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Excel MCP Server (local workbooks)

Haris Musa (community project; not a Microsoft product)

stdio by default; optional Streamable HTTP.6+ documented tools0

About Excel MCP Server (local workbooks)

A local MCP server for reading, creating, and editing Excel workbooks on disk, including cells, worksheets, formulas, charts, tables, and PivotTables.

What you can use it for

  • Read local spreadsheet ranges and workbook structure
  • Create or edit workbooks, charts, formulas, formatting, and PivotTables
  • Run spreadsheet workflows without Microsoft Excel installed
Connection and setup
Hosting
Self-hosted local process; optional localhost Streamable HTTP server.
Transport
stdio by default; optional Streamable HTTP.
Endpoint
Local process; no hosted endpoint documented
Authentication
No auth is required for local stdio. HTTP can require a configured bearer token when exposed beyond localhost.

Requirements

  • uv/uvx for the documented launcher.
  • A local folder of Excel workbooks; use --allow-dir to constrain access. Microsoft Excel itself is not required.

Setup steps

  1. Install uv using its official installer, then configure the client with command `uvx` and args `excel-mcp-server`, `stdio`, `--allow-dir`, followed by the absolute workbook directory to expose.
  2. For Codex CLI, the documented command is `codex mcp add excel -- uvx excel-mcp-server stdio --allow-dir <absolute-workbook-directory>`; set the folder deliberately and do not use a broad root unless needed.
  3. Restart/reconnect Codex and inspect its tools. The repo's Tools reference documents current names and parameters; enabling `--read-only` limits the server to non-mutating workbook operations.
  4. For network access, use Streamable HTTP and configure an auth token before binding beyond localhost; the README warns against unauthenticated non-local access.
Tools 6+

The official community README groups the current inventory by workbook, sheet, cell, formatting, object, names/notes, and optional VBA tools. Tools are version-sensitive; the names below are representative, and no live tools/list was run. This is a local-file integration, separate from the catalog's cloud Microsoft Excel integration.

  • create_workbook

    Create a local Excel workbook.

    01
  • describe_workbook

    Read workbook metadata and structure.

    02
  • read_range

    Read a worksheet cell range.

    03
  • write_range

    Write values into a worksheet range.

    04
  • create_chart

    Create a chart from workbook data.

    05
  • create_pivot_table

    Create a PivotTable from a source range.

    06

This server’s available tools can vary by account, permissions, or configuration. The list shown is not its full runtime catalog.

Limitations and notes
  • This community package works on local workbook files; it is not the official Microsoft 365/Excel cloud MCP.
  • Use --allow-dir to restrict file access and consider --read-only for read-only work.
  • VBA write tools are opt-in and can create code that executes with the user's rights when macros are enabled; the server does not run macros itself.
  • Legacy .xls and .csv files are not supported according to the README.
  • Documentation and logo were reviewed; local MCP initialization, tools/list, and workbook operations were not tested.
Original sources

Documentation checked 2026-10-28T00:00:00Z. Connection has not been runtime tested.

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