Excel MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol server that lets AI assistants create, read and edit Excel workbooks. It needs no Microsoft Excel installation. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.

People who work with excel, toolcalling and sse and want it reachable from Claude, Cursor, VS Code, or another MCP client. The project is written in Python.

VERIFIED ACTIVE

LAST COMMIT 2026-09-28 · ★ 4,205 · #3 OF 241 MAINTAINED AUTOMATION · VERIFIED 2026-09-30

MIT · Python servers · how we verify → /methodology

01 · Install Excel MCP Server

before you install - you'll need

Set EXCEL_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN before connecting.

Claude Code

claude mcp add haris-musa-excel-mcp-server -- uvx excel-mcp-server

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "haris-musa-excel-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "excel-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions

license MIT - declared in the repository

pypi package excel-mcp-server - check the name against the project README before installing (PyPI has no namespace ownership)

registry namespace io.github.haris-musa is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Excel MCP Server can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

Limitations (from the README)

- Formulas are stored, not calculated. read_range in values mode returns the results Excel last saved, so formulas written by this server read as empty until the file is opened and saved in Excel or LibreOffice. - Legacy .xls and .csv files are not supported. - create_summary_table writes a static summary; openpyxl cannot create real PivotTables. - Inserting or deleting rows and columns does not update formulas, char

Latest releases

v1.1.1 · 2026-09-28

Fixed · read_vba hides procedure attributes such as Attribute Macro1.VB_ProcData..., as the · VBA editor does. · Changed · The README setup instructions cover current clients: Claude Desktop, Claude Code, · Cursor, VS…

v1.1.0 · 2026-09-28

Added · read_vba shows the VBA macro code in .xlsm and .xltm workbooks, module by module, · with each module's kind (standard, class, document or form). The code is only read, · never run. describe_workbook reports…

v1.0.0 · 2026-09-28

A rewrite on the MCP Python SDK 2 and the MCP specification 2026-07-28, with a redesigned · tool set, a security hardening pass and a test suite. · Security · Formulas are checked on every write path, including…

04 · Who maintains Excel MCP Server

Excel MCP Server is maintained by haris-musa. It's the only MCP server we track from this author; the repo dates to Feb 2025.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/haris-musa/excel-mcp-server
category: automation - ranked #3 of 241 actively-maintained automation servers as of 2026-09-30.
release cadence: 3 releases in the last 90 days (latest 2026-09-28)
registry: io.github.haris-musa/excel-mcp-server (active, first published 2026-09-28 · 3 versions)
packages: pypi:excel-mcp-server

06 · Excel MCP Server FAQ

What is Excel MCP Server?

A Model Context Protocol server that lets AI assistants create, read and edit Excel workbooks. It needs no Microsoft Excel installation. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.

Is Excel MCP Server still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-09-30, its last commit was 2026-09-28 and it shipped 3 releases in the last 90 days. We re-verify nightly.

How do I install Excel MCP Server?

Run `uvx excel-mcp-server`. The README documents one environment variable (EXCEL_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN) to set first. Set EXCEL_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN before connecting. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does Excel MCP Server run locally?

Yes - it's a stdio server: it runs on your machine (via uvx) with your user's permissions. Your data stays local unless the server itself calls external APIs.

07 · Alternatives to Excel MCP Server

Alternatives to Excel MCP Server

Maintained automation servers if Excel MCP Server isn't the fit.

head to head · Excel MCP Server vs Claude Flow · Excel MCP Server vs Ha MCP · Windows MCP vs Excel MCP Server

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