How do I use Excel MCP Server?

1. Click on "Install Server". 2. Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state. 3. In the chat, type @ followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@Excel MCP Server Analyze the sales sheet and format the top row with a blue background" That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed. Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.

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Excel MCP Server

A cross-platform MCP server for reading, writing, and formatting Excel files. Works with both open Excel workbooks (live) and closed .xlsx files (no Excel needed).

Two Modes

workbook — Operate on an open Excel workbook in real-time via xlwings
path — Edit closed .xlsx files directly using pure Python (preserves images, charts, and all embedded content)

Tools

Tool	workbook	path	Required
`get_excel_info`	-	-	(none)
`read_cells`	OK	OK	range
`write_cells`	OK	OK	range, value
`format_cells`	OK	OK	range, format
`execute_vba`	OK	-	workbook, code

Requirements

Node.js 18+
Python 3.8+
xlwings (for live Excel mode — pip install xlwings)
Microsoft Excel (only needed for workbook mode and execute_vba)

Works on Windows and macOS. The path mode also works on Linux.

Installation

git clone https://github.com/kousunh/excel-mcp-server.git cd excel-mcp-server npm install pip install -r scripts/requirements.txt

Configure MCP Client

Add to your MCP client config (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.):

{ "mcpServers": { "excel-mcp": { "command": "node", "args": ["/path/to/excel-mcp-server/src/index.js"] } } }

To use a specific Python executable, set the EXCEL_MCP_PYTHON environment variable:

{ "mcpServers": { "excel-mcp": { "command": "node", "args": ["/path/to/excel-mcp-server/src/index.js"], "env": { "EXCEL_MCP_PYTHON": "/path/to/python" } } } }

Usage

Closed files (path mode)

read_cells path="/data/report.xlsx" range="A1:D20" formats=true write_cells path="/data/report.xlsx" range="A1:C3" value=[["Name","Age","City"],["Alice",30,"NYC"],["Bob",25,"LA"]] format_cells path="/data/report.xlsx" range="A1:C1" format={"bold":true,"backgroundColor":"#4472C4","fontColor":"#FFFFFF"}

No Excel installation required. Images, charts, and shapes are preserved.

Open workbooks (workbook mode)

get_excel_info read_cells workbook="Sales.xlsx" range="B2:F10" write_cells workbook="Sales.xlsx" range="G2" value="=SUM(B2:F2)" execute_vba workbook="Sales.xlsx" code="Range(\"A1:G10\").AutoFilter"

Requires Excel to be running with the workbook open.

License

MIT

Install Server

A

security – no known vulnerabilities

A

license - permissive license

A

quality - confirmed to work

How are these scores calculated?

Resources

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Excel MCP Server

Excel MCP Server

Two Modes

Tools

Requirements

Installation

Configure MCP Client

Usage

Closed files (path mode)

Open workbooks (workbook mode)

License

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