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Set workbook settings

set_workbook_settings

Configure document properties, calculation modes, and workbook structure protection to control Excel recalculation and limit sheet changes.

Instructions

Set document properties, calculation options and workbook structure protection.

Protection discourages sheet changes in Excel but is not security (it does not stop this server; the password is weakly hashed).

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
pathYes
settingsYes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Addedv2.0.0

TDQS

A3.7/5.0
Behavior4/5

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

Annotations cover the safety profile (readOnly=false, destructive=false, idempotent=false), so the bar is lower, and the description still adds genuinely valuable context: protection is 'not security', it does not stop this server, and the password is weakly hashed. That is exactly the kind of caveat an agent needs before writing a password. It stops short of 5 because it says nothing about failure behavior or that omitted fields are left unchanged.

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 sentences: purpose first, then the security caveat. Front-loaded and every sentence earns its place, with no redundant restatement of the title. Not padded, not truncated.

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

Completeness4/5

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

For a mutation tool with no output schema and annotations already declaring the safety profile, the description covers purpose and the one non-obvious behavioral trap (weak protection). Minor gaps remain around prerequisites and error semantics, but an agent has enough to call it correctly.

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 description coverage is 0%, but the nested $defs carry rich per-field descriptions (Calculation, Properties, StructureProtection), so the schema does most of the heavy lifting. The description's contribution is naming the three settings categories, which corresponds to the schema keys but adds no format or constraint detail beyond them.

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 names a specific verb (Set) and enumerates the three resource groups it configures: document properties, calculation options, and workbook structure protection. That maps cleanly onto the schema's three settings keys. It does not, however, differentiate itself from siblings such as create_workbook or describe_workbook, so it stops 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 Guidelines3/5

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

Usage is implied by the stated scope but never made explicit: there is no 'use this when...' framing, no prerequisite that the workbook at `path` must already exist, and no routing to an alternative. With no direct sibling that overlaps this function, the implicit scope is workable but guidance is thin.

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