productivityanalytics-data

Excel

negokaz

by negokaz

Unlock powerful Excel automation: read/write Excel files, create sheets, and automate workflows with seamless integratio

Unlock powerful Excel automation with this MCP server that reads and writes Excel files effortlessly. It supports text, formulas, sheet creation, and works with XLSX, XLSM, XLTX, and XLTM formats. Windows users benefit from live editing and screen capture features. The server offers tools to describe sheets, read cell ranges with pagination, write values or formulas, create tables, and copy sheets. Configurable paging limits help manage large data efficiently. Designed for seamless Excel data manipulation, it enhances workflow automation and integration with other systems through the Model Context Protocol.

github stars

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Both formats append explainx.ai attribution and the canonical URL for this MCP server listing.

Supports 4 Excel formatsPagination for large datasetsWindows live editing support

best for

  • / Data analysts processing large spreadsheets
  • / Business automation workflows
  • / Report generation from Excel templates
  • / Excel data integration with other systems

capabilities

  • / Read cell ranges with pagination
  • / Write values and formulas to cells
  • / Create new sheets and tables
  • / Copy sheets between workbooks
  • / Format cell ranges with styling
  • / List sheet information from workbooks

what it does

Reads and writes Excel files directly, supporting text, formulas, and sheet manipulation across XLSX, XLSM, XLTX, and XLTM formats. Windows users get additional live editing capabilities.

about

Excel is a community-built MCP server published by negokaz that provides AI assistants with tools and capabilities via the Model Context Protocol. Unlock powerful Excel automation: read/write Excel files, create sheets, and automate workflows with seamless integratio It is categorized under productivity, analytics data. This server exposes 6 tools that AI clients can invoke during conversations and coding sessions.

how to install

You can install Excel in your AI client of choice. Use the install panel on this page to get one-click setup for Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible clients. This server runs locally on your machine via the stdio transport.

license

MIT

Excel is released under the MIT license. This is a permissive open-source license, meaning you can freely use, modify, and distribute the software.

readme

Excel MCP Server

<img src="https://github.com/negokaz/excel-mcp-server/blob/main/docs/img/icon-800.png?raw=true" width="128"> <a href="https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/@negokaz/excel-mcp-server"> <img width="380" height="200" src="https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/@negokaz/excel-mcp-server/badge" alt="Excel Server MCP server" /> </a>

NPM Version smithery badge

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that reads and writes MS Excel data.

Features

  • Read/Write text values
  • Read/Write formulas
  • Create new sheets

🪟Windows only:

  • Live editing
  • Capture screen image from a sheet

For more details, see the tools section.

Requirements

  • Node.js 20.x or later

Supported file formats

  • xlsx (Excel book)
  • xlsm (Excel macro-enabled book)
  • xltx (Excel template)
  • xltm (Excel macro-enabled template)

Installation

Installing via NPM

excel-mcp-server is automatically installed by adding the following configuration to the MCP servers configuration.

For Windows:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "excel": {
            "command": "cmd",
            "args": ["/c", "npx", "--yes", "@negokaz/excel-mcp-server"],
            "env": {
                "EXCEL_MCP_PAGING_CELLS_LIMIT": "4000"
            }
        }
    }
}

For other platforms:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "excel": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": ["--yes", "@negokaz/excel-mcp-server"],
            "env": {
                "EXCEL_MCP_PAGING_CELLS_LIMIT": "4000"
            }
        }
    }
}

Installing via Smithery

To install Excel MCP Server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @negokaz/excel-mcp-server --client claude
<h2 id="tools">Tools</h2>

excel_describe_sheets

List all sheet information of specified Excel file.

Arguments:

  • fileAbsolutePath
    • Absolute path to the Excel file

excel_read_sheet

Read values from Excel sheet with pagination.

Arguments:

  • fileAbsolutePath
    • Absolute path to the Excel file
  • sheetName
    • Sheet name in the Excel file
  • range
    • Range of cells to read in the Excel sheet (e.g., "A1:C10"). [default: first paging range]
  • showFormula
    • Show formula instead of value [default: false]
  • showStyle
    • Show style information for cells [default: false]

excel_screen_capture

[Windows only] Take a screenshot of the Excel sheet with pagination.

