Excel MCP

There is no official Microsoft Excel MCP server. Import your .xlsx into Quadratic and get a hosted, OAuth-secured MCP that works with ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, VS Code, and every MCP-compatible AI client.

Cursor logo
Cursor
One-click
Claude logo
Claude
Connector
ChatGPT logo
ChatGPT
Connector
Claude Code logo
Claude Code
CLI
Codex CLI logo
Codex CLI
CLI
Gemini CLI logo
Gemini CLI
CLI
VS Code logo
VS Code
One-click
VS Code Insiders logo
VS Code Insiders
One-click
Windsurf logo
Windsurf
Config
Zed logo
Zed
Config
Other
Config
Quadratic MCP server URL

The state of Excel MCP

Does Excel have a native MCP server?

Short answer: not officially. Here's what's actually available today and why Quadratic MCP is the fastest way to put any AI client in front of your Excel data.

Microsoft Excel

No first-party MCP server. Excel does not expose the Model Context Protocol from the desktop app, Excel Online, or Microsoft 365.

Community servers

A handful of open-source projects wrap openpyxl or pandas as local stdio MCP servers. Useful for tinkering, but usually read-only, single-client, and incompatible with ChatGPT connectors.

Quadratic MCP

Hosted, remote, OAuth-secured MCP at mcp.quadratichq.com. Import your .xlsx into Quadratic once and every major AI client can read, write, and analyze it.

Your Excel workbook, inside every AI

Import once. Then ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible client can work on your spreadsheet.

Import your .xlsx in one drop

Drag any Excel workbook into Quadratic. Sheets, formulas, and formatting come along. Your AI can now read and write to that workbook through MCP.

Read cells, tables, and ranges

Your AI can pull values from any sheet or named range in your imported Excel file. No brittle screenshots, no pasting CSVs into chat.

Write formulas, values, and charts

Let ChatGPT or Claude update models, add formulas, and generate charts in your spreadsheet — then export back to .xlsx if you need to share it.

Run Python and SQL on Excel data

Quadratic MCP lets your AI execute Python and SQL directly against your Excel data — the kind of analysis VBA and Apps Script can’t touch.

Hosted, OAuth-secured, multi-client

No Node.js, no local file paths, no API keys. Sign in once with Quadratic — your AI inherits the access you already have.

Export back to Excel any time

When you’re done, download any Quadratic file as .xlsx. Your teammates keep working in Excel while you keep the AI leverage.

From .xlsx to AI-chat in four steps

No servers to run locally. No API keys to manage. No Python to install.

1

Drop your .xlsx into Quadratic

Drag an Excel workbook onto the Quadratic canvas. Sheets, formulas, and tables import cleanly — nothing to configure.

2

Install the Quadratic MCP

One-click install for Cursor or VS Code, 30-second setup for ChatGPT, Claude, Windsurf, and Codex. Same remote MCP URL for every client.

3

Sign in with OAuth

Your AI client authenticates to Quadratic. It sees only the files you already have access to — and you can revoke access any time.

4

Chat with your Excel file

“Open my Q4 forecast and summarize the variance.” ChatGPT, Claude, or Cursor pulls the data, reasons over it, and writes back to the sheet.

Try these prompts on your Excel data

Once Quadratic MCP is installed and your workbook is imported, paste any of these into ChatGPT, Claude, or Cursor.

Summarize the key trends in my Q3 sales sheet in Quadratic.
I pulled your Q3 sales sheet from Quadratic. Revenue is up 18% vs Q2, driven mostly by Enterprise. SMB growth slowed. Here’s the summary:
Q3 2026 segment summary
SegmentRevenueQoQDeals
Enterprise$1.84M+27%42
Mid-Market$920K+12%68
SMB$410K+3%154
Total$3.17M+18%264

Quadratic MCP vs community Excel MCP servers

A frank comparison of the options if you want to connect AI to Excel data today.

