aspose.cells.mcp/README.md

Excel MCP - AI-powered Excel automation server for Excel AI, Excel Formula MCP, spreadsheets MCP, and Excel automation using Aspose.Cells for Node.js

# Excel MCP - AI-Powered Spreadsheet Automation

**Excel MCP** is an AI-powered Excel automation server that bridges natural language and spreadsheet operations. This **Excel AI** solution enables seamless **Excel Formula MCP** integration, **spreadsheets MCP** automation, and comprehensive **AI Excel** workflows using Aspose.Cells for Node.js.

## 📊 Supported File Formats

### 📥 Files We Can Load
- **Excel**: `.xlsx`, `.xlsm`, `.xlsb`, `.xls` (Excel 97-2003)
- **OpenDocument**: `.ods`, `.fods`, `.ots`, `.sxc`
- **Text/Data**: `.csv`, `.tsv`, `.md` (Markdown)
- **XML**: `.xml` (SpreadsheetML)

### 💾 Formats We Can Save To
- **All loadable formats above** ✅
- **Documents**: `.pdf`, `.html`, `.mht`
- **Images**: `.png`, `.jpeg`, `.tiff`, `.svg`, `.bmp`, `.gif`
- **Data Exchange**: `.json`
- **Total: 20+ formats supported!**

## AI-Powered Excel Operations & Spreadsheet Automation

This **Excel MCP server** enables AI assistants to create and format **Excel spreadsheets** programmatically through natural language. Perfect for **Excel AI automation**, **AI-powered Excel** report generation, **Excel formula automation**, and **intelligent spreadsheet** processing through conversational interfaces.

### Key Capabilities

- **AI Excel Data Processing**: Convert data into structured **Excel worksheets** with intelligent automation
- **Excel Formula Automation**: Apply **Excel formulas** and calculations automatically through **AI Excel** integration
- **Smart Excel Formatting**: Apply fonts, colors, borders, and **Excel cell styles** with **AI-powered** precision
- **Excel Layout Management**: Manage **Excel rows**, **Excel columns**, and **Excel cell operations** intelligently
- **Multi-sheet Excel Support**: Create and manage multiple **Excel worksheets** with **spreadsheet MCP** capabilities
- **Excel AI Integration**: Seamless **Excel MCP** integration with popular AI platforms and tools

### Use Cases

- **AI Excel Report Generation**: Generate professional **Excel reports** from conversational data using **Excel AI**
- **Smart Spreadsheet Creation**: Create formatted **Excel spreadsheets** from raw data with **AI automation**
- **Excel AI Data Conversion**: Convert images/screenshots of tables into **Excel files** using **AI Excel** processing
- **Excel Task Automation**: Automate repetitive **Excel tasks** with **Excel MCP** and **AI-powered** workflows  
- **Excel Data Analysis**: Build intelligent **Excel data analysis** workflows with **Excel Formula MCP**
- **Excel AI Chat Interface**: Create **Excel files** through natural language conversations with AI assistants
- **Spreadsheet AI Integration**: Integrate **spreadsheets MCP** with AI platforms for seamless automation

## Overview

This **Excel MCP server** empowers AI assistants with 20 comprehensive **Excel automation** tools organized for intelligent **spreadsheet MCP** operations:

### Excel File & Data Operations
- `create_workbook` - Create new **Excel workbooks** with **AI Excel** automation
- `create_worksheet` - Add **Excel worksheets** to existing **Excel workbooks**  
- `get_workbook_info` - Get comprehensive **Excel workbook** metadata with **data preview**, file analysis, **VBA detection**, **pivot tables**, **charts**, **named ranges**, and **protection status**
- `read_data_from_excel` - Read tabular data from **Excel worksheets** with **AI-powered** precision
- `write_data_to_excel` - Write tabular data to **Excel worksheets** through **Excel MCP**

### Excel Enhanced Data Operations
- `read_worksheet` - Read **Excel worksheets** and convert to **JSON format** (includes **styles**, **fonts**, **formulas**, **merged cells**, **row/column dimensions**, and **complete formatting**)
- `write_worksheet` - Create **Excel worksheets** from **JSON format** (includes **styles**, **fonts**, **formulas**, **merged cells**, and **complete formatting**)
- `update_worksheet` - Update existing **Excel worksheets** with new data from **JSON format** while preserving existing formatting

### Excel Formula Operations
- `apply_formula` - Apply **Excel formulas** to cells (SUM, IF, VLOOKUP, etc.) with **automatic calculation** and **Excel Formula MCP**

### Excel Cell Formatting
- `cell_format` - **Advanced Excel cell formatting** including:
  - **Font styling** (family, size, bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, **subscript/superscript**, colors)
  - **Background patterns** and colors with **custom patterns**
  - **Borders** with **individual side control**, styles, and colors
  - **Alignment** (horizontal, vertical, **text rotation**, **text wrap**, **indentation**)
  - **Number formatting** with **custom patterns** (currency, dates, percentages, etc.)
  - **Cell protection** (locked/hidden formulas)

### Excel Row & Column Operations
- `insert_delete_rows_columns` - **Insert/delete rows and columns** with **batch support**:
  - **Insert rows/columns** at specified positions
  - **Delete rows/columns** with range support
  - **Batch operations** for multiple ranges
- `resize_rows_columns` - **Resize rows and columns** with **precise measurements**:
  - **Set row height** in points with exact measurements
  - **Set column width** in characters with precise control
  - **Auto-fit rows** and columns to content
- `hide_unhide_rows_columns` - **Hide/unhide rows and columns**:
  - **Hide rows/columns** by setting height/width to zero
  - **Unhide rows/columns** by restoring default dimensions

