Best for
- AI agent workflows that automate Excel file handling
- Local or remote services that should not depend on Microsoft Excel installation
- Users who need Excel data and formatting operations through MCP
E
excel-mcp-server
Community
An MCP server for manipulating Excel files without Microsoft Excel
GitHub source repository ↗
41FMRS · D
The project provides an MCP service for Excel file manipulation with local and remote deployment options and three transports. The cached source does not include a server manifest or TOOLS.md, so specific tool identifiers and client compatibility levels cannot be verified.
excel-mcp-server is a Model Context Protocol server for creating, reading, and modifying Excel workbooks and worksheets without Microsoft Excel installed. It supports formulas, formatting, charts, pivot tables, Excel tables, data validation, and worksheet management over stdio, SSE, or streamable HTTP.
Tools
The tool list has not been reviewed yet.
Setup
For local stdio use, run uvx excel-mcp-server stdio and use the provided MCP client configuration. For SSE, run uvx excel-mcp-server sse and connect to http://localhost:8000/sse; this transport is deprecated. For remote connections, the README recommends uvx excel-mcp-server streamable-http with the endpoint http://localhost:8000/mcp. SSE and streamable HTTP require the server-side EXCEL_FILES_PATH environment variable. Set FASTMCP_PORT to change the listening port; the default is 8017.
claude_desktop_config.json
{"mcpServers":{"excel":{"command":"uvx","args":["excel-mcp-server","stdio"]}}}
Fit and risk
Not for
- Workflows requiring the Microsoft Excel desktop application itself
- Use cases requiring a verified complete tool inventory when TOOLS.md is not provided
- Deployments where SSE is intended as the preferred transport
Required permissions
- In stdio mode, the client supplies the Excel file path for each tool call
- In SSE and streamable HTTP modes, the server must define the Excel file root through `EXCEL_FILES_PATH`
- In SSE and streamable HTTP modes, file paths must be relative to that root directory
Risks and side effects
- The server can create, read, and modify workbooks, so incorrect operations may change file contents
- SSE is marked as deprecated in the project documentation
- Remote file access is constrained by the `EXCEL_FILES_PATH` root and relative-path rules
Troubleshooting
- Verify that the server-side `EXCEL_FILES_PATH` is set for SSE or streamable HTTP
- Ensure remote `filepath` values are relative and do not use absolute paths or directory traversal
- Verify that the endpoint matches the transport: `/sse` for SSE and `/mcp` for streamable HTTP
- Check `FASTMCP_PORT` when using a non-default port; the default is 8017
- For stdio, verify that each tool call supplies the correct file path
Use cases
Creating, reading, and updating Excel workbooks and worksheets
Applying formulas, formatting, charts, pivot tables, and Excel tables
Using an AI agent to automate Excel data operations
Supported clients
Supported clients have not been confirmed yet.