Office MCP

What the Office MCP MCP server does

The Office MCP MCP server exposes a bounded set of MCP tools for working with .xlsx, .docx, and .pptx files on Windows. It supports both package-level file operations and, when desktop Microsoft Office is installed, automation through Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. The server is intended for an orchestrating model that plans a task, calls tools to build or modify a file, inspects the result, and performs review before delivery.

Supported work includes workbook creation and range editing, document structure and formatting, and presentation construction. The server can also inspect supported files, compare drafts, discover files in approved directories, export PDFs, and prepare render-backed review evidence.

How it works

The server runs locally through standard input/output and is launched by an MCP client when needed. It does not use an API key or a remote service. File reads and writes are limited to the directories listed in OFFICE_MCP_ROOTS; paths outside those roots are rejected. A narrow root is recommended when the agent only needs access to one project or document folder.

The implementation has two operating modes. Direct package handling can create and inspect Office files without opening desktop applications. Windows-native automation adds features that depend on installed Office applications, including native calculation, charts, PivotTables, animation editing, slide rendering, and some export workflows. PowerPoint generation is designed to run in the background by default.

Setup and configuration

The Office MCP MCP server requires Windows and Node.js 20 or newer. Install the published @parryhotter/office-mcp package with npx, then register one stdio server entry in an MCP client. The documented configurations cover Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code with GitHub Copilot, Codex CLI, and Claude Code. After changing configuration, restart the client or begin a new chat.

Set OFFICE_MCP_ROOTS to one or more approved filesystem roots according to the server's configuration format. The quick-start example uses the Windows Documents folder, but a narrower directory is safer. Desktop Microsoft Office is optional for basic .xlsx, .docx, and .pptx creation and inspection, and is needed for Windows-native features such as animations and PowerPoint rendering.

For development or unreleased revisions, clone the repository, run npm ci, build with npm run build, and register the resulting dist/index.js entry instead of using npx.

Tools and capabilities

The Office MCP MCP server exposes 34 tools across these areas:

• Excel: create and inspect workbooks; read, write, and format ranges; use formulas and native recalculation; create tables, charts, named ranges, conditional formatting, data validation, and PivotTables; sort, filter, and query data.
• Word: create and inspect documents; configure sections and page layouts; add headers, footers, page numbers, tables of contents, headings, lists, tables, images, links, footnotes, citations, comments, and tracked changes; export PDFs.
• PowerPoint: create, inspect, and audit presentations; reuse masters and layouts or duplicate styled slides; add text, shapes, images, media, tables, charts, and notes; edit transitions and native animation timelines; export PDFs and render slides as PNG files.
• Common review operations: discover files, list active Office files, inspect and compare supported files, run prompt-specific quality checks, and finalize reviewed drafts.

Limitations and notes

The Office MCP MCP server currently targets Windows; macOS and Linux are out of scope. It does not determine the content or design of a report, workbook, or presentation. Output quality depends on the orchestrating model, its source material, and the review process.

Access control is based on configured filesystem roots, not a general-purpose sandbox for every possible Windows action. The project intentionally avoids exposing an arbitrary COM execution tool. Review and finalization workflows depend on the agent calling the relevant inspection and rendering tools rather than assuming that a saved file is complete. This is an independent project and is not affiliated with Microsoft.