Excel MCP Server

What is Excel MCP Server about?

Excel MCP Server provides a programmable interface for full‑fledged Excel file manipulation. It exposes a set of tools that let AI agents or scripts create workbooks, edit cells, apply formulas, style ranges, generate charts, build pivot tables, and manage worksheets, all without a local Excel installation.

How to use Excel MCP Server?

1. Install the package from PyPI:

   pip install excel-mcp-server
   

2. Run the server using one of the supported transports:
   • Stdio (local): uvx excel-mcp-server stdio
   • SSE (deprecated): uvx excel-mcp-server sse
   • Streamable HTTP (recommended for remote): uvx excel-mcp-server streamable-http
3. Configure environment variables for SSE/HTTP transports if needed:
   • EXCEL_FILES_PATH – directory where Excel files are stored (defaults to ./excel_files).
   • FASTMCP_PORT – port the server listens on (default 8017).
4. Add the server definition to your AI client configuration, e.g.:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "excel": {
         "url": "http://localhost:8000/mcp"
       }
     }
   }
   

5. Invoke the desired tool calls from your AI agent or script; the server will process the request and return results.

Key features of Excel MCP Server

• Comprehensive Excel operations: create, read, update worksheets and cells.
• Data manipulation: formulas, validation, conditional formatting.
• Styling: fonts, colors, borders, alignment.
• Tables & charts: generate Excel tables, various chart types, and pivot tables.
• Sheet management: copy, rename, delete worksheets.
• Triple transport support: stdio, SSE (deprecated), streamable HTTP.
• Remote & local usage: works as a local CLI tool or a remote HTTP service.
• Environment‑driven file paths for secure file handling.

Use cases of Excel MCP Server

• AI‑assisted data analysis: let language models generate pivot tables or charts from raw data.
• Automated reporting: schedule generation of formatted Excel reports without manual Excel interaction.
• Data validation pipelines: enforce formula and range checks programmatically.
• Integration with low‑code platforms: expose Excel manipulation as a service for workflow automation.
• Remote spreadsheet editing: multi‑user environments where a central server handles file access.

FAQ from the Excel MCP Server

Q: Do I need Microsoft Excel installed? A: No. All operations are performed using the underlying Python libraries.

Q: Which transport should I choose? A: Use streamable‑http for remote connections; stdio is ideal for local, single‑process usage.

Q: Where are my Excel files stored? A: Set the EXCEL_FILES_PATH environment variable; otherwise they default to ./excel_files.

Q: Can I run the server on a custom port? A: Yes, set FASTMCP_PORT to the desired port number.

Q: Is the SSE transport still supported? A: It is deprecated; prefer streamable‑http.

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that lets you manipulate Excel files without needing Microsoft Excel installed. Create, read, and modify Excel workbooks with your AI agent.

Features

• 📊 Excel Operations: Create, read, update workbooks and worksheets
• 📈 Data Manipulation: Formulas, formatting, charts, pivot tables, and Excel tables
• 🔍 Data Validation: Built-in validation for ranges, formulas, and data integrity
• 🎨 Formatting: Font styling, colors, borders, alignment, and conditional formatting
• 📋 Table Operations: Create and manage Excel tables with custom styling
• 📊 Chart Creation: Generate various chart types (line, bar, pie, scatter, etc.)
• 🔄 Pivot Tables: Create dynamic pivot tables for data analysis
• 🔧 Sheet Management: Copy, rename, delete worksheets with ease
• 🔌 Triple transport support: stdio, SSE (deprecated), and streamable HTTP
• 🌐 Remote & Local: Works both locally and as a remote service

Usage

The server supports three transport methods:

1. Stdio Transport (for local use)

uvx excel-mcp-server stdio

{
   "mcpServers": {
      "excel": {
         "command": "uvx",
         "args": ["excel-mcp-server", "stdio"]
      }
   }
}

2. SSE Transport (Server-Sent Events - Deprecated)

uvx excel-mcp-server sse

SSE transport connection:

{
   "mcpServers": {
      "excel": {
         "url": "http://localhost:8000/sse",
      }
   }
}

3. Streamable HTTP Transport (Recommended for remote connections)

uvx excel-mcp-server streamable-http

Streamable HTTP transport connection:

{
   "mcpServers": {
      "excel": {
         "url": "http://localhost:8000/mcp",
      }
   }
}

Environment Variables & File Path Handling

SSE and Streamable HTTP Transports

When running the server with the SSE or Streamable HTTP protocols, you must set the EXCEL_FILES_PATH environment variable on the server side. This variable tells the server where to read and write Excel files.

• If not set, it defaults to ./excel_files.

You can also set the FASTMCP_PORT environment variable to control the port the server listens on (default is 8017 if not set).

• Example (Windows PowerShell):

  $env:EXCEL_FILES_PATH="E:\MyExcelFiles"
  $env:FASTMCP_PORT="8007"
  uvx excel-mcp-server streamable-http
  

• Example (Linux/macOS):

  EXCEL_FILES_PATH=/path/to/excel_files FASTMCP_PORT=8007 uvx excel-mcp-server streamable-http
  

Stdio Transport

When using the stdio protocol, the file path is provided with each tool call, so you do not need to set EXCEL_FILES_PATH on the server. The server will use the path sent by the client for each operation.

Available Tools

The server provides a comprehensive set of Excel manipulation tools. See TOOLS.md for complete documentation of all available tools.

Star History

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.