Excel

An MCP server for operating Excel files without installing Excel

Developer tools Research and data #Excel operations #Data processing #MCP service .Python

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update time : 2025-04-28

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What is the Excel MCP Server?

The Excel MCP Server is a tool based on the Model Context Protocol (MCP) that supports creating, reading, writing, and operating Excel files. It uses the OpenPyXL library to perform complex Excel operations without installing Microsoft Excel.

How to use the Excel MCP Server?

By setting environment variables and starting the server, you can connect to and use the Excel tool in the Cursor IDE for easy file management and data processing.

Applicable scenarios

Suitable for business scenarios that require frequent processing of Excel files, such as data analysis, report generation, and automated office work.

Main features

Workbook management

Supports creating, opening, saving, and deleting Excel files.

Worksheet operations

Add, delete, and rename worksheets, and adjust the worksheet order.

Data reading and writing

Read and write cell data, supporting batch operations.

Formatting and styling

Apply styles such as fonts, colors, and borders, and support custom cell formats.

Advanced features

Supports inserting charts, creating pivot tables, and processing complex formulas.

Advantages

Operate Excel files without installing Microsoft Excel

Support various Excel functions, such as charts and pivot tables

Comprehensive error handling mechanism for easy troubleshooting

Limitations

The processing speed may be slow for very large Excel files

Does not support some advanced VBA script functions

How to use

Install dependencies

Ensure that Python 3.10 or higher and the required libraries (such as OpenPyXL) are installed.

Configure environment variables

Set the Excel file storage path (e.g., `EXCEL_FILES_PATH`).

Start the server

Run the Excel MCP Server to listen for client requests.

Connect to the Cursor IDE

Enter the SSE endpoint address in the Cursor IDE to start interacting.

Usage examples

Example 1: Generate a sales report

Quickly generate a sales report containing sales volume and trend charts through the Excel MCP Server.

Example 2: Automated data cleaning

Use the Excel MCP Server to automatically clean duplicate data and format the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Excel MCP Server require the installation of Microsoft Excel?

How to handle large Excel files?

Does it support multi - user concurrent access?

Related resources

Excel MCP Server official documentation

Comprehensively understand the functions and usage of the Excel MCP Server.

GitHub code repository

View the source code and submit issues.

Tutorial video

A video tutorial for quickly getting started with the Excel MCP Server.

🚀 Excel MCP Server

An implementation of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides Excel file operation capabilities without the need to install Microsoft Excel. This server supports workbook creation, data manipulation, formatting, and advanced Excel features.

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

Python 3.10+
MCP SDK 1.2.0+
OpenPyXL 3.1.2+

Component

Resources

The server provides Excel workbook operation capabilities through OpenPyXL:

Create and modify Excel workbooks
Manage worksheets and ranges
Handle formatting and styles
Support charts and pivot tables

Tools

This server provides comprehensive Excel operation tools. For detailed documentation on all available tools, parameters, and usage examples, please refer to TOOLS.md.

The tools include the following functions:

Workbook and worksheet management
Data reading and writing
Formatting and style handling
Charts and visualization
Pivot tables and data analysis

Please refer to TOOLS.md for the full documentation.

✨ Features

Full Excel support: Comprehensive Excel functionality
Data manipulation: Read, write, and transform data
Advanced features: Charts, pivot tables, and formatting
Error handling: Comprehensive error handling and clear messages

💻 Usage Examples

Environment Configuration

The server can be configured through the following environment variables:

EXCEL_FILES_PATH: The directory where Excel files are stored (default: ./excel_files)

You can set it in the following ways:

Windows CMD:

set EXCEL_FILES_PATH=C:\path\to\excel\files
uv run excel-mcp-server

Windows PowerShell:

$env:EXCEL_FILES_PATH="C:\path\to\excel\files"
uv run excel-mcp-server

Linux/MacOS:

export EXCEL_FILES_PATH=/path/to/excel/files
uv run excel-mcp-server

Or in the Claude Desktop configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "excel": {
      "command": "uv run excel-mcp-server",
      "transport": "sse",
      "env": {
        "EXCEL_FILES_PATH": "/path/to/excel/files"
      }
    }
  }
}