Excel MCP Server for Windsurf: Setup & Config

What you can do with Excel in Windsurf

Pick it for workbook editing, charts, and pivot tables without installing Microsoft Excel.

• Apply formulas and conditional spreadsheet formatting.
• Expose spreadsheet operations to a remote MCP client.

Before you start: Excel in Windsurf

• uvx
• An MCP-compatible client

Stdio accepts a path in each tool call. For remote operation use the documented streamable-http mode, configure EXCEL_FILES_PATH, and keep tool paths relative to that directory. SSE is deprecated.

Excel Windsurf configuration

1. Choose Windsurf configuration scope

   For Excel MCP Server, open macOS/Linux: ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.codeium\windsurf\mcp_config.json. Merge into mcpServers; remote endpoints use serverUrl.

2. Add Excel MCP Server to Windsurf

   Use the excel-mcp-server entry below in mcpServers. Keep Excel MCP Server's documented stdio connection fields and your other Windsurf entries.

3. Check Excel MCP Server in Windsurf

   Excel MCP Server: Refresh MCP in Windsurf settings and inspect Cascade’s tools.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "excel-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "excel-mcp-server",
        "stdio"
      ],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting Excel in Windsurf

• Check uvx excel-mcp-server (from uv, for Python tools) on the machine running Windsurf's MCP integration for Excel MCP Server; refresh MCP and inspect Cascade's tools.
• Excel MCP Server uses stdio here: Windsurf must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
• Known limitation: SSE is deprecated.
• Known limitation: The supplied README delegates individual tool details to a separate document.
• Known limitation: Example connection ports differ from the stated default port.
• General Windsurf troubleshooting lives in the /clients/windsurf guide.

Frequently asked questions