Excel MCP Server - AI-Powered Excel Automation

Control Microsoft Excel with AI through GitHub Copilot - just ask in natural language!

Instead of clicking through Excel menus, simply ask:

Data Transformation & Analysis:

• "Optimize all my Power Queries in this workbook for better performance"
• "Create a PivotTable from SalesData table showing top 10 products by region"
• "Build a DAX measure calculating year-over-year growth with proper time intelligence"

Formatting & Styling (No Programming Required):

• "Format revenue columns as currency, make headers bold with blue background"
• "Apply conditional formatting to highlight values above $10,000 in red"
• "Convert this range to an Excel Table with filters and totals row"

Workflow Automation:

• "Find all cells containing 'Q1 2024' and replace with 'Q1 2025'"
• "Add data validation dropdowns to Status column with options: Active, Pending, Completed"

Quick Example:

You: "Create a Power Query named 'SalesData' that loads from data.csv"

Copilot uses Excel MCP Server to:
1. Create/open an Excel workbook
2. Add the Power Query with proper M code
3. Load the data to a worksheet
4. Save and return confirmation

Result: A working Excel file with the query ready to use

🛡️ 100% Safe - Uses Excel's Native API

Unlike third-party libraries that manipulate .xlsx files directly (risking file corruption), Excel MCP Server uses Excel's official COM API. This ensures:

• ✅ Zero risk of document corruption - Excel handles all file operations safely
• ✅ Interactive development - See changes in real-time as you work with live Excel files
• ✅ Comprehensive automation - Currently supports 166 operations across 11 specialized tools (active development)

👥 Who Should Use This?

Perfect for:

• ✅ Data analysts automating repetitive Excel workflows
• ✅ Developers building Excel-based data solutions
• ✅ Business users managing complex Excel workbooks
• ✅ Teams maintaining Power Query/VBA/DAX code in Git

Not suitable for:

• ❌ Linux/macOS users (Windows + Excel installation required)
• ❌ High-volume batch operations (consider Excel-free alternatives)

Quick Start

1. Install this extension (you just did!)
2. Ask Copilot in the chat panel:
   • "List all Power Query queries in workbook.xlsx"
   • "Create a DAX measure for year-over-year revenue growth"
   • "Export all VBA modules to .vba files for version control"

That's it! The extension automatically installs .NET 8 runtime and includes a bundled MCP server.

Requirements

• Windows OS - Excel COM automation requires Windows
• Microsoft Excel 2016+ - Must be installed on your system
• .NET 8 Runtime - Automatically installed by the extension

What's Included

Features

The Excel MCP Server provides 11 specialized tools for comprehensive Excel automation:

Troubleshooting

"Excel is not installed" error:

• Ensure Microsoft Excel 2016+ is installed on your Windows machine
• Try opening Excel manually to verify it works

"VBA access denied" error:

• VBA operations require one-time manual setup in Excel
• Go to: File → Options → Trust Center → Trust Center Settings → Macro Settings
• Check "Trust access to the VBA project object model"

Copilot doesn't see Excel tools:

• Restart VS Code after installing the extension

• Troubleshooting

• Check Output panel → "Excel MCP Server" for connection status

Documentation & Support

• Complete Documentation - Full guides and examples
• Report Issues - Bug reports and feature requests

License

MIT License - see LICENSE

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