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sbroenne/mcp-server-excel

An MCP server and CLI that let AI agents automate the real Microsoft Excel application on Windows via its COM API.

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What is it?

ExcelMcp lets AI agents such as GitHub Copilot, Claude, and ChatGPT control Microsoft Excel through natural-language requests, using either an MCP server or a command-line interface. Unlike tools that parse .xlsx files, it drives the actual Excel application through its official COM API, so operations like refreshing Power Query, recalculating formulas, evaluating DAX, running VBA, and editing PivotTables and charts happen inside Excel itself.

Because Excel performs the work, existing features such as the Data Model, macros, charts, and workbook formatting are preserved, and the user can watch changes live and keep editing the workbook. The project requires Windows, Excel 2016 or later, and an interactive desktop, so it is not intended for Linux, macOS, or server-side batch jobs.

The MCP server runs the service in-process with persistent sessions, while the CLI uses a background daemon so workbook sessions persist across commands. Both expose the same core commands and are described as using fewer AI tokens in the CLI case.

Key features

  • 01Refreshes Power Query and loads data into the Data Model.
  • 02Evaluates DAX and manages Power Pivot and PivotTables.
  • 03Runs VBA macros and Python in Excel formulas.
  • 04Creates and edits charts, slicers, and conditional formatting.
  • 05Offers both an MCP server for MCP clients and a CLI for terminal-running agents.

Use cases

  • Having an AI assistant import CSV data with Power Query and build a summary PivotTable.
  • Running Goal Seek or scenario analysis on a financial workbook from a chat prompt.
  • Letting coding agents script repeatable Excel edits from the command line.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Confirm you are on Windows with Microsoft Excel 2016 or later installed

  2. 2

    Install the VS Code extension from the Marketplace

  3. 3

    Or install the GitHub Copilot CLI plugin for Excel MCP

    copilot plugin install excel-mcp@awesome-copilot
  4. 4

    Close any open Excel workbooks before starting the server

Things to know

  • Requires Windows and Microsoft Excel 2016 or later; not supported on Linux or macOS.
  • Needs an interactive desktop and is not intended for server-side batch processing.
  • ExcelMcp requires exclusive access to workbooks, so open Excel files must be closed while it runs.

Topics

#excel#mcp#model-context-protocol#ai-agents#com-automation#power-query#vba#windows#ai-automation#claude-ai

FAQ

What is mcp-server-excel?
An MCP server and CLI that let AI agents automate the real Microsoft Excel application on Windows via its COM API. ExcelMcp lets AI agents such as GitHub Copilot, Claude, and ChatGPT control Microsoft Excel through natural-language requests, using either an MCP server or a command-line interface. Unlike tools that parse .xlsx files, it drives the actual Excel application through its official COM API, so operations like refreshing Power Query, recalculating formulas, evaluating DAX, running VBA, and editing PivotTables and charts happen inside Excel itself.
Is mcp-server-excel free to use? What license does it have?
mcp-server-excel is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is mcp-server-excel still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to mcp-server-excel was on Oct 19, 2026.
What can I use mcp-server-excel for?
Having an AI assistant import CSV data with Power Query and build a summary PivotTable. Running Goal Seek or scenario analysis on a financial workbook from a chat prompt. Letting coding agents script repeatable Excel edits from the command line.
How do I install mcp-server-excel?
Confirm you are on Windows with Microsoft Excel 2016 or later installed Install the VS Code extension from the Marketplace Or install the GitHub Copilot CLI plugin for Excel MCP: copilot plugin install excel-mcp@awesome-copilot Close any open Excel workbooks before starting the server
Where can I get mcp-server-excel?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/sbroenne/mcp-server-excel

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