Mcp Access

What is Mcp Access about?

Mcp Access provides a set of 68 tools that let an AI assistant manipulate every aspect of a Microsoft Access database – from tables, queries, and relationships to forms, reports, controls, and VBA modules – using simple natural‑language prompts.

How to use Mcp Access?

1. Install the MCP client and the Python package:

   pip install mcp pywin32
   

2. Enable VBA access in Access (Trust Center → Trust access to the VBA project object model).
3. Register the server in your MCP configuration (global or project scope). Example for a global registration with Claude Code:

   claude mcp add access -- python C:\path\to\access_mcp_server.py
   

   Or add a manual entry to .mcp.json/mcp.json:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "access": {
         "type": "stdio",
         "command": "python",
         "args": ["C:\\path\\to\\access_mcp_server.py"]
       }
     }
   }
   

4. Send prompts to the LLM (Claude, Cursor, etc.) that reference the desired operation, e.g.
   • "Create a form called Invoices with a ListBox, two date filters, and a search button"
   • "Add a VBA click handler that filters the recordsource by date range"
5. The LLM translates the prompt into the appropriate MCP tool calls, and the server performs the COM automation on the Access instance.

Key features of Mcp Access

• Full UI automation – create, clone, screenshot, click, and type on forms and reports.
• VBA management – read, write, replace, compile, and run procedures; line‑level editing.
• Control handling – add, delete, modify, list, and set tab order; works inside TabControl pages.
• Database objects – create/alter tables, run arbitrary SQL, batch execution, search queries.
• Relationships & indexes – CRUD for relationships and indexes, including cascade flags.
• Maintenance utilities – compact/repair, decompile‑compact, export structure documentation.
• Security‑aware execution – code‑execution tools are disabled by default and gated behind an environment variable.
• Linting – deterministic layout checks (access_lint_form) that flag contrast, overlap, truncation, etc.
• Cross‑reference search – find usages of a name across VBA, SQL, and control properties.
• Data transfer – import/export between Access and Excel/CSV.
• Screenshot & UI interaction – capture PNGs and perform click/typing actions based on image coordinates.

Use cases of Mcp Access

• AI‑driven database refactoring – let an LLM modernize legacy Access applications by adding tables, cleaning up VBA, and reorganizing forms.
• Automated testing of Access UI – script clicks, typing, and screenshot verification for regression suites.
• Rapid prototyping – generate forms, reports, and queries on the fly from plain‑language specifications.
• Documentation generation – export the full database structure as Markdown for audit or onboarding.
• Bulk code updates – apply line‑level patches across many modules without opening the Access UI manually.

FAQ from the Mcp Access

Q: Do I need to be an Access expert to use this? A: No. The LLM handles COM automation and the underlying object model; you only need to describe what you want.

Q: Which operating systems are supported? A: Windows only, because it relies on COM automation of Microsoft Access.

Q: Is there any network exposure? A: The server runs as a local stdio process with no network surface.

Q: How can I enable VBA code execution? A: Set the environment variable MCP_ACCESS_ALLOW_CODE_EXEC to 1 (or true) in the MCP client config and restart the server.

Q: What versions of Access work? A: Any version that includes the VBE, typically Access 2010 and later.

Q: What if Access crashes during a session? A: The server detects a stale COM session and automatically reconnects on the next tool call.

Q: Can I run this from a CI pipeline? A: Yes, as long as the machine has Windows, Access installed, and the required trust setting enabled.

Q: How are binary sections of forms/reports handled? A: access_get_code strips them on export; access_set_code restores them automatically on import.

mcp-access

Give any AI assistant full control over Microsoft Access databases.

Create forms, write VBA, design tables, manage controls, run queries, build relationships, and edit every corner of an .accdb — all through natural language. 68 tools that turn Access into something you can talk to.

No Access expertise required. Just describe what you want.

"Create a form called Invoices with a ListBox, two date filters, and a search button"
"Add a VBA click handler that filters the recordsource by date range"
"Create a table called audit_log with timestamp, user, and action fields"
"List all controls inside the Payment tab and change the combo's row source"

The AI handles the COM automation, design view, VBA modules, binary sections, cache invalidation, and all the ugly parts. You get the result.

