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Easily manage, read, and update your Microsoft 365 Excel workbooks stored in OneDrive and SharePoint directly from your Gumloop workflows. Automate spreadsheet tasks, keep data in sync, and eliminate manual edits with natural-language prompts.
Connect to every Excel file in your Microsoft 365 account, including shared workbooks across OneDrive and SharePoint, and control them instantly with AI-powered commands.

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How to Use MCP Nodes

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What is Excel MCP?

When you create an Excel MCP node, Gumloop generates a custom node that understands Microsoft 365 Excel’s API. Simply describe what you need in plain English, and the node translates your prompt into the right Excel action.

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What Can It Do for You?

  • Create, search, and download workbooks without leaving Gumloop
  • Add, list, delete, and update worksheets to keep your files organized
  • Read, search, insert, or modify rows, cells, tables, and columns in seconds
  • Combine with other nodes (like Ask AI or Google Sheets Writer) for end-to-end reporting and analysis

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Available Tools

ToolWhat It DoesExample Use
Create WorkbookCreate a new Excel workbook in OneDrive or SharePoint”Create a workbook named Marketing_Budget_2025.xlsx in my OneDrive Documents folder and return the workbook ID”
List WorksheetsList all worksheets in a workbook”List worksheets in workbook ID abc123 and return worksheet names and IDs”
Add WorksheetAdd a new worksheet to a workbook”In workbook ID abc123 add a worksheet called Summary and return the new worksheet ID”
Read WorksheetRead data from a worksheet”Read range A1:D50 from worksheet ID sheet789 and return the values”
Update CellsUpdate cell values in a worksheet”In worksheet ID sheet789 set range B2:D2 to ['North','South','East'] and return the updated range”
Search DataGet data from a specific range”From worksheet ID sheet789 get range A1:F100 and return the values”
Add RowAppend a new row to a worksheet”Add row ['Acme Inc', 25000, 'Closed Won'] to worksheet ID sheet789 and return the new row number”
Add TableCreate a table in a worksheet”Create a table named SalesData on worksheet ID sheet789 covering A1:D100 and return the table ID”
Add Table RowAdd a row to an existing table”In table ID tbl456 add row ['West', 'Q2', 14000] and return the row index”
Find RowLocate a row by column value”Find the row in worksheet ID sheet789 where column B equals Acme Inc and return the row number”
Find Or Create RowFind a row or create it if missing”Find or create a row in worksheet ID sheet789 where column A equals Beta Corp and return the row number”
Update RowUpdate an existing row”In worksheet ID sheet789 update row 25 with ['Gamma Co', 32000, 'Negotiation'] and return the updated values”
Delete Worksheet RowDelete a row from a worksheet”Delete row 10 from worksheet ID sheet789 and confirm deletion”
List TablesList all tables in a workbook”List tables in workbook ID abc123 and return table names and IDs”
Get TableGet table metadata”Get table ID tbl456 metadata and return column names”
List Table RowsList rows in a table”List rows 1-20 in table ID tbl456 and return all cell values”
Add Table ColumnAdd a column to a table”In table ID tbl456 add column Forecast and return the column index”
Update Table ColumnUpdate data in a table column”In table ID tbl456 update column Forecast rows 1-10 to 0 and return affected rows”
Delete TableDelete a table object (data stays)“Delete table ID tbl456 and confirm deletion”
Download WorkbookGet a download URL for the workbook”Generate a download link for workbook ID abc123 and return the URL”
Search WorkbooksSearch workbooks in OneDrive and SharePoint”Search my OneDrive for workbooks with name containing Q4_Report and return workbook links”

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How to Use

1

Create Your Excel MCP Node

Go to your node library, search for Excel, and click “Create a node with AI”
2

Add Your Prompt

Drag the Excel node onto the canvas and describe the exact Excel action you need.
3

Test Your Node

Run the node. Review the output to ensure it pulls or updates the right data.
4

Save and Reuse

Save the working node to your library so you can reuse it in any workflow.

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Example Prompts

With 21 available tools, these examples showcase common use cases. Feel free to experiment with natural-language instructions. File Management: 
Create a workbook named "Project_Status_2025.xlsx" in my SharePoint site "PMO" and return the workbook ID
Worksheet Organization: 
In {workbook link} list worksheets and return worksheet names and IDs
Data Retrieval: 
Read range A1:D200 from worksheet 'ABC' on this {workbook link} and return the values
Data Update: 
In {workbook file} update cell C10 to "Closed Won" and return the updated cell value
Table Operations: 
In {workbook file} add row ["Central", "Q3", 18000] under column "A" and return the new row index
Workbook Search & Download: 
Search OneDrive for workbooks with name containing "Revenue" and return workbook IDs
For best results, start with a single, specific action (for example, “List worksheets”). Once you confirm the output, chain additional nodes like Ask AI or Google Sheets Writer to analyze or move the data.

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Troubleshooting

If your Excel MCP node isn’t working as expected, try these best practices:

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Keep Prompts Simple and Specific

  • Good: “List worksheets in workbook ID abc123 and return worksheet names”
  • Bad: “Create a workbook, add a sheet, paste my CRM export, format the table, and send me a download link”
While this prompt might work, it’s more efficient to break it into separate nodes. Excel MCP works best with focused, single-action prompts.

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Match What Excel Can Do

  • Good: “Update cells A1:C1 in worksheet ID sheet789 to [‘North’,‘South’,‘East’]”
  • Bad: “Update cells A1:C1 in Google Sheets and then email the file”
Excel MCP excels at Microsoft 365 Excel actions. For emailing the file, combine it with Gmail Sender/Reader or another email node.

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Break Complex Tasks Into Steps

Instead of trying to do everything in one prompt (which can cause timeouts and added complexity): 
Create a new workbook called "Q1_Sales", add a sheet "Raw", import CSV data from a URL, create a pivot table, then download the file
Break this into smaller, focused nodes that each handle one task:
1

Step 1: Create Workbook

Create a workbook named “Q1_Sales.xlsx” in my OneDrive and return the workbook ID
2

Step 2: Add Worksheet

In workbook ID output_from_step1 add a worksheet named “Raw” and return the worksheet ID
3

Step 3: Add Table

In worksheet ID output_from_step2 create a table named “SalesData” covering A1:D500 and return the table ID
In your workflow, connect these nodes sequentially. The workbook ID output from Step 1 becomes the input for Step 2, and the worksheet ID from Step 2 feeds into Step 3.

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Focus on Data Retrieval

Excel MCP is great at getting information from your spreadsheets. For analysis or chart creation, connect it to other nodes. Example:
  • Good prompt: “Find the row where column A equals ‘Acme Inc’ and return the entire row”
  • Less efficient prompt: “Find Acme Inc, calculate average deal size, and write a summary paragraph”
Let Excel MCP retrieve the raw data. Use Ask AI or Run Code nodes for calculations or summaries.

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Troubleshooting Node Creation

In the node creation window, click “Request changes” and ask the AI to add debug logs and verify the API response.
In the node creation window, click “Request changes” and describe what you expected versus what you received.
First click “Fix with Gummie”. If multiple attempts fail, simplify your prompt or contact support.
MCP node creation often requires a few tweaks. Use “Request changes” (in the node creation window) to refine filters, output fields, or pagination.

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Need More Help?