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MCP Spreadsheet in Claude Code

Read, query, edit and convert xlsx and csv files safely. It opens xlsx, xlsm, xlsb, ods, csv and tsv, guesses the header row on a messy export, and queries with an expression language that has no eval.

Claude Code is already rooted in a directory, so relative paths work and the assistant can pair a sheet_query against a data file with a read of the code that produced it.

What you get in Claude Code

You say	Tool
Open sales.xlsx and tell me what's in it.	`sheet_info`
Which rep sold the most units in the North region? Top 5 with totals.	`sheet_query`
Add a Revenue column that's Units times Unit Price, save it as a CSV next to the original.	`sheet_add_column`

The group-by ranking above used to cost five tool calls and 71 seconds via a python fallback. It is one sheet_query call here.

Install it in Claude Code

The file is .mcp.json, and the key inside it is mcpServers.

Scope	Path
local (default)	`~/.claude.json, this project only`
project	`.mcp.json at the repository root`
user	`~/.claude.json, every project`

claude mcp add spreadsheet -- npx -y @theluckystrike/mcp-spreadsheet
claude mcp list    # health-check it before the first prompt

# or --scope project, committed to .mcp.json for the team

No restart. The entry is picked up in the next session, and `/mcp` reconnects one on demand.

The npm publish of @theluckystrike/mcp-spreadsheet is pending; until then use the .mcpb bundle or a clone and build from the latest release.

No install: the hosted endpoint

The same server runs at https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/spreadsheet over MCP streamable HTTP, no install. Mint a free token with curl https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/token, or use a Pro key. It has no filesystem, so a file comes back as a one-hour download link.

claude mcp add --transport http spreadsheet https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/spreadsheet \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer <token>"

Claude Code notes worth knowing first

The `--` is load-bearing: it separates Claude Code's own options, such as --transport, --env and --scope, from the command that runs the server. And the default scope is local, private to you and to the directory you ran it in, so adding it in the wrong folder leaves the tools absent with no error at all.

Free: read, query, stats and find up to 5,000 rows; writes up to 500 rows, never partial. Pro is $19 once, verified offline.

Questions

Which scope should I use for MCP Spreadsheet?

Local, the default, writes ~/.claude.json and is private to you and that directory. --scope project writes .mcp.json at the repository root, shared through version control. --scope user loads it everywhere.

Why did my first prompt ignore the server?

Measured, not documented: of three fresh projects, one first prompt made zero tool calls although initialize answered in 1.05 seconds. Run claude mcp list once first: it prints Connected, and the next run used the tool.

Can I use MCP Spreadsheet without installing anything?

Yes: claude mcp add --transport http spreadsheet https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/spreadsheet --header "Authorization: Bearer <token>". Mint a free token at https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/token or use a Pro key. -t and -H are the short forms.

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