What it can do

• Forms & Reports — create, clone, export, import, screenshot, click, type. Full UI automation loop
• VBA — read, write, replace, compile, and run procedures. Line-level or full-proc editing
• Controls — create, delete, modify, list, set tab order. Finds controls nested inside TabControl pages
• Tables & SQL — create via DAO, alter, query, batch execute, full-text search across every Text/Memo field. Linked ODBC tables supported
• Relationships, indexes, references, queries, macros — full CRUD. Clone any object (form / report / module / class / query / macro) preserving VBA and binary sections
• Maintenance — compact & repair, decompile bloated databases, export structure docs. Office install autodetected (no more hardcoded Office 16 paths)
• UI lint — access_lint_form flags objectively broken layouts (white-on-white text, overlaps, truncation, off-canvas controls). A checker, not a designer — see the note below

Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Continue, or any MCP-compatible client.

---

Requirements

• Windows (COM automation is Windows-only)
• Microsoft Access installed (any version that supports VBE, 2010+)
• Python 3.9+
• "Trust access to the VBA project object model" enabled in Access Trust Center

Installation

pip install mcp pywin32

Enable VBA object model access

File → Options → Trust Center → Trust Center Settings → Macro Settings → check Trust access to the VBA project object model

Or run the included PowerShell script:

.\enable_vba_trust.ps1

Register with Claude Code

Global (available in all projects):

claude mcp add access -- python C:\path\to\access_mcp_server.py

Project-only (creates .mcp.json in current directory):

claude mcp add --scope project access -- python C:\path\to\access_mcp_server.py

Register with other MCP clients

Add to your MCP config file (.mcp.json, mcp.json, or client-specific settings):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "access": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["C:\\path\\to\\access_mcp_server.py"]
    }
  }
}

Compatible with any MCP-compliant client (Cursor, Windsurf, Continue, etc.).

Tools (68)

Database

Tool	Description
access_create_database	Create a new empty .accdb database file
access_close	Close the COM session and release the .accdb file

Database objects

Tool	Description
access_list_objects	List objects by type (table, module, form, report, query, macro, all). System tables filtered
access_get_code	Export an object's full definition as text
access_set_code	Import modified text back (creates or overwrites)
access_export_structure	Generate a Markdown index of all modules, forms, reports, queries
access_delete_object	Delete a module, form, report, query, or macro. Requires confirm=true
access_create_form	Create a new form without triggering the "Save As" MsgBox that blocks COM. Optional has_header for header/footer section, record_source (bind to table/query), default_view (0=Single, 1=Continuous, 2=Datasheet, ...)

SQL & tables

Tool	Description
access_execute_sql	Run SQL via DAO — SELECT returns rows as JSON (limit default 500). DELETE/DROP/ALTER require confirm_destructive=true
access_execute_batch	Execute multiple SQL statements in one call. Supports mixed SELECT/INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE with per-statement results, stop_on_error, and confirm_destructive
access_table_info	Show table structure via DAO (fields, types, sizes, required, linked status)
access_search_queries	Search text in the SQL of ALL queries at once (find which queries reference a table, field, or keyword)
access_create_table	Create a table via DAO with full type, default, description and primary key support in one call. More robust than CREATE TABLE SQL
access_alter_table	Modify table structure via DAO: add field, delete field (requires confirm=true), rename field

VBE line-level editing

Tool	Description
access_vbe_get_lines	Read a line range from a VBA module without exporting the whole file
access_vbe_get_proc	Get a procedure's code and position by name
access_vbe_module_info	List all procedures with their line numbers
access_vbe_replace_lines	Replace/insert/delete lines in a VBA module directly via VBE
access_vbe_find	Search text in ONE specific module. To search all modules at once, use access_vbe_search_all
access_vbe_search_all	Search text across ALL modules/forms/reports in the database at once
access_vbe_replace_proc	Replace a full procedure by name (auto-calculates line bounds). Strips misplaced Option lines, runs structural health check
access_vbe_patch_proc	Surgical find/replace within a procedure. Atomic by default (a failed patch writes nothing), case-insensitive anchors, optional require_unique, whitespace-tolerant fallback matching + contextual error messages when patches fail. proc_name='(Declarations)' targets the declarations section
access_vbe_append	Append code at the end of a module. Auto-strips Option Explicit/Option Compare to prevent misplacement

