excel-mcp

Excel MCP Server skill for Windows workbook automation. Use when an assistant needs rich MCP tools to create, inspect, modify, format, or analyze Excel files. Supports Power Query (M), Data Model/DAX, PivotTables, Tables, Ranges, Charts, Slicers, formatting, screenshots, VBA macros, connections, and calculation mode. Triggers: Excel, spreadsheet, workbook, xlsx, xlsm, Power Query, DAX, PivotTable, chart, dashboard, VBA, MCP.

Quality

92%

Does it follow best practices?

Impact

—

No eval scenarios have been run

Securityby

Advisory

Suggest reviewing before use

Quality

Content

85%

Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.

This is a strong skill file that effectively documents a complex 227-tool MCP server with clear workflows, actionable tool invocations, and excellent progressive disclosure to reference files. The main weakness is moderate verbosity—some rules could be tightened and a few patterns are repeated across sections. Overall it provides highly practical guidance that respects Claude's intelligence while adding genuine domain-specific knowledge about Excel automation quirks.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Conciseness	Generally efficient with good use of tables and code blocks, but some redundancy exists (e.g., Rule 5 session lifecycle repeats the workflow checklist, Rule 4 restates why tables matter, and the 'NEVER ask clarifying questions' section is somewhat verbose with its Bad/Good table for something that could be stated more briefly). The 'CRITICAL' and 'MUST FOLLOW' emphasis is slightly heavy-handed but not egregious.	2 / 3
Actionability	Highly actionable with specific tool names, action parameters, concrete format codes, numbered step sequences, and exact parameter examples. The tool selection quick reference and workflow checklist provide copy-paste-ready patterns. While not traditional code, the MCP tool invocations are the executable equivalent for this domain.	3 / 3
Workflow Clarity	Excellent multi-step workflows with clear sequencing throughout: the main workflow checklist, calculation mode workflow (manual → write → calculate → restore), Power Query test-first lifecycle, Data Model prerequisites chain, and session lifecycle all have explicit ordered steps with validation checkpoints. The Power Query 'evaluate first' pattern is a textbook feedback loop. Error handling via suggestedNextActions adds recovery guidance.	3 / 3
Progressive Disclosure	The SKILL.md serves as a well-structured overview with essential rules and workflows inline, then clearly signals 20+ one-level-deep reference files organized by topic. Navigation is easy with descriptive link text. Content is appropriately split between the overview (quirks, workflows, gotchas) and detailed references.	3 / 3
	Total	11 / 12 Passed

Description

100%

Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.

This is a strong skill description that clearly communicates its purpose, capabilities, and trigger conditions. It lists specific concrete actions and an extensive set of supported features, provides an explicit 'Use when' clause, and includes a comprehensive list of trigger terms. The description is well-structured, concise, and uses appropriate third-person voice throughout.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Specificity	The description lists numerous specific concrete actions (create, inspect, modify, format, analyze) and enumerates many specific capabilities: Power Query, DAX, PivotTables, Tables, Ranges, Charts, Slicers, formatting, screenshots, VBA macros, connections, and calculation mode.	3 / 3
Completeness	Clearly answers both 'what' (create, inspect, modify, format, analyze Excel files with specific feature support) and 'when' ('Use when an assistant needs rich MCP tools to...' plus explicit trigger terms). The 'Use when' clause and 'Triggers:' list provide explicit guidance.	3 / 3
Trigger Term Quality	Excellent coverage of natural trigger terms users would say: Excel, spreadsheet, workbook, xlsx, xlsm, Power Query, DAX, PivotTable, chart, dashboard, VBA, MCP. These cover both common user language and technical variations.	3 / 3
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk	Highly distinctive with its focus on Excel MCP Server automation on Windows, including specific features like Power Query/DAX/VBA that clearly differentiate it from generic spreadsheet or document skills. The MCP server context further narrows its niche.	3 / 3
	Total	12 / 12 Passed

Validation

100%

Warnings & errors only

Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.

Validation — 11 / 11 Passed

Validation for skill structure

No warnings or errors.

Repository: sbroenne/mcp-server-excel
Commit: 3b31cfb

Reviewed: 3 days ago

Table of Contents

Discovery Implementation Validation

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