Installing the MCP Server¶

Installation instructions for the ExcelMcp MCP Server — the entry point for AI assistants like GitHub Copilot, Claude Desktop, Cursor, and any other MCP client. Looking for the CLI instead? See the CLI Installation Guide.

System Requirements¶

Required¶

Windows OS (Windows 10 or later)
Microsoft Excel 2016 or later (Desktop version - Office 365, Professional Plus, or Standalone)

.NET runtime is NOT required for any installation method — all distributions are self-contained.

Optional (for specific features)¶

Microsoft Analysis Services OLE DB Provider (MSOLAP) - Required for DAX query execution (evaluate, execute-dmv actions)
Easiest: Install Power BI Desktop (includes MSOLAP)
Alternative: Microsoft OLE DB Driver for Analysis Services
Node.js - Only required for npx commands (add-mcp auto-configuration, agent skills). Install with winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS or from nodejs.org

Quick Start (Recommended)¶

Use this order to avoid setup confusion:

Choose one primary setup path:
VS Code Extension (GitHub Copilot users) — auto-configures everything
Claude Desktop MCPB — one-click MCP installation
GitHub Copilot Plugin (Copilot CLI users) — marketplace installation
Manual MCP setup (other MCP clients like Cursor, Windsurf)
Validate MCP setup (run the quick test prompt in Step 4 of manual setup, or test in your client after extension/MCPB/plugin install)
Optional: also install the CLI (excelcli) for scripting/RPA

VS Code Extension (Easiest - One-Click Setup)¶

Install the Extension
Open VS Code
Press Ctrl+Shift+X (Extensions)
Search for "ExcelMcp"
Click Install
That's It!
Bundles a self-contained MCP server (no .NET runtime needed) — the CLI is not included; install it separately if needed
Auto-configures GitHub Copilot
Registers the excel-mcp agent skill via chatSkills
Shows quick start guide on first launch

Marketplace Link: Excel MCP VS Code Extension

Claude Desktop (One-Click Install)¶

Best for: Claude Desktop users who want the simplest installation

Download excel-mcp-{version}.mcpb from the latest release
Double-click the .mcpb file (or drag-and-drop onto Claude Desktop)
Restart Claude Desktop

That's it! The MCPB bundle includes everything needed - no .NET installation required.

GitHub Copilot Plugin¶

Best for: GitHub Copilot CLI users who want plugin marketplace installation

## Register the plugin marketplace (one-time)
copilot plugin marketplace add sbroenne/mcp-server-excel-plugins

## Install the MCP Server plugin
copilot plugin install excel-mcp@mcp-server-excel-plugins

Note: After each release, there may be a short delay before the plugin appears in the marketplace.

Manual MCP Setup (All MCP Clients)¶

Best for: Other MCP clients (Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, Claude Code, Codex), advanced users

Step 1: Download MCP Server¶

Go to the latest release
Download ExcelMcp-MCP-Server-{version}-windows.zip
Extract the ZIP to a permanent location (e.g., C:\Tools\ExcelMcp\)

## Example extraction
Expand-Archive "ExcelMcp-MCP-Server-1.x.x-windows.zip" -DestinationPath "C:\Tools\ExcelMcp"

The ZIP contains mcp-excel.exe — a fully self-contained executable (no .NET runtime needed).

Step 2: Add to PATH (Recommended)¶

To use mcp-excel as a command without specifying the full path:

## Add to user PATH (persistent)
$toolsDir = "C:\Tools\ExcelMcp"
$userPath = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("PATH", "User")
if ($userPath -notlike "*$toolsDir*") {
    [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("PATH", "$userPath;$toolsDir", "User")
    Write-Host "Added $toolsDir to user PATH. Restart your terminal to apply."
}

Or manually: Settings → System → About → Advanced system settings → Environment Variables → User variables → Path → Edit → New → add C:\Tools\ExcelMcp

Step 3: Configure Your MCP Client¶

Option A: Auto-Configure All Agents (Recommended)¶

Use add-mcp to configure all detected coding agents with a single command:

npx add-mcp "mcp-excel" --name excel-mcp

This auto-detects and configures Cursor, VS Code, Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Zed, Gemini CLI, and more. Use flags to customize:

## Configure specific agents only
npx add-mcp "mcp-excel" --name excel-mcp -a cursor -a claude-code

## Configure globally (user-wide, all projects)
npx add-mcp "mcp-excel" --name excel-mcp -g

## Non-interactive (skip prompts)
npx add-mcp "mcp-excel" --name excel-mcp --all -y

Requires: Node.js for npx. Install with winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS if not already available. No permanent add-mcp installation needed — npx downloads, runs, and cleans up automatically.