Form & report controls

Tool	Description
access_list_controls	List all controls of a form/report with key properties. Controls inside Pages/OptionGroups include a parent field
access_get_control	Get the full definition block of a specific control (finds controls inside Pages/OptionGroups)
access_create_control	Create a new control via COM in design view. Supports class_name for ActiveX (type 119) ProgID initialization. Use type 128 (acWebBrowser) for native WebBrowser
access_delete_control	Delete a control via COM
access_set_control_props	Modify control properties via COM in design view
access_set_multiple_controls	Modify properties of multiple controls in a single design-view session
access_lint_form	Deterministic check for objectively-broken layout: contrast (WCAG), overlap, out-of-bounds, truncation, sibling inconsistency, zero-size/invisible. Returns verdict PASS/REVIEW/FAIL. Also runs automatically on every control edit

⚠️ A note on access_lint_form — manage your expectations

This is NOT a designer and there is zero super-design here. Don't expect it to make a form look good, suggest a nice palette, or have any taste — it has none and never will.

It is a dumb, deterministic verifier of the obvious, easy-to-check stuff: is the text the same colour as its background? do two controls physically overlap? does a caption not fit its box? is something off the edge of the form, or zero pixels tall? That's it. Plain math — WCAG contrast ratios and rectangle intersection — with a pile of false-positive guards so it doesn't cry wolf.

Think seatbelt, not stylist: it won't make the car pretty, it just stops you shipping a form with white text on a white background without noticing. It runs automatically on every control edit so those obvious mistakes surface on their own. If you were hoping for a UI-design AI, this isn't it (honest PRs to make it smarter are very welcome 😄).

Text export/import

Tool	Description
access_export_text	Export form/report/module as text via SaveAsText. Does NOT open Design view. UTF-16 LE output
access_import_text	Import form/report/module from text via LoadFromText. Replaces if exists. Auto-splits CodeBehindForm VBA

Database properties

Tool	Description
access_get_db_property	Read a DB property (CurrentDb.Properties) or Access option (GetOption)
access_set_db_property	Set a DB property or Access option — creates the property if it doesn't exist
access_get_form_property	Read form or report properties (RecordSource, Caption, DefaultView, etc.). object_type required (form or report). Omit property_names for all
access_set_form_property	Set form/report properties (RecordSource, Caption, DefaultView, HasModule, etc.) via COM in Design view

Linked tables

Tool	Description
access_list_linked_tables	List linked tables with source table, connection string, ODBC flag. name='X' returns one table; names_only=true is a light listing (no connect strings — use it when hundreds of links overflow the result); mask_password=true masks PWD=
access_relink_table	Change connection string and refresh link — auto-saves credentials (dbAttachSavePWD) when UID/PWD detected. relink_all=true updates all tables with the same original connection. refresh=true re-reads the schema using the table's own connect string (no new_connect, password never dumped)

Relationships

Tool	Description
access_list_relationships	List table relationships with field mappings and cascade flags
access_create_relationship	Create a relationship between two tables (supports cascade update/delete)
access_delete_relationship	Delete a relationship by name

VBA References

Tool	Description
access_list_references	List VBA project references with GUID, path, broken/built-in status
access_manage_reference	Add (by GUID or file path) or remove a VBA reference — guards against removing built-in refs

Maintenance

Tool	Description
access_compact_repair	Compact & repair the database — closes, compacts to temp, swaps atomically, reopens
access_decompile_compact	Remove orphaned VBA p-code via /decompile, recompile, then compact. Typical reduction: 60-70% on heavily-edited front-end databases. Use when a data-free .accdb exceeds 30-40 MB

Query management

Tool	Description
access_manage_query	Create, modify, delete, rename, or read SQL of a QueryDef. Delete requires confirm=true

Indexes

Tool	Description
access_list_indexes	List indexes of a table with fields, primary, unique, foreign flags
access_manage_index	Create or delete an index. Create requires fields list with optional sort order

VBA Compilation

Tool	Description
access_vbe_check_syntax	Static structural check of the already-open VBA project — no decompile, nothing discarded. The safe post-edit check. Not a compiler: it does not resolve identifiers, types or references
access_compile_vba	Compile and save all VBA modules. Optional timeout to auto-dismiss error MsgBox. Decompiles first and can discard unsaved VBA — for a quick check use access_vbe_check_syntax

VBA & macro execution

⚠️ Disabled by default (v0.7.51). These three tools run arbitrary code and are gated behind the MCP_ACCESS_ALLOW_CODE_EXEC environment variable. See Security to enable them.