Arguments:

  • fileAbsolutePath
    • Absolute path to the Excel file
  • sheetName
    • Sheet name in the Excel file
  • range
    • Range of cells to read in the Excel sheet (e.g., "A1:C10"). [default: first paging range]

excel_write_to_sheet

Write values to the Excel sheet.

Arguments:

  • fileAbsolutePath
    • Absolute path to the Excel file
  • sheetName
    • Sheet name in the Excel file
  • newSheet
    • Create a new sheet if true, otherwise write to the existing sheet
  • range
    • Range of cells to read in the Excel sheet (e.g., "A1:C10").
  • values
    • Values to write to the Excel sheet. If the value is a formula, it should start with "="

excel_create_table

Create a table in the Excel sheet

Arguments:

  • fileAbsolutePath
    • Absolute path to the Excel file
  • sheetName
    • Sheet name where the table is created
  • range
    • Range to be a table (e.g., "A1:C10")
  • tableName
    • Table name to be created

excel_copy_sheet

Copy existing sheet to a new sheet

Arguments:

  • fileAbsolutePath
    • Absolute path to the Excel file
  • srcSheetName
    • Source sheet name in the Excel file
  • dstSheetName
    • Sheet name to be copied

excel_format_range

Format cells in the Excel sheet with style information

Arguments:

  • fileAbsolutePath
    • Absolute path to the Excel file
  • sheetName
    • Sheet name in the Excel file
  • range
    • Range of cells in the Excel sheet (e.g., "A1:C3")
  • styles
    • 2D array of style objects for each cell. If a cell does not change style, use null. The number of items of the array must match the range size.
    • Style object properties:
      • border: Array of border styles (type, color, style)
      • font: Font styling (bold, italic, underline, size, strike, color, vertAlign)
      • fill: Fill/background styling (type, pattern, color, shading)
      • numFmt: Custom number format string
      • decimalPlaces: Number of decimal places (0-30)
<h2 id="configuration">Configuration</h2>

You can change the MCP Server behaviors by the following environment variables:

EXCEL_MCP_PAGING_CELLS_LIMIT

The maximum number of cells to read in a single paging operation.
[default: 4000]

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Kazuki Negoro

excel-mcp-server is released under the MIT License

FAQ

What is the Excel MCP server?
Excel is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server profile on explainx.ai. MCP lets AI hosts (e.g. Claude Desktop, Cursor) call tools and resources through a standard interface; this page summarizes categories, install hints, and community ratings.
How do MCP servers relate to agent skills?
Skills are reusable instruction packages (often SKILL.md); MCP servers expose live capabilities. Teams frequently combine both—skills for workflows, MCP for APIs and data. See explainx.ai/skills and explainx.ai/mcp-servers for parallel directories.
How are reviews shown for Excel?
This profile displays 61 aggregated ratings (sample rows for discoverability plus signed-in user reviews). Average score is about 4.6 out of 5—verify behavior in your own environment before production use.

Use Cases

Extended AI Capabilities

Add new capabilities to Claude beyond text generation

Example

Access external data sources, execute code, interact with tools and services

Transform Claude from chatbot to action-taking agent

Context Enhancement

Provide Claude with access to relevant context and data

Example

Load project documentation, access knowledge bases, query databases

Get more accurate, context-aware responses

Workflow Automation

Automate multi-step workflows combining AI and external tools

Example

Research → Summarize → Create document → Send notification

Complete complex tasks end-to-end without manual steps

Implementation Guide

Prerequisites

  • Claude Desktop 0.7.0+ or Cursor IDE with MCP support
  • Basic understanding of MCP architecture and capabilities
  • Access credentials for integrated services (if required)
  • Willingness to experiment and iterate on configuration