### Excel Cell Operations
- `merge_cells` - **Merge/unmerge cells** with **advanced merge types**:
  - **Merge cells** into single cell
  - **Unmerge cells** to restore individual cells
  - **Merge by rows** for row-wise merging
- `copy_paste_cells` - **Copy/paste operations** with **cross-sheet support**:
  - **Copy all content** (values, formulas, formats)
  - **Copy text only** (calculated values, no formatting)
  - **Copy formats only** (styling without data)
  - **Cross-sheet operations** for complex workbook manipulation
- `clear_cells` - **Clear cell operations** with **selective clearing**:
  - **Clear contents** (values and formulas)
  - **Clear formats** (styling only)
  - **Clear all** (contents and formats)

### Excel File Conversion
- `excel_to_pdf` - **PDF conversion** with **page layout options**:
  - **Worksheet selection** (specific sheet or all sheets)
  - **Page layout**: one page per sheet, fit columns to page width
- `excel_to_image` - **Image conversion** supporting **PNG, JPG, TIFF, BMP, SVG** with **quality control**:
  - **Quality settings** (1-100) and **DPI control** (resolution)
  - **Worksheet selection** for specific sheet conversion
- `excel_to_csv` - **CSV/TSV conversion** with **delimiter options**:
  - **Custom separators** (comma, tab, or custom characters)
- `excel_converter` - **Basic format converter** supporting **17 formats**:
  - **Excel formats**: XLSX, XLSM, XLSB, XLS, XLTX, XLTM
  - **Documents**: HTML, MHT, JSON, XML, Markdown, TXT
  - **OpenDocument**: ODS, FODS
  - **Legacy**: DIF, DBF
  - **Total: 26 formats supported across all converters**

## Advanced Capabilities

### Intelligent Workbook Analysis
- **Smart data preview** with automatic header detection and sample data extraction
- **Comprehensive metadata analysis** including file properties, VBA detection, and external links
- **Sheet analysis** with formula detection, pivot table counting, and chart identification
- **Protection status** and **visibility assessment** for all worksheets

### Professional Formatting Engine
- **Complete font control** including advanced typography (subscript/superscript, text rotation)
- **Sophisticated border system** with individual side control and custom styling
- **Pattern-based backgrounds** with full color palette support
- **Advanced alignment** with text wrapping, indentation, and rotation capabilities
- **Custom number formatting** for currencies, dates, percentages, and scientific notation

### Universal Format Conversion
- **20+ output formats** including PDF, images, and data formats
- **Intelligent range export** for partial data extraction
- **Quality control** with DPI and compression settings for images
- **Advanced PDF options** with page layout and formula calculation control
- **Smart JSON export** with data type preservation and structure analysis

### JSON-Based Excel Operations
- **Complete style preservation** during read/write operations
- **Merged cell handling** with intelligent area detection
- **Formula preservation** and calculation support
- **Row/column dimension** management with auto-sizing
- **Cross-sheet operations** for complex workbook manipulation

### Batch Processing Support
- **Multiple range formatting** in single operations
- **Specialized row/column operations** with dedicated services for insert/delete, resize, and visibility
- **Cross-sheet copy/paste** operations with selective content copying
- **Advanced cell operations** with merge types, copy/paste options, and clear operations

## Installation

Install the **Excel MCP server** for **AI Excel automation**:

```bash
npm install aspose.cells.mcp
```

## Quick Start - Excel MCP Setup

### MCP Client Configuration for Excel AI

Add the **Excel MCP server** to your AI client configuration for **Excel automation**:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aspose-cells": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["aspose.cells.mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "LICENSE_PATH": "/path/to/your/Aspose.Total.lic",
        "WORK_DIR": "/path/to/your/work/directory"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### Platform-Specific Excel MCP Installation

**Install Excel MCP in VS Code**

You can install the **Excel MCP server** for **AI Excel** integration using the VS Code CLI:

```bash
# For VS Code
code --add-mcp '{"name":"aspose-cells","command":"npx","args":["aspose.cells.mcp@latest"]}'
```

After installation, the **Excel MCP server** will be available for **Excel AI automation** with your GitHub Copilot agent in VS Code.

**Install Excel MCP in Cursor**

Go to `Cursor Settings` → `MCP` → `Add new MCP Server`. Name it "excel-mcp" or "aspose-cells", use `command` type with the command `npx aspose.cells.mcp` for **Excel AI** functionality. You can also add environment variables by clicking `Edit`.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aspose-cells": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["aspose.cells.mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "LICENSE_PATH": "/path/to/your/Aspose.Total.lic",
        "WORK_DIR": "/path/to/your/work/directory"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

**Install in Windsurf**

Follow Windsurf MCP documentation. Use the following configuration:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aspose-cells": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["aspose.cells.mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "LICENSE_PATH": "/path/to/your/Aspose.Total.lic",
        "WORK_DIR": "/path/to/your/work/directory"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

**Install in Claude Desktop**

Follow the MCP install guide, use the following configuration:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aspose-cells": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["aspose.cells.mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "LICENSE_PATH": "/path/to/your/Aspose.Total.lic",
        "WORK_DIR": "/path/to/your/work/directory"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

**Install in Qodo Gen**

Open Qodo Gen chat panel in VSCode or IntelliJ → Connect more tools → + Add new MCP → Paste the following configuration:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aspose-cells": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["aspose.cells.mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "LICENSE_PATH": "/path/to/your/Aspose.Total.lic",
        "WORK_DIR": "/path/to/your/work/directory"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

Click `Save`.

### Environment Variables

- `LICENSE_PATH` - Path to Aspose.Total license file (optional, runs in evaluation mode without it)
- `WORK_DIR` - Working directory for file operations (optional)

## License

Commercial license required for production use. Evaluation mode available for testing.

Visit [Temporary License](https://purchase.aspose.com/temporary-license) for licensing information.