Tool	Description
access_run_macro	Execute an Access macro by name
access_run_vba	Execute a VBA Sub/Function. Standard modules via Application.Run, form modules via Forms.FormName.Method syntax (COM). Optional timeout auto-dismisses MsgBox/InputBox
access_eval_vba	Evaluate a VBA expression via Application.Eval. Domain functions, VBA built-ins, open form properties, standard module functions. Auto-fallback via temp module for class instances and other expressions Eval cannot resolve

Export

Tool	Description
access_output_report	Export a report to PDF, XLSX, RTF, or TXT via DoCmd.OutputTo

Data transfer

Tool	Description
access_transfer_data	Import/export data between Access and Excel (.xlsx) or CSV. Supports range (Excel) and spec_name (CSV)

Field properties

Tool	Description
access_get_field_properties	Read all properties of a table field (DefaultValue, ValidationRule, Description, Format, etc.)
access_set_field_property	Set a field property — creates the property if it doesn't exist

Startup options

Tool	Description
access_list_startup_options	List 14 common startup options (AppTitle, StartupForm, AllowBypassKey, etc.) with current values

Screenshot & UI automation

Tool	Description
access_screenshot	Capture the Access window as PNG. Optionally opens a form/report first. Returns path, dimensions (original + image), and metadata. Configurable max_width (default 1920), wait_ms (pumps Windows messages — Timer events fire, ActiveX initializes), and open_timeout_sec (default 30 — sends ESC to cancel if Form_Load hangs on a slow query)
access_ui_click	Click at image coordinates on the Access window. Coordinates are relative to a previous screenshot (image_width required for scaling). Supports left, double, and right click
access_ui_type	Type text or send keyboard shortcuts. text for normal characters (WM_CHAR), key for special keys (enter, tab, escape, f1-f12, arrows, etc.), modifiers for combos (ctrl, shift, alt)

Cross-reference

Tool	Description
access_find_usages	Search a name across VBA code, query SQL, and control properties (ControlSource, RecordSource, RowSource, SourceObject, DefaultValue, ValidationRule, LinkChildFields, LinkMasterFields) in one call

Knowledge base

Tool	Description
access_tips	On-demand tips and gotchas. Topics: eval, controls, gotchas, sql, vbe, compile, design. Zero tokens until called

Typical workflows

Targeted VBA editing (recommended)

1. access_list_objects      → find the module or form name
2. access_vbe_module_info   → get procedure list and line numbers
3. access_vbe_get_proc      → read the specific procedure
4. access_vbe_replace_lines → apply targeted line-level changes
5. access_close             → release the file when done

Full object replacement (forms, reports, modules)

1. access_get_code   → export to text
2. (edit the text)
3. access_set_code   → reimport — binary sections are restored automatically

Creating a new form

1. access_create_form(db, "myForm", has_header=true)  → creates empty form
2. access_create_control(db, "form", "myForm", "CommandButton", {Name: "btn1", ...})
3. access_vbe_append(db, "form", "myForm", code)  → add VBA event handlers
4. access_set_form_property(db, "form", "myForm", {HasModule: true, OnCurrent: "[Event Procedure]"})

Screenshot & UI interaction

1. access_screenshot(db, "form", "myForm")  → capture form as PNG
2. (LLM reads the image and identifies UI elements)
3. access_ui_click(db, x=850, y=120, image_width=1920)  → click a button
4. access_ui_type(db, text="search term")  → type in a field
5. access_ui_type(db, key="enter")  → press Enter
6. access_screenshot(db)  → verify the result

Security

This is a local stdio server with no network surface, so there is no login by design — see SECURITY.md for the full threat model. The main risk is prompt injection: an agent tricked (via db_path or content it reads out of the database) into calling a code-execution tool.

Code execution is disabled by default (v0.7.51). The three tools that run arbitrary VBA/Shell — access_run_vba, access_eval_vba, access_run_macro — are hidden and rejected unless you opt in with an environment variable. To re-enable, add it to this server's env in your MCP client config and restart:

"env": { "MCP_ACCESS_ALLOW_CODE_EXEC": "1" }

Enabling grants arbitrary OS command execution; only point the server at trusted databases. See SECURITY.md for details and how to report issues.

Environment variables

All three are read from the server process, so they go in the env block of your MCP client config and take effect on restart.

