Cells & Workbook Features¶
Work directly with cells, formulas, formatting, worksheets, and workbook settings. These tools handle the core editing and lifecycle operations used in most Excel automation workflows.
📁 File Operations (6 operations)¶
Open, create, and close Excel workbooks. Every other tool works on a session opened here.
Operations: - List Sessions: View all active Excel sessions - Open: Open workbook and create session (returns session ID for all subsequent operations). IRM/AIP-protected files are automatically detected and opened read-only with Excel visible for credential authentication — no extra parameters needed. - Close: Close session with optional save - Close Workbook: Close workbook without closing Excel - Create Empty: Create new .xlsx or .xlsm workbook - Test: Verify workbook can be opened and is accessible. Returns isIrmProtected flag for IRM/AIP-protected files.
🧮 Calculation Mode (3 operations)¶
Control when and how Excel recalculates formulas — useful for speeding up bulk edits.
Operations: - Get Mode: Query current calculation mode and calculation state - Set Mode: Switch between automatic, manual, and semi-automatic modes - Calculate: Explicitly recalculate workbook, sheet, or range
📋 Ranges (51 operations)¶
Read and write cell values, formulas, and formatting across any range of cells.
Formatting split: use range for number display formats such as dates, currency, percentages, and text display. Use range_format for visual styling, validation, auto-fit, and size/layout changes.
Data Operations: - Get/Set Values: Read or write cell values - Get/Set/Validate Formulas: Read, write, or validate formula syntax across ranges - Clear All/Contents/Formats: Clear a range's contents, formats, or both - Copy / Copy Values / Copy Formulas: Copy a range, or just its values/formulas - Insert/Delete Cells: Shift cells to insert or remove space - Insert/Delete Rows: Insert or delete entire rows - Insert/Delete Columns: Insert or delete entire columns - Find: Search a range for matching values - Replace: Find and replace values in a range - Sort: Sort a range by one or more columns
Discovery & Utilities: - Get Used Range: Get the worksheet's used range - Get Current Region: Get the contiguous data region around a cell - Get Range Info: Get a range's address and dimensions
Hyperlinks: - Add Hyperlink: Add a hyperlink to a cell - Update Hyperlink: Change an external/internal target, display text, or tooltip - Remove Hyperlink: Remove a hyperlink - List Hyperlinks: List all hyperlinks in a range - Get Hyperlink: Get a specific hyperlink's target
Threaded Comments: - Add Threaded Comment: Add a top-level modern comment to one cell - List Threaded Comments: Read a cell's comment and replies - Add Threaded Comment Reply: Reply to an existing cell comment - Delete Threaded Comment: Delete a comment thread and its replies
Number Formatting (range): - Get Number Formats: Read number formats as a 2D array - Set Number Format: Apply one number format uniformly - Set Number Formats: Apply individual per-cell number formats
Visual Formatting (range_format): - Get Style: Read the applied cell style - Set Style: Apply a built-in Excel style - Format Range: Set font, color, borders, alignment, orientation - Format Ranges: Apply one shared formatting payload to multiple ranges
Data Validation (range_format): - Add Validation: Add dropdown, number/date/text validation rules - Get Validation: Read current validation info - Remove Validation: Remove validation rules
Merge Operations (range_format): - Merge Cells: Merge a range into one cell - Unmerge Cells: Undo a merge - Get Merge Info: Read current merge state
Cell Protection: - Set Lock Status: Lock/unlock cells (effective once the sheet is protected) - Get Lock Status: Read current cell lock status
Sizing & Auto-Fitting (range_format): - Auto-Fit Columns / Rows: Resize columns or rows to fit content - Set Column Width / Row Height: Set explicit column widths or row heights
📄 Worksheets (33 operations)¶
Add, rename, move, and manage worksheets — including tab colors, visibility, protection, legacy cell notes, inline images, shapes, and page setup.
Lifecycle: - List: List worksheets in the workbook - Create: Add a new worksheet - Rename: Rename a worksheet - Copy: Copy a worksheet within the workbook - Move: Move a worksheet within the workbook - Delete: Remove a worksheet
Cross-Workbook Operations: - Copy to File: Copy a worksheet to another workbook (atomic) - Move to File: Move a worksheet to another workbook (atomic)
Tab Colors: - Set Tab Color: Set a worksheet tab's RGB color - Get Tab Color: Read the current tab color - Clear Tab Color: Reset the tab to its default color
Visibility: - Show: Make a worksheet visible - Hide: Hide a worksheet (still shown in the Unhide dialog) - Very Hide: Hide a worksheet from the Excel UI entirely - Get Visibility: Read the current visibility status - Set Visibility: Set visibility status directly
Protection: - Set Protection: Protect or unprotect a worksheet - Get Protection: Read the current protection state
Cell Notes: - Set Comment: Create or update a legacy cell note through Excel's Comment COM API - Get Comment: Read the current legacy cell note text - Clear Comment: Remove a legacy cell note
Images: - Add Image: Insert an image from disk and anchor it to a cell - Get Image Count: Read how many images are currently on a worksheet
Shapes: - Add Shape: Insert a basic rectangle shape and anchor it to a cell - Get Shape Count: Read how many shapes are currently on a worksheet
Page Setup: - Set Page Setup: Configure orientation, fit-to-page settings, and centering - Get Page Setup: Read worksheet page setup values
Outlines: - Group / Ungroup: Group complete row or column ranges and remove one grouping level - Get Outline Info: Read outline level, hidden state, summary positions, and automatic styles - Set Outline Settings: Configure summary rows/columns and automatic styles - Show Outline Levels: Expand or collapse row and column groups to requested levels - Clear Outline: Remove all row and column groups
📘 Workbook (15 operations)¶
Manage workbook metadata, protection, document properties, file variants, exports, and external links.
Operations: - Set Protection: Protect or unprotect the current workbook, optionally with a password - Get Protection: Determine whether the current workbook is protected - Set View Options: Toggle workbook window gridlines and headings on or off - Get View Options: Read back workbook window gridlines and headings state - Get Info: Read workbook name, path, format, saved/read-only state, and protection metadata - List/Get/Set/Delete Document Properties: Manage built-in and custom workbook properties - Save As: Save as .xlsx, .xlsm, .xlsb, or .xls and move the active session to the new path - Save Copy As: Create a same-format copy without changing the active workbook - Export Fixed Format: Publish PDF or XPS with quality, page-range, and print-area controls - List/Update/Break External Links: Inspect, refresh, or permanently replace linked-workbook formulas
Printing and print preview are intentionally excluded because physical printer output and modal preview are unsafe for unattended automation.
🏷️ Named Ranges (Parameters) (6 operations)¶
Manage named ranges — ideal for driving workbook parameters that Power Query and formulas react to.
Operations: - List: List visible user-defined named ranges with references; hidden/internal Excel names (including Power Query ExternalData_* and AutoFilter names) are omitted before value inspection, and large ranges return metadata without materializing values - Read: Get value of a named range - Write: Set value of a named range (ideal for parameter automation) - Create: Create new named range - Update: Modify existing named range - Delete: Remove named range
Notes: - Use cases: Manage workbook parameters without touching worksheets. Ideal for automation — update a parameter and Power Query refreshes automatically.
Related feature areas¶
- Data & analytics — transform ranges and tables with Power Query, DAX, and PivotTables
- Charts & visualization — turn workbook data into charts and visual reports
- Automation & advanced — automate workbooks with VBA, Python, and What-If Analysis
- Example workflows — see these capabilities combined in practical requests
- Installation — choose and configure the MCP Server or CLI