ExcelMcp - Real Excel Automation for VS Code
Automate real Microsoft Excel with GitHub Copilot.
Refresh Power Query, calculate formulas, build PivotTables and charts, work with
DAX measures, or run VBA directly from Copilot Chat.
Requires Windows, desktop Excel 2016 or later, PowerShell 7.4 or later,
VS Code 1.125 or later, and
GitHub Copilot chat with tool support.
The server and Excel guidance are included: no separate .NET, Node.js, CLI,
or skill installation is needed.
Excel does the work. Calculations, Power Query refreshes, and Data Model
operations run in the actual Excel application. Excel opens and saves your
workbook itself, rather than a file-parser library rewriting it. Requested
edits can still change the workbook's data, formatting, or features.
See It in Action
A sales table, regional summary, and chart created in Excel. Ask Copilot:
"Show me Excel while you work" to watch changes live.
Watch the intro video (2 min)
Quick Start
- Install the extension on your Windows desktop with Excel installed.
- Open Copilot Chat with tool support.
- Give Copilot a local workbook path or ask it to create a workbook. With
VS Code's default settings, the bundled excel-mcp server starts
automatically when your request needs Excel tools. Approve server or tool
use if prompted. Try:
"Create a new workbook on my Desktop with sample sales data and a column
chart. Save it as SalesDemo.xlsx and show me Excel while you work."
Close a workbook in Excel before asking Copilot to open it: ExcelMcp needs
exclusive access while automating it.
What You Can Ask Copilot
| Ask Copilot |
Result |
| "Refresh every Power Query query in my sales workbook, then save it." |
An updated workbook with fresh query results. Refresh guide |
| "Create a PivotTable showing revenue by region, add a column chart, and save the workbook." |
A summary and chart built in Excel. PivotTable guide |
| "Export the Power Query M code and VBA modules from my workbook to source files." |
Query and macro source files you can review and keep in version control. Power Query reference |
Key Features
Excel MCP Server (excel-mcp) provides 64 MCP tools across 33 feature areas, with 437 operations:
- Power Query & M code - Import data, create and edit queries, refresh results, and choose load destinations.
- Power Pivot & DAX - Build Data Models, create measures, and manage relationships.
- PivotTables, charts & slicers - Build and format reports from tables, ranges, or the Data Model.
- Data & workbooks - Read and write data, formulas, and formatting; filter and sort tables; manage worksheets, named ranges, and connections.
- VBA macros - Inspect, import, update, run, and export VBA modules.
- Python in Excel - Write and run
=PY() formulas using Excel's cloud Python engine.
- Watch Copilot work - See Excel side by side with live status feedback.
See all 64 MCP tools and 437 operations.
Tool workflows are tested with real AI assistants using
pytest-skill-engineering.
Copilot discovers supported operations from the MCP tool descriptions and input
schemas. No agent skills are bundled. Optional
report-formatting advice
is available as documentation.
Requirements
- Windows x64 or Windows ARM64 with an interactive desktop.
- Microsoft Excel 2016 or later, installed and able to open normally.
Some features, such as Python in Excel, require a supported Excel edition.
- VS Code 1.125 or later and GitHub Copilot chat with tool support.
- PowerShell 7.4 or later, with
pwsh available on PATH.
Install it with winget install --id Microsoft.PowerShell --source winget,
then restart VS Code. Windows PowerShell 5.1 is not supported.
This extension is not for macOS, Linux, browser-only VS Code, Windows services,
or unattended server-side processing. It bundles the MCP server, not excelcli.
Troubleshooting
| Problem |
What to Do |
| "Excel is not installed" |
Install desktop Excel 2016 or later and check that it opens normally. |
| "VBA access denied" |
In Excel, open File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Macro Settings and enable Trust access to the VBA project object model. This one-time setup is required for VBA operations. |
| Copilot cannot see Excel tools |
Run MCP: List Servers, choose excel-mcp, and start it. Enable Excel tools in chat and accept the server trust prompt. After an update, refresh tools when prompted. |
| "Bundled server is missing or unreadable" |
Check security software and file permissions, or reinstall the extension. |
| "Install PowerShell 7.4 or later" |
Install PowerShell 7.4 or later, check that pwsh runs from a terminal, then restart VS Code. |
| "Could not check Excel registration" or a registration timeout |
Check that pwsh and desktop Excel open normally. Retry; repair Microsoft Office if the installation is damaged. |
- Server logs: run MCP: List Servers, choose excel-mcp, then
Show Output.
- Extension setup diagnostics: open the Output panel and choose
ExcelMcp, or select Show Setup Output in a setup error notification.
Startup checks read Excel's registration; they do not start Excel, open a
workbook, or verify that every Excel feature is available.
Privacy
Excel runs on your Windows desktop. Requested workbook results are returned to
your AI assistant, whose privacy policy applies. Release builds can send
pseudonymous usage statistics using a stored random ID shared by the CLI and
MCP Server. A one-time migration event can link it to the previous name-derived
hash. Those statistics exclude workbook contents, file names, and paths.
Optional remote M/DAX formatting and Python in Excel
use external services only when you request those features.
Read the privacy policy.
Guides & Support
All user guides (also opened by
Getting Started) |
Complete documentation |
Report an issue
MIT License - see LICENSE.
