spreadsheet-mcp
MCP Server for Google Sheets - read, write, format cells, create charts, and more
Documentation
Google Sheets MCP Server
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server providing full Google Sheets functionality. Read, write, format cells, create charts, use formulas, and manage spreadsheets directly from Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client.
Why I Built This
I created this MCP server for my college assignments, where I frequently work with data in Google Sheets — mostly financial sheets. Tasks like creating charts, writing formulas, formatting tables, and organizing data were repetitive and time-consuming. With this tool, I can automate all of that and focus on what actually matters — logical thinking and analysis — instead of doing the same manual work over and over again. :)
Features
| Category | Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Cell Operations | Read, write, batch operations, append rows, clear cells |
| Formulas | Full support (`=SUM()`, `=VLOOKUP()`, `=IF()`, etc.) |
| Sheet Management | Create, delete, rename, duplicate sheets |
| Formatting | Bold, italic, colors, alignment, column widths, merge cells |
| Charts | Bar, Line, Pie, Column, Area, Scatter charts |
| Data Operations | Sort, find/replace, get last row |
| Sharing | Share with users or make public |
Quick Start
1. Install
cd /path/to/spreadsheet-mcp
uv sync2. Google Cloud Setup (Free, One-Time)
1. Create Project: Go to Google Cloud Console → New Project
2. Enable APIs:
3. Create Service Account:
4. Share Spreadsheets: Share your sheets with the service account email (found in JSON)
3. Run
uv run spreadsheet-mcpMCP Client Configuration
Claude Desktop
Add to your Claude Desktop config file:
- macOS: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
- Windows: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-sheets": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"/path/to/spreadsheet-mcp",
"run",
"spreadsheet-mcp"
]
}
}
}Claude Code (CLI)
Add to your project's `.mcp.json` file:
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-sheets": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"/path/to/spreadsheet-mcp",
"run",
"spreadsheet-mcp"
]
}
}
}Cursor
Add to Cursor's MCP settings (Settings → MCP → Add Server):
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-sheets": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"/path/to/spreadsheet-mcp",
"run",
"spreadsheet-mcp"
]
}
}
}Or add to `~/.cursor/mcp.json`:
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-sheets": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"/path/to/spreadsheet-mcp",
"run",
"spreadsheet-mcp"
]
}
}
}Gemini CLI
For Gemini CLI with MCP support, add to your MCP configuration:
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-sheets": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"/path/to/spreadsheet-mcp",
"run",
"spreadsheet-mcp"
]
}
}
}Using with npx (Alternative)
If you prefer npx over uv:
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-sheets": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"uv",
"--directory",
"/path/to/spreadsheet-mcp",
"run",
"spreadsheet-mcp"
]
}
}
}Note: Replace `/path/to/spreadsheet-mcp` with the actual path where you cloned this repository.
Available Tools (27 Total)
Spreadsheet & Sheet Management
| Tool | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `get_spreadsheet_info` | Get metadata and sheet list | "Show me info about spreadsheet abc123" |
| `create_spreadsheet` | Create new spreadsheet | "Create a spreadsheet called 'Budget 2024'" |
| `list_sheets` | List all sheets/tabs | "What sheets are in this spreadsheet?" |
| `create_sheet` | Add a new sheet | "Add a sheet called 'Summary'" |
| `delete_sheet` | Remove a sheet | "Delete the sheet with ID 12345" |
| `rename_sheet` | Rename a sheet | "Rename sheet 0 to 'Data'" |
| `duplicate_sheet` | Copy a sheet | "Duplicate the main sheet" |
Cell Operations
| Tool | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `read_cells` | Read values from range | "Read cells A1 to D10 from Sheet1" |
| `write_cells` | Write values (supports formulas) | "Write headers Name, Age, Score to A1" |
| `batch_read` | Read multiple ranges at once | "Read A1:A10 and C1:C10" |
| `batch_write` | Write to multiple ranges | "Write data to multiple locations" |
| `append_rows` | Add rows at end of data | "Append these new records" |
| `clear_cells` | Clear a range | "Clear cells B2:D10" |
