Question 1

What are the dependencies and runtime requirements?

Accepted Answer

Dependencies include `@modelcontextprotocol/sdk` (^1.7.0), `xlsx` (^0.18.5), and `typescript` (^5.8.2). Development dependencies also require `@types/node`, `nodemon`, and `ts-node`.

Question 2

How is data cached and what are the default cache settings?

Accepted Answer

Cache expires after 1 hour by default, with automatic cleanup every 4 hours. Cache can be manually cleared per file using the `clearFileCache` tool.

Question 3

Where are logs stored and how are they managed?

Accepted Answer

Logs are stored in a configurable `LOG_PATH` (default: 'logs' folder under the application root). Logs are retained for 7 days with cleanup occurring every 24 hours by default.

Question 4

What credentials does it need?

Accepted Answer

It reads `LOG_PATH`, `CACHE_MAX_AGE`, `CACHE_CLEANUP_INTERVAL`, `LOG_RETENTION_DAYS`, `LOG_CLEANUP_INTERVAL` from the environment. Store these in your client's env block or a secrets manager — never commit them to a repository — and grant the narrowest scope that still covers your use case.

Tool	What it does
headerRows	Number of header rows (default: 1)
targetFilePath	Target Excel file path
sheetName	Name of the sheet to read
headerRow	Header row number (default: 1)
dataStartRow	Data start row number (default: 2)
data	Array of data to write

Variable	Description	Required
LOG_PATH	Filesystem location the server is allowed to use.	Optional
CACHE_MAX_AGE	Configuration value read at startup.	Optional
CACHE_CLEANUP_INTERVAL	Configuration value read at startup.	Optional
LOG_RETENTION_DAYS	Configuration value read at startup.	Optional
LOG_CLEANUP_INTERVAL	Configuration value read at startup.	Optional

Excel MCP Server

What is the Excel MCP Server?

The short version

More MCP options

Recorded tools

Configuration

Example prompts to try

Frequently asked questions

Alternatives to the Excel MCP Server

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