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Excel MCP Server

Provides programmatic Excel workbook manipulation, including data access, formatting, charts, and pivot tables via MCP.

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Installation

Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.

Configuration

View docs

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "excel": {
            "command": "uv",
            "args": [
                "run",
                "excel-mcp-server"
            ],
            "env": {
                "EXCEL_FILES_PATH": "YOUR_EXCEL_FILES_PATH"
            }
        }
    }
}

You can run an MCP server that manipulates Excel workbooks without needing Microsoft Excel installed. This server exposes workbook creation, data manipulation, formatting, charts, and pivot tables, all driven through the MCP protocol so you can integrate Excel-capable workflows into your apps or automation pipelines.

How to use

Start the server using the MCP runner and connect your client to its SSE endpoint. The server exposes tools to manage workbooks, read and write data, apply formatting, and generate charts and pivot tables. After you start it, you will access the available Excel manipulation endpoints through your MCP client and perform operations like creating a workbook, adding worksheets, filling data, applying styles, and rendering charts.

How to install

Prerequisites you need before installing and running the server:

Python 3.10 or newer
MCP SDK 1.2.0 or newer
OpenPyXL 3.1.2 or newer

Install and run steps you should follow exactly as shown:

# Install Python and dependencies if not already installed
# Ensure you are in your project directory
pip install openpyxl==3.1.2
# Run the MCP server using the standard MCP runner
uv run excel-mcp-server

Environment configuration

Configure where Excel files are stored. The server uses an environment variable to determine the storage directory. Set EXCEL_FILES_PATH to your desired path before starting the server.

# Windows CMD
set EXCEL_FILES_PATH=C:\path\to\excel\files
uv run excel-mcp-server

# Windows PowerShell
$env:EXCEL_FILES_PATH="C:\path\to\excel\files"
uv run excel-mcp-server

# Linux/macOS
export EXCEL_FILES_PATH=/path/to/excel/files
uv run excel-mcp-server

# Claude Desktop config example
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "excel": {
      "command": "uv run excel-mcp-server",
      "transport": "sse",
      "env": {
        "EXCEL_FILES_PATH": "/path/to/excel/files"
      }
    }
  }
}

Starting the server

Launch the server and wait for MCP clients to connect.

uv run excel-mcp-server

Connecting in Cursor IDE

After the server starts, connect your Cursor IDE client to its SSE endpoint to access the Excel MCP tools.

http://localhost:8000/sse

Available tools

workbook

Manage workbooks and worksheets including creation, opening, and saving. You can add, remove, and rename sheets, and control workbook-level properties.

read_data

Read values from cells or ranges, supporting rows, columns, and named ranges for data extraction.

write_data

Write values to cells or ranges, with support for batch updates and data validation.

format

Apply formatting and styles to cells, ranges, and sheets, including fonts, alignment, borders, and number formats.

charts

Create and configure charts and visualizations based on data ranges within workbooks.

pivot

Generate and manipulate pivot tables to summarize data and perform analysis.