macOS Office 365 MCP Server
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants to create and manipulate Microsoft Office documents (PowerPoint, Word, and Excel) on macOS. This is a Proof of Concept and a personal project that is not an official MCP Server. Let me know if you have any issues.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bluhmadam/
Features
PowerPoint
- Create presentations with custom titles and themes
- Add slides with various layouts
- Insert text, images, and speaker notes
- Save presentations in multiple formats
Word
- Create documents from scratch or templates
- Add headings, paragraphs, lists, and tables
- Apply text formatting and styles
- Save documents in multiple formats
Excel
- Create workbooks with multiple worksheets
- Write data to cells and ranges
- Add formulas and calculations
- Create charts (bar, line, pie)
- Apply cell formatting and styles
- Save workbooks in multiple formats
Prerequisites
System Requirements
- macOS 10.15 or later
- Python 3.8 or later
- Microsoft Office for Mac (PowerPoint, Word, and/or Excel)
Python Dependencies
pip install mcp
pip install python-pptx
pip install python-docx
pip install openpyxl
pip install aiofiles
Installation
-
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/vAirpower/macos-office365-mcp-server.git cd macos-office365-mcp-server -
Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt -
Set up macOS permissions
The server uses AppleScript to control Office applications. You need to grant permissions:
a. Open System Preferences → Security & Privacy → Privacy b. Select Automation in the left sidebar c. Find your terminal application (Terminal, iTerm2, VS Code, etc.) d. Check the boxes for:
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel
If prompted when first running the server, click "OK" to allow automation.
Configuration
MCP Client Configuration
Add the server to your MCP client configuration:
For Claude Desktop
Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"office365": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["/path/to/macos-office365-mcp-server/src/office365_mcp_server.py"]
}
}
}
For Cline (VS Code)
Edit your Cline MCP settings:
{
"mcpServers": {
"office365": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["/path/to/macos-office365-mcp-server/src/office365_mcp_server.py"]
}
}
}
Usage
Once configured, the AI assistant can use the following tools:
PowerPoint Tools
create_presentation- Create a new presentationadd_slide- Add a slide to a presentationadd_text_to_slide- Add text content to a slideadd_image_to_slide- Add an image to a slideadd_speaker_notes- Add speaker notes to a slidesave_presentation- Save the presentation to a file
Word Tools
create_document- Create a new documentadd_heading- Add a heading to a documentadd_paragraph- Add a paragraph with optional formattingadd_list- Add a bulleted or numbered listadd_table- Add a table with datasave_document- Save the document to a file
Excel Tools
create_workbook- Create a new workbookadd_worksheet- Add a worksheet to a workbookwrite_cell- Write data to a specific cellwrite_range- Write data to a range of cellsadd_formula- Add a formula to a cellcreate_chart- Create a chart from datasave_workbook- Save the workbook to a filelist_worksheets- List all worksheets in a workbook
Utility Tools
list_active_presentations- List all open presentationslist_active_documents- List all open documentslist_active_workbooks- List all open workbookscheck_office_status- Check if Office apps are available
Example Usage
Creating a PowerPoint Presentation
# AI Assistant can execute:
result = await create_presentation(
title="Q4 Sales Report",
theme="modern"
)
slide = await add_slide(
presentation_id=result["presentation_id"],
layout="Title and Content"
)
await add_text_to_slide(
slide_id=slide["slide_id"],
text="Revenue increased by 25%",
placeholder="content"
)
await save_presentation(
presentation_id=result["presentation_id"],
file_path="~/Desktop/Q4_Sales.pptx"
)
Creating a Word Document
# AI Assistant can execute:
doc = await create_document(title="Project Proposal")
await add_heading(
document_id=doc["document_id"],
text="Executive Summary",
level=1
)
await add_paragraph(
document_id=doc["document_id"],
text="This proposal outlines our approach...",
formatting={"font_size": 12, "font_name": "Arial"}
)
await save_document(
document_id=doc["document_id"],
file_path="~/Desktop/proposal.docx"
)
Creating an Excel Workbook
# AI Assistant can execute:
workbook = await create_workbook(title="Sales Analysis")
# Add data
data = [
["Product", "Q1", "Q2", "Q3", "Q4"],
["Laptops", 100, 150, 200, 180],
["Tablets", 80, 90, 110, 120],
["Phones", 200, 250, 300, 350]
]
await write_range(
workbook_id=workbook["workbook_id"],
sheet_name="Sheet1",
start_cell="A1",
data=data,
formatting={"bold": True} # Bold headers
)
# Add a formula
await add_formula(
workbook_id=workbook["workbook_id"],
sheet_name="Sheet1",
cell="F2",
formula="=SUM(B2:E2)"
)
# Create a chart
await create_chart(
workbook_id=workbook["workbook_id"],
sheet_name="Sheet1",
chart_type="bar",
data_range="A1:E4",
chart_title="Quarterly Sales",
position="G2"
)
await save_workbook(
workbook_id=workbook["workbook_id"],
file_path="~/Desktop/sales_analysis.xlsx"
)
Troubleshooting
Permission Issues
If you see "Not authorized to send Apple events", ensure:
- Your terminal has automation permissions for Office apps
- Office applications are installed and have been opened at least once
- You may need to restart your terminal after granting permissions
Import Errors
If you see import errors:
- Ensure all dependencies are installed:
pip install -r requirements.txt - Check Python version:
python --version(should be 3.8+) - Verify MCP is installed:
pip show mcp
Office Not Found
If Office applications aren't detected:
- Ensure Microsoft Office for Mac is installed
- Try opening PowerPoint/Word/Excel manually first
- Check if Office is installed in the standard Applications folder
Development
Project Structure
macos-office365-mcp-server/
├── src/
│ ├── office365_mcp_server.py # Main MCP server
│ ├── controllers/
│ │ ├── powerpoint_controller.py
│ │ ├── word_controller.py
│ │ └── excel_controller.py
│ ├── integrations/
│ │ └── applescript_bridge.py # AppleScript automation
│ └── utils/
│ ├── config.py
│ ├── logger.py
│ └── validators.py
├── requirements.txt
└── README.md
Adding New Features
- Add new methods to the appropriate controller
- Register new tools in
office365_mcp_server.py - Update this README with usage examples
License
MIT License - see LICENSE file for details
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please:
- Fork the repository
- Create a feature branch
- Add tests for new functionality
- Submit a pull request
Support
For issues and questions:
- Open an issue on GitHub
- Check existing issues for solutions
- Ensure you've followed all setup steps
Acknowledgments
- Built with the Model Context Protocol (MCP)
- Uses python-pptx, python-docx, and openpyxl for document manipulation
- AppleScript integration for native Office control