Variable	Default	Effect
MCP_ACCESS_ALLOW_CODE_EXEC	off	Set to 1/true/yes/on to enable access_run_vba, access_eval_vba and access_run_macro. Fails closed: anything else keeps them disabled.
MCP_ACCESS_SHIFT_BYPASS	on	Set to 0/false/no/off to stop holding SHIFT during OpenCurrentDatabase and /decompile. Fails open: anything else keeps the bypass.
MCP_ACCESS_EXCLUSIVE	off	Set to 1/true/yes/on to open the session's database exclusively. Fails closed: anything else stays shared.

About the SHIFT bypass (v0.7.53). Holding SHIFT is how the server skips a database's AutoExec macro and startup form, but the key-down is a global OS event — it is not scoped to Access, so anything you type anywhere on the machine while it is held arrives capitalised (~0.3 s on every database switch, ~3 s per decompile). Turn it off if that bothers you and your databases guard their own startup, which is the cleaner fix and belongs in the database:

If Not Application.UserControl Then
  Exit Function
End If

Application.UserControl is False when Access was started via COM, so the database opts itself out under automation and needs no bypass at all. With the bypass off, AutomationSecurity and the dialog watchdog still apply — but an unguarded AutoExec macro object will run.

About exclusive opens (v0.7.55). Shared opens — the default, and what every version before this one did — cannot take a design lock. Attaching Data Macros via SaveAsText/LoadFromText, or anything routing through DoCmd.OpenTable acViewDesign, is refused for any table another Access session has open, one table at a time and without stopping the run: it finishes, reports success, and nothing changed. Turn the switch on and that becomes a single visible failure when the database is opened.

It is off by default because it is genuinely exclusive: the session holds the database between tool calls, so while the server is connected nobody else can open it. That is right for a build or a development machine and wrong for a shared front-end. access_close releases the database without stopping the server.

The switch also verifies the mode instead of trusting it. Access treats Exclusive:=True as a request: with the file already in use it opens it shared without a word, and when someone else holds it exclusively it raises nothing and leaves the session with no database at all. So the server checks the lock file before opening (refusing without touching the session), checks it again afterwards (closing the database if Access downgraded it), and names the sessions holding it in the error. A stale lock file left by a crashed Access is not mistaken for a live one. With the switch on the server also stops attaching to an already-running Access instance, which would hold the file shared.

Notes

• Access runs visible (Visible = True) so VBE COM access works correctly.
• One Access instance is shared across all tool calls (singleton session). Opening a different .accdb closes the previous one.
• COM thread isolation: All COM calls run in a dedicated single-thread executor (_com_executor) with CoInitialize(). This keeps COM in one STA thread while the asyncio event loop stays free for stdio I/O, preventing -32602 errors from message corruption.
• Auto-reconnect: if the COM session becomes stale (Access crashed, closed manually, or COM corruption), the server detects it via a health check and reconnects automatically on the next tool call.
• access_get_code strips binary sections (PrtMip, PrtDevMode, etc.) from form/report exports — access_set_code restores them automatically before importing.
• All VBE line numbers are 1-based.

Known limitations

• ActiveX controls (type 119 = acCustomControl): access_create_control now accepts a class_name parameter with the ProgID (e.g. Shell.Explorer.2) to initialize the OLE control. For WebBrowser specifically, use type 128 (acWebBrowser) which creates a native control without OLE complexity. Setting ctrl.Class from COM may not work for all ActiveX controls — manual insertion from the ribbon remains the most reliable method.
• access_run_vba: Now supports form module procedures via Forms.FormName.Method syntax (direct COM access, form must be open). Also supports timeout parameter — if exceeded, auto-dismisses MsgBox/InputBox dialogs. For more flexible form interaction, use access_eval_vba.
• Timer events (Form_Timer): Now fire during access_screenshot when wait_ms > 0 — the wait loop pumps Windows messages via pythoncom.PumpWaitingMessages(). Other tools still block the message pump.
• access_vbe_append previously HTML-encoded & as & due to MCP transport escaping. Fixed in v0.7.3 with explicit html.unescape() decoding.

Troubleshooting

Intermittent -32602 Invalid request parameters errors

The MCP Python SDK (v1.26.0) has a catch-all except Exception in mcp/shared/session.py that swallows real errors and returns a generic -32602 code with no detail. A local patch is applied to this machine that includes the actual exception and traceback in the error response. If you upgrade the mcp package, re-apply the patch — see CLAUDE.md for details.

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for the full release history.