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ExcelMcp 2.5.3

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@github-actions github-actions released this 23 Oct 20:27
Immutable release. Only release title and notes can be modified.
v2.5.3
a92b11b

ExcelMcp 2.5.3

Let your AI assistant create and update real Microsoft Excel workbooks: cells,
formulas, Power Query, PivotTables, charts, and VBA. MCP and CLI offer the same
features. Coding agents can use either; the CLI usually uses fewer AI tokens,
though results vary by task, model, and client.

What's New

Fixes and improvements

  • Stopping the service no longer fails or gets stuck. Exiting the CLI tray after you closed a workbook in Excel no longer shows an error. excelcli service stop, the tray's Exit, and MCP Server shutdown now always stop the service. Saved workbooks are closed, and unsaved ones stay open and visible without saving. If a workbook is busy, waiting for a prompt, or does not answer the shutdown request within the shutdown wait (at most 30 seconds), that Excel copy is left exactly as it is, made visible, and reported by process number: service stop returns it as shutdownWarning, the tray shows it, and the MCP Server writes it to its log. Nothing is saved, discarded, or force-stopped. Saving a workbook that was closed in Excel now fails with a clear message instead of an unclear Excel error. (#1233)

Get started

Requires Windows, desktop Excel 2016 or later, and a signed-in interactive
desktop session.

Where you work Setup
VS Code with GitHub Copilot Install Excel MCP Server from the VS Code Marketplace.
GitHub Copilot plugins Install excel-mcp, excel-cli, or both from Awesome Copilot.
Claude Desktop Download excel-mcp-2.5.3.mcpb below and double-click to install.
Another MCP client Set up the MCP Server.
An agent that runs terminal commands Set up the CLI.

Node.js 18 or later with npm and npx is required for the plugins, Claude
Desktop bundle, and npm installations. The VS Code extension and standalone
executables do not need Node.js or .NET. NuGet tools require .NET 10.

The plugins and VS Code extension include optional report-formatting guidance;
no separate skill download is needed. See the
installation guide for setup,
updates, and troubleshooting.

Downloads

Release asset What it contains
excel-mcp-2.5.3.vsix VS Code extension for manual installation.
excel-mcp-2.5.3.mcpb Claude Desktop bundle that launches the MCP Server through npm.
ExcelMcp-MCP-Server-2.5.3-windows.zip Standalone MCP Server (mcp-excel.exe).
ExcelMcp-MCP-Server-2.5.3-windows-arm64.zip Native ARM64 standalone MCP Server (mcp-excel.exe).
ExcelMcp-CLI-2.5.3-windows.zip Standalone CLI (excelcli.exe).
ExcelMcp-CLI-2.5.3-windows-arm64.zip Native ARM64 standalone CLI (excelcli.exe).

Before updating, finish your work and explicitly save and close workbook
sessions. Restart the MCP Server or CLI service to use the updated version;
installing an update does not replace a running process.

Documentation

Assets 14
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