Excel MCP Server

Add conditional format

add_conditional_format

Add conditional formatting to an Excel range to highlight values, formulas, text, dates, averages, duplicates, or icons. Rules apply in priority order; first match wins.

Instructions

Add a conditional format rule to a range. Rules apply in priority order (default: last); of conflicting formats the first rule met wins.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`path`	Yes
`rule`	Yes
`range`	Yes
`sheet`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed71 schema fields changedv2.0.0Oct 13, 2026

changedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / description

Previous value: -"A conditional format rule. Which fields are used depends on ``type``."New value: +"Fields apply per `type`."

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / axis

Added value: +{
+  "default": "none",
+  "description": "data_bar: where negative bars start.",
+  "enum": [
+    "automatic",
+    "middle",
+    "none"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / axis_color

Added value: +{
+  "description": "data_bar.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / bar_direction

Added value: +{
+  "default": "context",
+  "description": "data_bar.",
+  "enum": [
+    "context",
+    "left_to_right",
+    "right_to_left"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / bar_fill

Added value: +{
+  "default": "gradient",
+  "description": "data_bar.",
+  "enum": [
+    "gradient",
+    "solid"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / border_color
```
Added value: +{
+  "description": "data_bar.",
+  "type": "string"
+}
```

removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / colors / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "items": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "type": "array"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / colors / default
```
Removed value: -null
```

changedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / colors / description

Previous value: -"color_scale: 2 or 3 colors from lowest to highest. data_bar: 1 color."New value: +"color_scale: 2 or 3, lowest first. data_bar: 1."

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / colors / items
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / colors / title
```
Removed value: -"Colors"
```
addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / colors / type
```
Added value: +"array"
```

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / count

Added value: +{
+  "description": "top, bottom (1-100 if percent).",
+  "maximum": 1000,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / fill_color / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / fill_color / default
```
Removed value: -null
```

changedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / fill_color / description

Previous value: -"cell_value and formula rules."New value: +"Not for scales and icons."

removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / fill_color / title
```
Removed value: -"Fill Color"
```
addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / fill_color / type
```
Added value: +"string"
```

removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / font_color / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / font_color / default
```
Removed value: -null
```
changedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / font_color / description
```
Previous value: -"cell_value and formula rules."New value: +"Like fill_color."
```
removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / font_color / title
```
Removed value: -"Font Color"
```
addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / font_color / type
```
Added value: +"string"
```

removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / formula / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / formula / default
```
Removed value: -null
```

changedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / formula / description

Previous value: -"formula only: true for highlighted cells, e.g. '=$C2>100'."New value: +"formula: for the range's top-left cell, e.g. '=$C2>100'."

removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / formula / title
```
Removed value: -"Formula"
```
addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / formula / type
```
Added value: +"string"
```

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / hide_values

Added value: +{
+  "description": "icon_set, data_bar.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / icon_set

Added value: +{
+  "anyOf": [
+    {
+      "enum": [
+        "3Arrows",
+        "3ArrowsGray",
+        "3Flags",
+        "3TrafficLights1",
+        "3TrafficLights2",
+        "3Signs",
+        "3Symbols",
+        "3Symbols2",
+        "4Arrows",
+        "4ArrowsGray",
+        "4RedToBlack",
+        "4Rating",
+        "4TrafficLights",
+        "5Arrows",
+        "5ArrowsGray",
+        "5Rating",
+        "5Quarters"
+      ],
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    {
+      "enum": [
+        "3Stars",
+        "3Triangles",
+        "5Boxes"
+      ],
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  ],
+  "description": "icon_set."
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / icons

Added value: +{
+  "description": "icon_set: a custom icon per range, lowest first, e.g. '3Arrows:1' (the set's lowest icon) or 'none'. Sets can be mixed.",
+  "items": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / include_equal

Added value: +{
+  "description": "above/below_average.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / max_type

Added value: +{
+  "default": "highest",
+  "description": "data_bar: the longest bar.",
+  "enum": [
+    "automatic",
+    "lowest",
+    "highest",
+    "number",
+    "percent",
+    "percentile",
+    "formula"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / max_value

Added value: +{
+  "anyOf": [
+    {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  ],
+  "description": "data_bar."
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / min_type

Added value: +{
+  "default": "lowest",
+  "description": "data_bar: the shortest bar.",
+  "enum": [
+    "automatic",
+    "lowest",
+    "highest",
+    "number",
+    "percent",
+    "percentile",
+    "formula"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / min_value

Added value: +{
+  "anyOf": [
+    {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  ],
+  "description": "data_bar: for min_type number, percent, percentile or formula."
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / negative_border_color

Added value: +{
+  "description": "data_bar. Default: border_color.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / negative_color

Added value: +{
+  "description": "data_bar. Default: as `colors`.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / operator / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "enum": [
-      "between",
-      "notBetween",
-      "equal",
-      "notEqual",
-      "greaterThan",
-      "lessThan",
-      "greaterThanOrEqual",
-      "lessThanOrEqual"
-    ],
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / operator / default
```
Removed value: -null
```
changedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / operator / description
```
Previous value: -"cell_value only."New value: +"cell_value."
```

