# Excel MCP Server > Excel MCP Server (ExcelMcp) automates the real Microsoft Excel application through its COM API, exposing 31 tools and 326 operations to AI assistants over the Model Context Protocol and to scripts through the `excelcli` command line. Unlike file-parser libraries it can refresh Power Query, evaluate DAX against the Data Model, refresh PivotTables, and run VBA, because Excel itself does the work. Windows-only; requires Microsoft Excel 2016 or later. Every page below is also available as Markdown by appending `index.md` to its URL. The complete corpus is at https://excelmcpserver.dev/llms-full.txt. ## Home - [Home](https://excelmcpserver.dev/index.md): Automate real Microsoft Excel with GitHub Copilot, Claude, and other AI assistants using Power Query, DAX, VBA, PivotTables, charts, and Python. ## Guides - [Overview](https://excelmcpserver.dev/guides/index.md): Task-focused walkthroughs for refreshing Power Query, automating PivotTables, running VBA macros, and querying the Excel Data Model with DAX from an AI assistant. - [Refresh Power Query](https://excelmcpserver.dev/guides/refresh-power-query/index.md): Refresh Excel Power Query automatically from Claude, Copilot, or a script - test M code before saving, choose the load destination, and avoid the common gotchas. - [Automate PivotTables](https://excelmcpserver.dev/guides/automate-pivottables/index.md): Create, configure, and refresh real Excel PivotTables from an AI assistant - worksheet or Data Model sources, DAX measures, PivotCharts, and refresh rules. - [Query the Data Model with DAX](https://excelmcpserver.dev/guides/query-data-model-with-dax/index.md): Create DAX measures, run DAX queries, inspect the Excel Data Model with DMVs, and manage relationships in Power Pivot from an AI assistant or script. - [Run VBA macros](https://excelmcpserver.dev/guides/run-vba-macros/index.md): Read, write, and execute Excel VBA macros from an AI agent - including the Trust Center setting you must enable first and the safety trade-offs involved. - [COM vs. file parsers](https://excelmcpserver.dev/guides/excel-automation-vs-file-parsers/index.md): How driving the real Excel application through COM differs from openpyxl, ExcelJS, and EPPlus - what each approach can do, and when to choose which. ## Features - [Overview](https://excelmcpserver.dev/features/index.md): Explore 31 Excel automation tools and 326 operations for Power Query, DAX, PivotTables, charts, formulas, VBA, and more. - [Data & analytics](https://excelmcpserver.dev/features/data-analytics/index.md): Automate Power Query, DAX, Power Pivot, Excel Tables, PivotTables, QueryTables, and data connections in Microsoft Excel. - [Cells & workbooks](https://excelmcpserver.dev/features/cells-workbooks/index.md): Automate Excel ranges, formulas, formatting, worksheets, workbooks, named ranges, calculation, and file operations. - [Charts & visuals](https://excelmcpserver.dev/features/charts-visuals/index.md): Automate Excel charts, slicers, conditional formatting, screenshots, drawing objects, and sparklines. - [Automation & advanced](https://excelmcpserver.dev/features/automation-advanced/index.md): Automate Excel with VBA macros, Python in Excel, What-If Analysis, Goal Seek, window management, and XML Maps. ## Installation - [Overview](https://excelmcpserver.dev/installation/index.md): Complete installation instructions for Excel MCP Server — VS Code extension, MCP Server, Claude Desktop, other MCP clients and the CLI tool. - [MCP Server](https://excelmcpserver.dev/installation-mcp-server/index.md): Install Excel MCP Server for GitHub Copilot, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, and other MCP clients using VS Code, MCPB, plugins, or manual setup. - [CLI](https://excelmcpserver.dev/installation-cli/index.md): Install the Excel CLI tool (excelcli) for scripting, RPA, CI/CD pipelines, and coding agents — standalone exe, Copilot plugin, and NuGet options. ## MCP Server - [MCP Server](https://excelmcpserver.dev/mcp-server/index.md): Complete Model Context Protocol (MCP) server reference for Excel automation — tools, actions and examples for Claude Desktop, VS Code and other MCP clients. ## CLI - [CLI](https://excelmcpserver.dev/cli/index.md): Full command-line interface reference for Excel automation — token-efficient Excel control for coding agents like GitHub Copilot, Cursor and Windsurf. ## Reference - [Overview](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/index.md): The expert reference corpus that ships inside the Excel MCP Server agent skills - COM behaviour, Power Query and DAX gotchas, PivotTable limits, anti-patterns, and sequencing rules. - [Key constraints & sequencing](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/workflows/index.md): Operation sequencing rules and hard constraints when automating Excel with an AI agent - refresh order, session lifecycle, and what must happen before what. - [Behavioral rules](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/behavioral-rules/index.md): Behavioral rules AI agents follow when driving Excel - verification, destructive-operation safety, and how to interpret tool results. - [Anti-patterns](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/anti-patterns/index.md): Common mistakes when automating Excel with AI agents and the correct approach for each. - [Gotchas & known limits](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/gotchas/index.md): Known Excel COM limitations and surprising behaviors, with the workaround