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Xlsx For AI

Reads, analyzes, validates, compares, redacts, and writes Excel workbooks through MCP, with read-only Google Sheets support.

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Install Xlsx For AI

Pick your client, then add it in one click or paste the config.

STDIONode.js
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xlsx-for-ai": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "xlsx-for-ai"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Settings → Developer → Edit Config, merge this into mcpServers, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.

We couldn’t confirm it starts correctly

We ran the install command but it didn't respond within our test window — this can mean a slow first-time install rather than a real problem.

npx -y xlsx-for-ai

No response to initialize.

This is an experimental automated check and can have false negatives — missing environment variables, a slow cold install, etc. It doesn’t necessarily mean something’s wrong. Last checked 1d ago.

Overview

The xlsx-for-ai MCP server gives agents structured tools for reading, writing, validating, comparing, and inspecting local Excel workbooks. It preserves spreadsheet features such as formulas, merged cells, charts, pivots, comments, validations, links, macros, and formatting, while also supporting read-only access to live Google Sheets with supplied credentials. Its stdio entrypoint is suitable for MCP clients including Claude Code, Cursor, Continue, Codex, Zed, and Windsurf. Reach for it when pandas-style tabular access is insufficient or when an agent needs workbook structure, metadata, or semantic changes.

Use cases

  • Inspect an unfamiliar workbook before editing it
  • Compare two Excel files for cell and formula changes
  • Extract workbook structure for an AI-assisted analysis
  • Redact personal information before sharing a spreadsheet
  • Read a live Google Sheet without write access

Key features

  • Structured Excel workbook reading and writing
  • Workbook feature and metadata inspection
  • Semantic workbook diffs
  • Formula evaluation and validation
  • PII redaction with an audit manifest
  • Read-only Google Sheets access

Tools50

What Xlsx For AI lets your agent do. Expand a tool for its parameters.

Self-reported~2.9k tokens of context

Security & health

What it can reach and how reliably it runs — from our own checks, not the maintainer’s claims.

ActiveLast checked 2d ago

Recent health check succeeded.

7/7 checks healthy over the last 45d

Supply-chain signal

No high-severity advisories surfaced by our automated scan.

Critical 0High 0Medium 0Low 0

Scanned 6d ago via OSV.dev · xlsx-for-ai (npm)

Adoption & maintenance

Factual signals from GitHub, npm, and our automated checks — not a rating.

GitHub stars6Stargazers on the source repository.
npm downloads6.6kPackage downloads in the last 30 days.
Last commit12d agoMost recent push to the default branch.
Install checkInconclusiveDidn't respond in our test window — often a slow first install.
Tools exposed50Callable tools this server registers over MCP.

How Xlsx For AI works

What xlsx-for-ai MCP server does

The xlsx-for-ai MCP server exposes a broad set of MCP tools for working with Excel workbooks. It can read local .xlsx files into text, JSON, or Markdown representations, create or update workbooks from structured specifications, compare two files, redact personal information, clean data, convert between spreadsheet and tabular formats, and evaluate formulas with its own recalculation engine.

The server also inspects workbook features that ordinary dataframe workflows often omit. Agents can examine sheets, schemas, formulas, named ranges, tables, styles, merged cells, charts, images, hyperlinks, comments, conditional formatting, data validations, pivots, slicers, print settings, workbook views, protection, properties, external links, form controls, and macro indicators. A live Google Sheet can be read by passing its spreadsheet ID and a read-only Google OAuth token; the service does not mint or broker that token.

How it works

Install the package globally with npm. The installation provides the xlsx-for-ai-mcp stdio binary, which MCP clients launch as a local process. For repeated operations, an upload handle allows an already uploaded workbook to be read again without sending the file bytes a second time.

Initial inspection can use xlsx_list_sheets, xlsx_schema, xlsx_topology, or xlsx_doctor. Analysis tools such as xlsx_describe, xlsx_filter, and xlsx_aggregate provide dataframe-style views, while structural tools expose details needed to understand how Excel will display or process the file. xlsx_validate compares independent renderers and reports cell-level divergences for local workbooks.

Setup and configuration

Run npm install -g xlsx-for-ai, then configure the xlsx-for-ai-mcp command in the MCP client. The documented configurations cover Claude Code, Cursor, Continue, Codex CLI, Zed, and Windsurf. Custom agents can use the same stdio binary. XLSX_FOR_AI_API can override the API base URL for local development against http://localhost:3000.

The raw HTTP API is also available. Anonymous client registration returns an API key, which is then supplied as a bearer token. The documented free tier allows 10,000 calls per month and files up to 10 MB. Larger files and higher usage return typed errors with upgrade information.

Tools and capabilities

  • Read, write, convert, clean, redact, and diff workbooks.
  • Extract formulas, cached results, schemas, descriptions, and filtered or aggregated data.
  • Inspect workbook layout, formatting, views, print configuration, protection, and metadata.
  • Enumerate charts, images, comments, links, controls, validations, pivots, slicers, and external references.
  • Detect VBA project presence in .xlsm and .xlsb files and return safety guidance.
  • Read local Excel files and live Google Sheets in read-only mode.

Limitations and notes

Google Sheets access is read-only and requires a read-only OAuth token supplied by the caller. Several inspection tools are specifically for local .xlsx files, so the input source matters. The free HTTP tier has a 10 MB file limit and monthly call quota. Macro inspection reports presence and likely module names; it does not describe execution or provide a security guarantee. The server can redact and return a copy, but the input workbook is not described as being mutated in place by that operation.

Read the full README View source on GitHub

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Frequently Asked Questions about Xlsx For AI

xlsx-for-ai is an MCP server that connects AI agents to local Excel workbooks and read-only live Google Sheets. Its main tools read, write, validate, diff, redact, convert, inspect, filter, aggregate, and evaluate spreadsheet data while exposing workbook structure such as formulas, charts, comments, pivots, and formatting.

Install it with `npm install -g xlsx-for-ai`, then configure the `xlsx-for-ai-mcp` binary in your MCP client. The documented setup includes Claude Code, Cursor, Continue, Codex CLI, Zed, and Windsurf.

Yes, xlsx-for-ai works with Cursor through its stdio MCP configuration. Add an `xfa` server in `~/.cursor/mcp.json` with `xlsx-for-ai-mcp` as the command, then verify that the tools appear in Cursor’s MCP settings.

Yes, it can read a live Google Sheet in read-only mode. Use `xlsx_read` with `source: "gsheets"`, the spreadsheet ID, and a read-only Google OAuth token that you provide; the server does not mint or broker Google credentials.

The documented free HTTP tier accepts files up to 10 MB and allows 10,000 calls per month. Larger files or higher usage return typed JSON errors containing upgrade information.

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