| `get_last_row` | Find last row with data | "What's the last row in column A?" |
Row/Column Operations
| Tool | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `insert_rows` | Insert empty rows | "Insert 5 rows at row 10" |
| `insert_columns` | Insert empty columns | "Insert 2 columns at column C" |
| `delete_rows` | Delete rows | "Delete rows 5-10" |
| `delete_columns` | Delete columns | "Delete column B" |
Formatting
| Tool | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `format_cells` | Apply formatting | "Make header row bold with blue background" |
| `set_column_width` | Adjust column width | "Set column A width to 200 pixels" |
| `merge_cells` | Merge cell range | "Merge cells A1:C1 for title" |
Charts
| Tool | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `create_chart` | Create embedded chart | "Create a bar chart from sales data" |
| `list_charts` | List all charts | "What charts exist in this spreadsheet?" |
| `delete_chart` | Remove a chart | "Delete chart 123456" |
Data Operations
| Tool | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `sort_range` | Sort data by column | "Sort data by column B ascending" |
| `find_replace` | Find and replace text | "Replace 'N/A' with '0' everywhere" |
Sharing
| Tool | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `share_spreadsheet` | Share or make public | "Make this spreadsheet public" |
Usage Examples
Example 1: Create a Sales Report
User: Create a sales report in spreadsheet abc123
Claude will:
1. get_spreadsheet_info("abc123") - Check existing sheets
2. create_sheet("abc123", "Sales Report") - Create new sheet
3. write_cells("abc123", "Sales Report!A1", '[["Product", "Q1", "Q2", "Q3", "Q4", "Total"]]')
4. write_cells("abc123", "Sales Report!A2", '[["Widget", 100, 150, 200, 180, "=SUM(B2:E2)"]]')
5. format_cells(..., bold=True, background_color="#4285F4") - Format header
6. create_chart(..., "COLUMN", "Quarterly Sales") - Add chartExample 2: Analyze Existing Data
User: Summarize the data in Sheet1
Claude will:
1. read_cells("abc123", "Sheet1!A1:Z1") - Read headers
2. get_last_row("abc123", "Sheet1", "A") - Find data extent
3. read_cells("abc123", "Sheet1!A1:D100") - Read all data
4. Provide summary and insightsExample 3: Format a Table
User: Make the spreadsheet look professional
Claude will:
1. format_cells(..., bold=True, background_color="#1a73e8", font_color="#FFFFFF") - Header
2. set_column_width(..., 150) - Adjust widths
3. format_cells(..., alignment="CENTER") - Center dataA1 Notation Reference
| Notation | Description |
|---|---|
| `Sheet1!A1:D10` | Cells A1 to D10 in Sheet1 |
| `Sheet1!A:A` | Entire column A in Sheet1 |
| `Sheet1!1:5` | Rows 1-5 in Sheet1 |
| `A1:B10` | Range in first visible sheet |
| `'My Sheet'!A1` | Sheet name with spaces (use quotes) |
Index Reference
- Rows: 0-based in formatting (Row 1 = index 0)
- Columns: 0-based (A=0, B=1, C=2, D=3...)
- sheet_id: Numeric ID from `list_sheets` or `get_spreadsheet_info`
Common Formulas
=SUM(A1:A10) Sum values
=AVERAGE(B:B) Average entire column
=COUNT(A:A) Count numbers
=COUNTA(A:A) Count non-empty cells
=MAX(A1:A100) Maximum value
=MIN(A1:A100) Minimum value
=VLOOKUP(A1,B:C,2,0) Lookup value
=IF(A1>100,"High","Low") Conditional
=CONCATENATE(A1," ",B1) Join text
=TODAY() Current date
=NOW() Current date/timeTroubleshooting
| Error | Solution |
|---|---|
| "Service account credentials not found" | Check `credentials/service-account.json` exists |
| "403 Forbidden" | Share spreadsheet with service account email |
| "API not enabled" | Enable Sheets & Drive APIs in Google Cloud Console |
| "Quota exceeded" | Wait a minute, you're hitting rate limits |
File Structure
spreadsheet-mcp/
├── pyproject.toml
├── README.md
├── credentials/
│ └── service-account.json (your key, gitignored)
└── src/spreadsheet_mcp/
├── __init__.py
├── auth.py # Google authentication
├── sheets_client.py # API wrapper (1000+ lines)
└── server.py # MCP server (27 tools)Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.
Author
License
MIT
Frequently asked questions
What is spreadsheet-mcp?
spreadsheet-mcp is MCP Server for Google Sheets - read, write, format cells, create charts, and more
How do I install spreadsheet-mcp?
Open the GitHub repository and follow its README. Most MCP servers are added to your client's MCP config, then called by your agent.
Is spreadsheet-mcp open source?
Yes — it is hosted on GitHub at https://github.com/dudegladiator/spreadsheet-mcp and has 18 stars.
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