for each. - [Agent mode in Excel](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/agent-mode/index.md): Watch an AI agent drive the visible Excel window while it works - setup, window arrangement, and when it helps. - [Workbook lifecycle](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/workbook/index.md): Opening, saving, and closing Excel workbooks safely from an AI agent or script, including session semantics. - [Worksheet operations](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/worksheet/index.md): Creating, renaming, copying, protecting, and deleting Excel worksheets programmatically. - [Ranges & formatting](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/range/index.md): Reading and writing Excel ranges, formulas, number formats, and cell formatting from an AI agent or script. - [Excel Tables](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/table/index.md): Creating and updating Excel Tables (ListObjects), appending rows, and adding tables to the Data Model. - [Window management](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/window/index.md): Controlling Excel windows - visibility, arrangement, freeze panes, and zoom. - [Power Query](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/powerquery/index.md): Power Query behaviour reference - load destinations, refresh semantics, M code handling, and the errors you will hit. - [M code syntax](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/m-code-syntax/index.md): Power Query M language syntax essentials, including identifier quoting rules that cause the most common failures. - [Data Model & DAX](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/datamodel/index.md): Excel Data Model (Power Pivot) reference - measures, relationships, refresh behaviour, and COM limitations. - [DMV query reference](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/dmv-reference/index.md): Dynamic Management View queries for inspecting the Excel Data Model metadata, and their limitations. - [PivotTables](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/pivottable/index.md): PivotTable reference - required parameters, refresh rules, layout options, and formatting that survives refresh. - [QueryTables](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/querytable/index.md): Importing local text files and web data into Excel with QueryTables. - [What-If Analysis](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/analysis/index.md): Goal Seek, scenarios, and data tables in Excel driven programmatically. - [XML maps](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/xmlmap/index.md): Importing, exporting, and mapping XML data in Excel workbooks with XML maps, driven from an AI assistant or script. - [Charts](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/chart/index.md): Excel chart reference - chart types, series, axes, and creating charts from PivotTables. - [Conditional formatting](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/conditionalformat/index.md): Excel conditional formatting rule types and the reference-style rules that make row highlighting work. - [Slicers](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/slicer/index.md): Excel slicer reference - slicer types, connecting slicers to PivotTables and tables. - [Drawing objects](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/drawing/index.md): Shapes, text boxes, and other drawing objects in Excel. - [Screenshots](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/screenshot/index.md): Capturing Excel screenshots so an AI agent can visually verify its own work. - [Dashboards & reports](https://excelmcpserver.dev/reference/dashboard/index.md): Best practices for building Excel dashboards and reports with an AI assistant. ## Resources - [Examples & use cases](https://excelmcpserver.dev/use-cases/index.md): Example prompts and practical workflows for automating Excel with AI, including Power Query, PivotTables, charts, formatting, VBA, and Goal Seek. - [Agent Skills](https://excelmcpserver.dev/skills/index.md): Cross-platform AI agent skills for Excel automation — guidance packages auto-installed for 43+ agents including GitHub Copilot, Cursor and Claude. - [Troubleshooting & FAQ](https://excelmcpserver.dev/troubleshooting/index.md): Fixes for the most common Excel MCP Server issues — Excel must be closed, VBA trust, DAX/MSOLAP setup, PATH problems, and protected workbooks. - [Architecture](https://excelmcpserver.dev/architecture/index.md): How Excel MCP Server drives the real Excel application through equal MCP Server and CLI entry points backed by one shared core. - [Changelog](https://excelmcpserver.dev/changelog/index.md): Release notes and version history for Excel MCP Server. Track new features, bug fixes and improvements. - [Contributing](https://excelmcpserver.dev/contributing/index.md): How to contribute to Excel MCP Server development — guidelines for pull requests, code style and community participation. - [Security](https://excelmcpserver.dev/security/index.md): Security policy for Excel MCP Server — how to report vulnerabilities, supported versions and security features. - [Privacy](https://excelmcpserver.dev/privacy/index.md): Privacy policy for Excel MCP Server — how we handle your data, telemetry collection and data protection. - [Related projects](https://excelmcpserver.dev/related-projects/index.md): More open-source projects by Stefan Broenner — AI automation, testing and cloud tooling that complement Excel MCP Server.