Excel File Manipulation MCP Server

Developer ToolsPython

Manipulate Excel files without requiring Microsoft Excel installation

Available Tools

create_workbook

Creates a new Excel workbook with specified sheets

read_data_from_excel

Reads data from a specified range in an Excel worksheet

write_data_to_excel

Writes data to a specified range in an Excel worksheet

batch_read_data_from_excel

Reads data from multiple ranges in an Excel worksheet

batch_write_data_to_excel

Writes data to multiple ranges in an Excel worksheet

list_worksheets

Lists all worksheets in an Excel workbook

add_worksheet

Adds a new worksheet to an Excel workbook

delete_worksheet

Deletes a worksheet from an Excel workbook

rename_worksheet

Renames a worksheet in an Excel workbook

format_cells

Applies formatting to cells in an Excel worksheet

create_chart

Creates a chart in an Excel worksheet

create_pivot_table

Creates a pivot table in an Excel worksheet

list_excel_files

Lists all Excel files in the specified directory

Excel File Manipulation is a powerful tool that enables AI agents to create, read, and modify Excel workbooks programmatically. It provides comprehensive functionality for data manipulation, formatting, visualization, and analysis within Excel files, all without requiring Microsoft Excel to be installed. With support for both stdio and SSE transport protocols, this tool can be integrated into desktop applications for local file manipulation or web-based services for remote file handling. It offers a complete suite of Excel operations including worksheet management, data reading/writing, formatting, chart creation, and pivot table generation.

Overview

Excel File Manipulation allows AI agents to work with Excel files programmatically, providing a comprehensive set of tools for creating, reading, and modifying Excel workbooks without requiring Microsoft Excel to be installed.

Installation

Prerequisites

Python 3.10 or higher

Installation Options

Option 1: Install from PyPI

pip install excel-mcp-server

Option 2: Install from Source

git clone https://github.com/haris-musa/excel-mcp-server.git
cd excel-mcp-server
uv pip install -e .

Running the Server

The Excel MCP server supports two transport modes to fit different use cases:

Stdio Transport (Default)

Ideal for direct integration with desktop tools that manipulate local files:

excel-mcp-server stdio

SSE Transport

Perfect for web-based applications and remote connections:

excel-mcp sse

You can customize the host and port:

excel-mcp sse --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8080

Configuration

Environment Variables (for SSE transport)

FASTMCP_PORT: Server port (default: 8000)
EXCEL_FILES_PATH: Directory for Excel files (default: ./excel_files)

Integration with AI Tools

Cursor IDE

Add one of these configurations to Cursor:

For stdio transport (local integration):

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

For SSE transport (web-based applications):

{
   "mcpServers": {
      "excel": {
         "url": "http://localhost:8000/sse",
         "env": {
            "EXCEL_FILES_PATH": "/path/to/excel/files"
         }
      }
   }
}

Claude Desktop

For Claude Desktop, use the stdio transport configuration.

Usage Examples

Once configured, you can ask your AI assistant to perform Excel operations like:

"Create a new Excel workbook with sales data"
"Read data from the 'Quarterly Results' sheet"
"Format cells A1:D10 with currency formatting"
"Create a bar chart of monthly sales figures"
"Generate a pivot table summarizing regional performance"

The AI will use the appropriate tools to execute these operations on Excel files.