Excel MCP Server – An Excel Processing Tool Based on MCP

What is Excel MCP Server?

Excel MCP Server is a server-side tool based on the Model Context Protocol (MCP) that allows AI Agents to operate Excel files without requiring Microsoft Excel to be installed. It supports creating, reading, and modifying Excel workbooks with capabilities including data input/output, formatting, formula evaluation, chart generation, and pivot table creation. Excel MCP Server supports three transport modes—stdio, SSE (deprecated), and streamable HTTP—making it suitable for both local and remote deployment. It offers an efficient and flexible solution for automated Excel file manipulation, ideal for use cases involving Excel-based data automation.

Key Features of Excel MCP Server

Workbook Operations: Create, open, save, and modify Excel workbook files.
Data Read/Write: Read from and write to cells, with full support for formula evaluation.
Formatting: Set cell styles, fonts, colors, and other formatting options.
Charts and Visualization: Generate various types of charts and graphical representations.
Pivot Tables: Create and modify pivot tables for dynamic data analysis.
Worksheet Management: Add, delete, rename, and reorder sheets within a workbook.
Live Editing and Screenshots (Windows only): Support for real-time editing and screen capture on Windows systems.

Technical Architecture of Excel MCP Server

Excel MCP Server is built on a client-server architecture where the client sends requests via the MCP protocol, and the server processes and returns results. The technical stack includes:

Python 3.10+: Primary development language with robust library support.
MCP SDK 1.2.0+: Facilitates communication using the MCP protocol.
OpenPyXL 3.1.2+: Used for reading from and writing to Excel files.
FastMCP Framework: Exposes APIs and supports multiple integration methods including SSE and stdio.

Project Links

Official Website: https://excelmcpserver.com/
GitHub Repository: https://github.com/haris-musa/excel-mcp-server

Use Cases of Excel MCP Server

Enterprise Data Automation: Automate data extraction, cleaning, computation, and summarization in business workflows, reducing manual work and improving efficiency and accuracy.
Data Analysis & Reporting: Enable analysts to rapidly generate pivot tables, charts, and visual reports with support for dynamic data updates—empowering real-time decision-making.
ERP System Integration: Acts as middleware to export data from ERP systems into Excel files or import data from Excel into ERP systems, ensuring seamless data exchange and improving resource management.
Remote Collaboration & Live Editing: Allow teams to collaboratively operate on Excel files remotely. On Windows, real-time editing is supported for enhanced teamwork.
Education: Enable educators to quickly generate Excel-based materials such as exercises or datasets. Also supports automatic grading of submitted Excel assignments by checking formulas and data formats, boosting teaching efficiency.