Note: If mcp-excel is not on your PATH, use the full path instead: npx add-mcp "C:\Tools\ExcelMcp\mcp-excel.exe" --name excel-mcp

Option B: Manual Configuration¶

Quick Start: Ready-to-use config files for all clients are available in examples/mcp-configs/

For GitHub Copilot (VS Code):

Create .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace:

{
  "servers": {
    "excel-mcp": {
      "command": "mcp-excel"
    }
  }
}

If mcp-excel is not on PATH, use the full path: "command": "C:\\Tools\\ExcelMcp\\mcp-excel.exe"

For GitHub Copilot (Visual Studio):

Create .mcp.json in your solution directory or %USERPROFILE%\.mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "excel-mcp": {
      "command": "mcp-excel"
    }
  }
}

For Claude Desktop:

Locate config file: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
If file doesn't exist, create it with the content below
If file exists, merge the excel-mcp entry into your existing mcpServers section

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "excel-mcp": {
      "command": "mcp-excel",
      "args": [],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Save and restart Claude Desktop

For Cursor:

Open Cursor Settings (Ctrl+,)
Search for "MCP" in settings
Click "Edit in settings.json" or create config at: %APPDATA%\Cursor\User\globalStorage\mcp\mcp.json
Add this configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "excel-mcp": {
      "command": "mcp-excel",
      "args": [],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Save and restart Cursor

For Cline (VS Code Extension):

Install Cline extension in VS Code
Open Cline panel and click the MCP settings gear icon
Add this configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "excel-mcp": {
      "command": "mcp-excel",
      "args": [],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Save and restart VS Code

For Windsurf:

Open Windsurf Settings
Navigate to MCP Servers configuration
Add this configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "excel-mcp": {
      "command": "mcp-excel",
      "args": [],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Save and restart Windsurf

Step 4: Validate MCP Setup¶

Restart your MCP client, then ask:

Create an empty Excel file called "test.xlsx"

If it works, you're all set! 🎉

💡 Tip: Want to watch the AI work? Ask:

Show me Excel while you work on test.xlsx

This opens Excel visibly so you can see every change in real-time - great for debugging and demos!

Alternative: NuGet .NET Tool Installation (Secondary)¶

For users who prefer package managers or already have .NET installed

NuGet is a secondary distribution channel. It requires the .NET 10 Runtime or SDK to be installed.

## Requires .NET 10 Runtime or SDK
dotnet tool install --global Sbroenne.ExcelMcp.McpServer

After installation, configure your MCP client with "command": "mcp-excel" (same as standalone exe).

Update via NuGet:

dotnet tool update --global Sbroenne.ExcelMcp.McpServer

Uninstall:

dotnet tool uninstall --global Sbroenne.ExcelMcp.McpServer

Why NuGet is secondary: The standalone exe distribution requires no .NET runtime, making it easier to install for most users. NuGet is available as an alternative for users who prefer package managers or already have .NET installed in their workflow.

Updating the MCP Server¶

Check Current Version¶

mcp-excel --version

Update to New Version¶

Standalone exe (primary):

Go to the latest release
Download the new ZIP: ExcelMcp-MCP-Server-{version}-windows.zip
Extract and overwrite the existing files in your installation directory

## Example update
Expand-Archive "ExcelMcp-MCP-Server-1.x.x-windows.zip" -DestinationPath "C:\Tools\ExcelMcp" -Force

Restart your MCP client (VS Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.)

NuGet (secondary):

dotnet tool update --global Sbroenne.ExcelMcp.McpServer

Check What's New¶

Before updating, check the changelog or GitHub Releases.

Troubleshooting¶

1. "mcp-excel is not recognized as an internal or external command"¶

Solution: mcp-excel.exe is not on your PATH.

Either: - Add the directory containing mcp-excel.exe to your PATH (see Step 2 above) - Or use the full path in your MCP client config: "command": "C:\\Tools\\ExcelMcp\\mcp-excel.exe"

2. MCP Server Not Responding¶

Check if the exe exists:

where.exe mcp-excel
## Or with full path:
Test-Path "C:\Tools\ExcelMcp\mcp-excel.exe"

Verify it runs:

mcp-excel --version

3. "Workbook is locked" or "Cannot open file"¶

Solution: Close all Excel windows before running ExcelMcp

ExcelMcp requires exclusive access to workbooks (Excel COM limitation).

4. MCP Server Still Running Old Version¶

Solution: Fully restart your MCP client - Close VS Code completely (including terminal windows) - Close Claude Desktop completely - Reopen the application

Uninstallation¶

## Standalone exe: simply delete the extracted files
Remove-Item "C:\Tools\ExcelMcp\mcp-excel.exe" -Force

## Remove from PATH if you added it
## Settings → System → About → Advanced system settings → Environment Variables
## Edit PATH and remove the ExcelMcp directory

## NuGet (if installed via dotnet tool):
dotnet tool uninstall --global Sbroenne.ExcelMcp.McpServer

Getting Help¶

Documentation: GitHub Repository
Issues: GitHub Issues
Contributing: Contributing Guide

Next Steps¶

After installation:

Learn the basics: Try simple commands like creating worksheets, setting values
Explore features: See the Feature Reference for the complete tool list
Read the guides:
CLI Installation Guide - for scripting, RPA, and CI/CD
Agent Skills - cross-platform AI guidance
Join the community: Star the repo, report issues, contribute improvements

Happy automating! 🚀