Excel MCP Server

Import workbook

import_workbook

Destructive

Upload an Excel workbook to the server for remote editing. It removes unsafe hyperlinks and rejects external links, connections, and linked objects.

Instructions

Upload a workbook to the server (remote editing).

Drops unsafe hyperlinks (see note); refuses external links, connections, linked objects.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "path": "<path>",
      "content_base64": "<content_base64>"
    },
    "name": "import_workbook"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`path`	Yes
`overwrite`	No
`content_base64`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed9 schema fields changedv2.0.0Oct 13, 2026

removedInput schema / properties / content_base64 / description
```
Removed value: -"The workbook file, base64 encoded."
```
removedInput schema / properties / content_base64 / title
```
Removed value: -"Content Base64"
```
removedInput schema / properties / overwrite / default
```
Removed value: -false
```

removedInput schema / properties / overwrite / description

Removed value: -"Replace the file if it already exists."

removedInput schema / properties / overwrite / title
```
Removed value: -"Overwrite"
```

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 / title

Removed value: -"import_workbookArguments"

changedOutput schema / (root)

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

Addedv1.1.1Sep 29, 2026

TDQS

B3.1/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare destructiveHint=true, idempotentHint=false and non-read-only, so the safety profile is covered upstream. The description adds real value beyond that: unsafe hyperlinks are dropped and external links, connections and linked objects cause refusal. The dangling 'see `note`' reference is the only soft spot.

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

Conciseness4/5

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

Two short lines with the core action front-loaded and the caveats second. The cryptic cross-reference to a `note` costs it a point but there is no padding.

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

Completeness2/5

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

For a destructive, three-parameter tool with no output schema and zero schema descriptions, the definition should at minimum explain the overwrite semantics and path expectations. Those gaps matter for a tool that can clobber server state.

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

Parameters2/5

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

Schema coverage is 0%, so the description must carry the burden, and it does not: nothing explains the format of `path`, whether `content_base64` is standard or URL-safe base64, or that `overwrite` controls clobbering an existing workbook. Only 'upload' loosely implies the content parameter.

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?

States a specific verb and resource: upload a workbook to the server, clarified as 'remote editing'. This separates it implicitly from export_workbook and create_workbook, but it never names a sibling or states the contrast explicitly, so it falls short of a 5.

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 when-to-use / when-not-to-use guidance and no named alternative (create_workbook, export_workbook, list_workbooks all exist as plausible confusions). The refusal list describes what the tool rejects, not when an agent should choose it.

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