get_excel_infoLABSCO SUMMARY
Two modes, because the file you need to change is not always closed.
Path mode edits .xlsx directly and leaves charts and images intact; workbook mode reaches into the copy you have open in Excel, VBA included — so the assistant works on the spreadsheet as it actually exists.
What it is
A spreadsheet server with two modes. Path mode edits closed .xlsx files in pure Python and preserves images, charts and embedded content; workbook mode drives an Excel instance you already have open, through xlwings.
What you get
- Cell ranges read back, with or without their formatting
- Values and formulas written to a range, in either mode
- Formatting applied to a range — bold, background colour, font colour and the rest
- VBA executed against an open workbook, for the operations only Excel itself can do
- The state of what is open reported back, so the workbook being edited is the one you meant
Requirements
Node.js 18+ and Python 3.8+. xlwings is needed only for live workbook mode, and Microsoft Excel itself only for workbook mode and VBA. Windows and macOS for both modes; path mode also runs on Linux.
Setup effort
Build from source — git clone https://github.com/kousunh/excel-mcp-server.git
USE CASES
01
Filling in a report you already have open
Write the values or the formula straight into the open workbook and watch Excel update, without saving and reloading.
02
Editing a spreadsheet without opening Excel
Path mode reads and writes a closed .xlsx and leaves its images and charts alone — usable on a machine with no Excel installed.
03
Making a table readable before you send it
Header row bolded, background and font colour set, in one call against the range.
04
Pulling numbers out of a workbook to reason about
Read the range with its formatting, so the assistant sees which cells were marked as significant and not just their values.
05
Running an Excel operation that has no API
Autofilter, a pivot refresh, anything that exists only inside Excel — passed as VBA against the open workbook.
5 tools
Listed in project docs. Your client may show a different list.
read_cellswrite_cellsformat_cellsexecute_vbaBEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
5 tools named in the project's documentation.
Requires
- Node.js 18+
- Python 3.8+
Where it runs
The documented client runs the server on your machine.
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Server setup
TERMINAL
git clone https://github.com/kousunh/excel-mcp-server.git
cd excel-mcp-server
npm install
pip install -r scripts/requirements.txtMCP Clients
Any MCP client
ANY MCP CLIENT · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"excel-mcp": {
"command": "node",
"args": [
"<YOUR_PATH_TO_EXCEL_MCP_SERVER>/src/index.js"
]
}
}
}<YOUR_PATH_TO_EXCEL_MCP_SERVER> is the full path of your clone. To use a specific Python, add "env": {"EXCEL_MCP_PYTHON": "/path/to/python"} to the block.
