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MCP Spreadsheet in Claude Desktop

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 Desktop has no folder open, so give absolute paths: "open /Users/you/Downloads/sales.xlsx". That single habit removes most of the confusion people have with file tools in this client.

What you get in Claude Desktop

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 Desktop

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

Scope	Path
macOS	`~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
Windows	`%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "spreadsheet": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@theluckystrike/mcp-spreadsheet"]
    }
  }
}

If node came from nvm, asdf or homebrew, replace "npx" with the absolute path that which npx prints:

"command": "/Users/you/.nvm/versions/node/v22.14.0/bin/npx"

Save, then completely quit Claude Desktop and start it again. A window reload is not enough.

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.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "spreadsheet": {
      "url": "https://mcp.zovo.one/mcp/spreadsheet",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer <token>" }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop notes worth knowing first

Two documented facts decide whether the entry works: every path in claude_desktop_config.json must be absolute, and a stdio server started here inherits only a limited, platform-dependent subset of environment variables. If node came from nvm or homebrew, paste what `which npx` prints instead of the bare word. The .mcpb route avoids both: Claude Desktop ships a built-in Node.js environment.

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

Where is claude_desktop_config.json?

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json. There is no published Linux path. Settings, Developer, Edit Config opens the right copy and creates it if it does not exist.

I added it and MCP Spreadsheet does not appear.

In order: did you fully quit and restart, not just close the window? Is every path absolute? And is the command resolvable, given the limited environment a stdio server inherits here? If node came from nvm, paste what which npx prints.

Can I install it without editing JSON?

Yes. An .mcpb bundle, the format renamed from .dxt, opens with Claude and shows an installation dialog. One you built yourself goes in through Settings, Extensions, Advanced settings, Install Extension.

MCP Spreadsheet in detail · The same server in Cline and Claude Code · Every server in Claude Desktop · Guides · Claude Desktop docs