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / operator / enum

Added value: +[
+  "between",
+  "notBetween",
+  "equal",
+  "notEqual",
+  "greaterThan",
+  "lessThan",
+  "greaterThanOrEqual",
+  "lessThanOrEqual"
+]

removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / operator / title
```
Removed value: -"Operator"
```
addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / operator / type
```
Added value: +"string"
```

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / percent

Added value: +{
+  "description": "top, bottom.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / period

Added value: +{
+  "description": "date.",
+  "enum": [
+    "yesterday",
+    "today",
+    "tomorrow",
+    "last7Days",
+    "lastWeek",
+    "thisWeek",
+    "nextWeek",
+    "lastMonth",
+    "thisMonth",
+    "nextMonth"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / priority

Added value: +{
+  "description": "1 is first; rules at or below move down. Default: last.",
+  "type": "integer"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / reverse

Added value: +{
+  "description": "icon_set.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / std_dev

Added value: +{
+  "description": "above/below_average.",
+  "maximum": 3,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / stop_if_true

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Skip later rules if met.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / text

Added value: +{
+  "description": "contains_text etc.",
+  "maxLength": 255,
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / threshold_type

Added value: +{
+  "default": "percent",
+  "description": "icon_set.",
+  "enum": [
+    "percent",
+    "number",
+    "percentile"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / thresholds

Added value: +{
+  "description": "icon_set: where icons 2..n start, lowest first. Default: equal shares.",
+  "items": {
+    "type": "number"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

changedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / type / description

Previous value: -"Kind of rule."New value: +"top/bottom: `count` highest or lowest. date: dates in a `period`."

changedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / type / enum

Previous value: -[
-  "color_scale",
-  "data_bar",
-  "cell_value",
-  "formula"
-]New value: +[
+  "color_scale",
+  "data_bar",
+  "icon_set",
+  "cell_value",
+  "formula",
+  "top",
+  "bottom",
+  "above_average",
+  "below_average",
+  "duplicate",
+  "unique",
+  "contains_text",
+  "not_contains_text",
+  "begins_with",
+  "ends_with",
+  "date",
+  "blanks",
+  "no_blanks",
+  "errors",
+  "no_errors"
+]

removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / type / title
```
Removed value: -"Type"
```

removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / values / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "items": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "type": "array"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / values / default
```
Removed value: -null
```

changedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / values / description

Previous value: -"cell_value only: 1 value, or 2 for between/notBetween. Numbers, quoted text such as '\"Done\"', or formulas."New value: +"cell_value: 1, or 2 for between. Numbers, quoted text '\"Done\"' or formulas."

addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / values / items
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / values / title
```
Removed value: -"Values"
```
addedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / properties / values / type
```
Added value: +"array"
```
removedInput schema / $defs / ConditionalFormat / title
```
Removed value: -"ConditionalFormat"
```

removedInput schema / properties / path / description

Removed value: -"Path to an .xlsx, .xlsm, .xltx or .xltm file. Relative paths are resolved in the server's workbook directory when one is configured; otherwise use an absolute path."

removedInput schema / properties / path / title
```
Removed value: -"Path"
```

removedInput schema / properties / range / description

Removed value: -"A cell or rectangular range in A1 notation, e.g. 'A1:D20'."

removedInput schema / properties / range / title
```
Removed value: -"Range"
```
removedInput schema / properties / sheet / description
```
Removed value: -"Worksheet name, e.g. 'Sheet1'."
```
removedInput schema / properties / sheet / title
```
Removed value: -"Sheet"
```

removedInput schema / title

Removed value: -"add_conditional_formatArguments"

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -{
-  "properties": {
-    "result": {
-      "title": "Result",
-      "type": "string"
-    }
-  },
-  "required": [
-    "result"
-  ],
-  "title": "add_conditional_formatOutput",
-  "type": "object"
-}New value: +null

Addedv1.1.1Sep 29, 2026

TDQS

A3.5/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=false, destructiveHint=false, and idempotentHint=false, so the safety profile is known. The description adds genuinely non-obvious behavioral context: rules apply in priority order (default last) and the first matching rule wins on conflict. It does not say the workbook file must already exist or that the change is persisted, so it stops short of full disclosure.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Two tightly written sentences with zero filler, and the core action plus the priority-conflict semantics are front-loaded.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness3/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a mutation tool with a large nested schema and no output schema, the description covers the key ordering semantics but omits file prerequisites, reversibility, and how to remove or override an existing rule. Combined with the annotations' safety flags it is minimally adequate, not complete.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Top-level schema coverage is 0% – path, sheet, range, and rule have no schema descriptions – and the description only alludes to 'a range' without clarifying any parameter. The heavily annotated nested ConditionalFormat subschema partly compensates by documenting every rule field per type, so an agent can still construct a valid rule, but the description itself contributes essentially nothing.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description states a specific verb+resource ('Add a conditional format rule to a range'), so the agent knows exactly what the tool does. It does not, however, distinguish itself from plausible siblings like format_range or add_data_validation, leaving that differentiation to the schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

There is no explicit when-to-use guidance, no prerequisites, and no named alternative. The priority-ordering sentence describes rule behavior rather than when to pick this tool over format_range or add_data_validation.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

Add conditional format

Instructions

Input Schema

Schema Changelog

TDQS

Other Tools