CapabilityQuadratic MCPCommunity Excel MCPExcel Online / 365
Hosted remote serverYes — mcp.quadratichq.comUsually no (local stdio binary)No official MCP server
OAuth authenticationYes — per-user OAuth 2.0No auth / API key filesN/A
Works with ChatGPT connectorsYesNoNo
Read .xlsx filesYes — imported into QuadraticDepends on server — often reads local files onlyNot via MCP
Write cells / formulasYesVaries — many are read-onlyNot via MCP
Run Python / SQL on the dataYes — native in QuadraticNoNo
Generate chartsYes — AI-built Plotly & native chartsRarelyLimited
Multi-clientCursor, Claude, ChatGPT, VS Code, Windsurf, Zed, Codex, Gemini CLI, any MCP clientUsually one clientN/A
Setup timeUnder 2 minutesInstall Node/Python, edit config, restart clientN/A
CostIncluded in every Quadratic plan, free tier availableFree but unmaintained / variesN/A

Ready to use Excel from any AI client?

Import your first .xlsx

Excel MCP FAQs

Is there an official Excel MCP server from Microsoft?

No. As of today, Microsoft does not ship a first-party Excel MCP server. There are a handful of community-built MCP servers that read local .xlsx files with openpyxl or pandas, but they run as local stdio binaries, are typically single-user, and don’t support OAuth or remote access from tools like ChatGPT. Quadratic MCP fills that gap: import your Excel workbook into Quadratic once and connect any MCP-compatible AI.

How does Quadratic work as an Excel MCP?

Import your .xlsx file into Quadratic (drag and drop). Formulas, sheets, and tables come with it. Then install the Quadratic MCP server in your AI client of choice — ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, and more. Your AI can now read and write that Excel workbook from any chat, with OAuth-secured access to your Quadratic account.

Can ChatGPT read and edit my Excel files through this MCP?

Yes. Once the workbook is imported into Quadratic, ChatGPT (Plus, Pro, Business, or Enterprise) can read cells, pull values from named ranges, summarize data, write formulas back to the sheet, and generate charts — all via the Quadratic MCP connector.

Do I have to move my data off Excel permanently?

No. You can export any Quadratic file back to .xlsx at any time. The common pattern is: keep the source of truth in Quadratic while AI is collaborating on it, then share a final .xlsx with teammates who prefer Excel.

Does it work with Excel Online or Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 / Excel Online does not currently expose an MCP server. The cleanest way to bring AI into an Excel workflow today is to import the .xlsx into Quadratic and use Quadratic MCP. You can re-export to .xlsx whenever you need to.

Will my Excel formulas still work after import?

Yes. Quadratic supports the common Excel formula surface — SUM, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, SUMIFS, IF, and hundreds more — plus Python and SQL in cells. Most Excel workbooks import and recalculate correctly; complex VBA macros don’t carry over.

Can the AI run Python on my Excel data?

Yes — that’s one of the biggest advantages. Ask Claude or ChatGPT to run pandas, numpy, scikit-learn, or Plotly over your imported Excel data, and it executes inside Quadratic. VBA and Apps Script can’t do this.

Is Quadratic MCP secure for Excel data?

Yes. Every client authenticates via OAuth 2.0, data stays within your Quadratic workspace, and you can revoke any connected AI client at any time from Quadratic settings. Quadratic is SOC 2 compliant with self-hosting available for enterprises.

How is this different from community Excel MCP servers?

Community Excel MCP servers (e.g. GitHub projects built on openpyxl) are local stdio processes, typically read-only, single-client, and require you to run Node or Python on your machine. Quadratic MCP is a hosted remote MCP (Streamable HTTP), works with every major AI client including ChatGPT, supports reads AND writes, and layers Python/SQL on top.

How much does Excel MCP via Quadratic cost?

Quadratic MCP is included with every Quadratic plan, including the free tier. You only need a Quadratic account and an MCP-compatible AI client.

Can I use this with Claude Desktop and Claude Code?

Yes. Quadratic MCP ships with setup instructions for Claude Desktop (via the Claude connector) and Claude Code (via the CLI). Both can read and write your imported Excel data.

What about .xls, .xlsm, and macros?

Legacy .xls files should be saved as .xlsx before importing. Macros (.xlsm) don’t transfer — but anything a macro used to do can usually be rewritten in a few lines of Python, which Quadratic runs natively in cells.

Keep exploring

Quadratic MCP overview
The full Quadratic MCP feature set — every supported client and capability.
Google Sheets MCP
The companion guide for Google Sheets — same approach, different file format.
Install in ChatGPT
30-second setup for the ChatGPT connector.
Install in Claude
Add the Quadratic MCP to Claude Desktop or Claude.ai.
Quadratic logo

Get started for free

The AI Spreadsheet built for speed, clarity, and instant insights — without the pain.

Try Quadratic free