetName
    • Sheet name to be copied

`excel_format_range`

Format cells in the Excel sheet with style information

Arguments:

  • fileAbsolutePath
    • Absolute path to the Excel file
  • sheetName
    • Sheet name in the Excel file
  • range
    • Range of cells in the Excel sheet (e.g., "A1:C3")
  • styles
    • 2D array of style objects for each cell. If a cell does not change style, use null. The number of items of the array must match the range size.
    • Style object properties:
      • border: Array of border styles (type, color, style)
      • font: Font styling (bold, italic, underline, size, strike, color, vertAlign)
      • fill: Fill/background styling (type, pattern, color, shading)
      • numFmt: Custom number format string
      • decimalPlaces: Number of decimal places (0-30)

Configuration

You can change the MCP Server behaviors by the following environment variables:

`EXCEL_MCP_PAGING_CELLS_LIMIT`

The maximum number of cells to read in a single paging operation.
[default: 4000]

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Kazuki Negoro

excel-mcp-server is

Tools (7)

excel_describe_sheetsList all sheet information of specified Excel file.
excel_read_sheetRead values from Excel sheet with pagination.
excel_screen_captureTake a screenshot of the Excel sheet with pagination (Windows only).
excel_write_to_sheetWrite values to the Excel sheet.
excel_create_tableCreate a table in the Excel sheet
excel_copy_sheetCopy existing sheet to a new sheet
excel_format_rangeFormat cells in the Excel sheet with style information

Environment Variables

EXCEL_MCP_PAGING_CELLS_LIMITThe maximum number of cells to read in a single paging operation.

Configuration

claude_desktop_config.json
{"mcpServers": {"excel": {"command": "npx", "args": ["--yes", "@negokaz/excel-mcp-server"], "env": {"EXCEL_MCP_PAGING_CELLS_LIMIT": "4000"}}}}

Try it

List all the sheets available in the file at C:\Documents\data.xlsx.
Read the values from the 'Sales' sheet in C:\Documents\report.xlsx in the range A1:D20.
Write the value 'Total' to cell E1 in the 'Summary' sheet of C:\Documents\report.xlsx.
Create a new table named 'MonthlyData' in the 'Data' sheet of C:\Documents\data.xlsx covering range A1:C10.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key features of Excel MCP Server?

Read and write text values and formulas in .xlsx and .xlsm files. Manage Excel sheets including creation and copying. Support for cell styling and formatting. Windows-exclusive live editing and screen capture capabilities.

What can I use Excel MCP Server for?

Automating data entry into existing Excel reports. Extracting and summarizing data from large Excel workbooks. Programmatically formatting Excel reports for presentation. Creating new sheets or tables within existing Excel files via AI commands.

How do I install Excel MCP Server?

Install Excel MCP Server by running: npx --yes @negokaz/excel-mcp-server

What MCP clients work with Excel MCP Server?

Excel MCP Server works with any MCP-compatible client including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, and other editors with MCP support.

Turn this server into reusable context

Keep Excel MCP Server docs, env vars, and workflow notes in Conare so your agent carries them across sessions.

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