Time Estimate

15-60 minutes depending on server complexity

Installation Steps

  1. 1.Install MCP server: npm install -g [package-name] or via GitHub
  2. 2.Add server configuration to ~/.claude/mcp.json
  3. 3.Provide required credentials and configuration
  4. 4.Restart Claude Desktop to load new server
  5. 5.Test basic functionality with simple prompts
  6. 6.Explore capabilities and experiment with use cases
  7. 7.Document successful patterns for reuse

Troubleshooting

  • MCP server not loading: Check config syntax, verify installation
  • Connection errors: Check network, firewall, credentials
  • Feature not working: Read server docs, check required parameters
  • Performance issues: Monitor resource usage, check for network latency
  • Conflicts with other servers: Check port assignments, namespace collisions

Best Practices

✓ Do

  • +Read server documentation thoroughly before setup
  • +Start with simple use cases to validate functionality
  • +Test in non-production environment first
  • +Monitor resource usage and performance
  • +Keep servers updated for bug fixes and new features
  • +Document configuration for team members
  • +Use environment variables for sensitive configuration

✗ Don't

  • Don't grant overly permissive access to MCP servers
  • Don't skip reading security considerations in docs
  • Don't expose sensitive data without proper controls
  • Don't run untrusted MCP servers without code review
  • Don't ignore error messages—investigate root cause

💡 Pro Tips

  • Combine multiple MCP servers for powerful workflows
  • Create custom MCP servers for your specific needs
  • Share successful configurations with team
  • Use MCP inspector for debugging
  • Join MCP community for tips and troubleshooting

Technical Details

Architecture

Model Context Protocol standardizes how AI hosts (Claude, Cursor) communicate with external tools and data sources through server implementations.

Protocols

  • Model Context Protocol (MCP)
  • JSON-RPC 2.0
  • stdio or HTTP transport

Compatibility

  • Claude Desktop
  • Cursor IDE
  • Custom MCP clients

When to Use This

✓ Use When

Use when you need Claude to access external data, execute actions, or integrate with tools. Best for extending AI capabilities beyond conversation.

✗ Avoid When

Avoid when native integrations exist (use official APIs directly), for real-time critical systems, or when security/compliance requires zero external dependencies.

Integration

  • Tool composition: Chain multiple MCP tools in workflows
  • Context augmentation: Provide AI with relevant external data
  • Action delegation: Let AI execute tasks on external systems
  • Bidirectional sync: Keep AI context and external systems in sync

Discussion

Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)
  • No comments yet — start the thread.

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Ratings

4.661 reviews
  • Advait Sethi· Dec 28, 2024

    Excel is among the better-indexed MCP projects we tried; the explainx.ai summary tracks the official description.

  • Kwame Gill· Dec 24, 2024

    Useful MCP listing: Excel is the kind of server we cite when onboarding engineers to host + tool permissions.

  • Noor Reddy· Dec 20, 2024

    Strong directory entry: Excel surfaces stars and publisher context so we could sanity-check maintenance before adopting.

  • Sophia Haddad· Dec 20, 2024

    We wired Excel into a staging workspace; the listing’s GitHub and npm pointers saved time versus hunting across READMEs.

  • Mei Dixit· Dec 16, 2024

    I recommend Excel for teams standardizing on MCP; the explainx.ai page compares cleanly with sibling servers.

  • Shikha Mishra· Dec 4, 2024

    Excel is a well-scoped MCP server in the explainx.ai directory — install snippets and categories matched our Claude Code setup.

  • Advait Park· Dec 4, 2024

    Excel is a well-scoped MCP server in the explainx.ai directory — install snippets and categories matched our Claude Code setup.

  • Advait Choi· Nov 19, 2024

    According to our notes, Excel benefits from clear Model Context Protocol framing — fewer ambiguous “AI plugin” claims.

  • Noor Martin· Nov 15, 2024

    Strong directory entry: Excel surfaces stars and publisher context so we could sanity-check maintenance before adopting.

  • Diego Gonzalez· Nov 11, 2024

    Useful MCP listing: Excel is the kind of server we cite when onboarding engineers to host + tool permissions.

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