mcp-server-xlwings

MCP server for Excel automation via xlwings COM. Works with DRM-protected files.

Why xlwings?

Libraries like openpyxl or pandas read .xlsx files directly from disk. This fails when:

• DRM / file-level encryption is applied (common in enterprise environments)
• You need to interact with a live Excel session (formulas, macros, add-ins)
• Files are locked by another process

mcp-server-xlwings uses COM automation to talk to the running Excel process, so it can read and write any file that Excel itself can open -- including DRM-protected documents.

xlwings-exclusive capabilities

These features are impossible with file-based libraries like openpyxl:

• Read the user's current selection -- see exactly what the user is looking at
• Get the active workbook -- no need to specify a file path
• Run VBA macros -- execute existing macros and get their return values
• Live formula results -- set a formula and get the calculated value immediately
• Force recalculation -- trigger Excel to recalculate all formulas

Installation

With uvx (recommended)

uvx mcp-server-xlwings

With pip

pip install mcp-server-xlwings

Configuration

Claude Desktop

Add to %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xlwings": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["mcp-server-xlwings"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

claude mcp add xlwings -- uvx mcp-server-xlwings

Roo Code (VS Code)

Add to Roo Code MCP settings or create <project-root>/.roo/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xlwings": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["mcp-server-xlwings"]
    }
  }
}

Cursor

Add to %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xlwings": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["mcp-server-xlwings"]
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Add to %USERPROFILE%\.codeium\windsurf\mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xlwings": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["mcp-server-xlwings"]
    }
  }
}

Continue (VS Code)

Add to ~/.continue/config.yaml:

mcpServers:
  - name: xlwings
    command: uvx
    args:
      - mcp-server-xlwings

Available Tools (11)

All tools default to the active workbook when workbook is omitted.

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | get_active_workbook | Get active workbook info, sheets, and current selection with data | | manage_workbooks | List, open, save, close, or recalculate workbooks | | read_data | Read a range with merge_info, header_row, sheet="*" batch read, and detail mode | | write_data | Write a 2D array (data) or a single-cell formula (formula) | | manage_sheets | List, add, delete, rename, copy, activate sheets. Insert/delete rows and columns | | find_replace | Search for text, optionally replace it | | format_range | Apply formatting (bold, italic, color, borders, alignment, number format, etc.) | | run_macro | Execute a VBA macro and get its return value | | get_formulas | Get all formulas in a range with optional calculated values | | get_cell_styles | Get formatting/style info (bold, colors, borders, etc.) for cells in a range | | get_objects | List charts, images, and shapes on a sheet |

Examples

See what the user is working on

"What's in the spreadsheet I have open?"

The agent calls get_active_workbook() to get the workbook name, sheets, and selection data, then read_data() to fetch the full sheet.

Summarize selected data

"Summarize the data I've selected"

The agent calls `get_active_workboo

... View full README on GitHub