Claude Desktop connects to Excel Services through the CData MCP Server for Microsoft SharePoint Excel using the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

When you launch Claude, it automatically detects MCP connections registered during setup. These connections are created and saved using the MCP Configuration Tool, which is installed with the MCP Server.

Each saved connection is recognized by Claude and can be referenced by name when asking questions.

Installing Claude

Claude Desktop is a standalone application that enables natural language querying across supported data sources using the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

To connect to Excel Services via MCP, you first need to install the Claude Desktop application.

You can download the latest version from the official Claude Download Page.

After installing Claude Desktop, you can configure your MCP connection using the CData MCP Driver for Excel Services.

How Claude Uses the Server

When you ask Claude a question, it launches the corresponding MCP Server connection, reads the available tool descriptions provided by the connector, and generates a secure query in the background.

There is no need to write SQL or teach Claude how to query your data. Each tool is self-describing, and Claude consumes those descriptions to determine how to retrieve the right information.

Example Prompts

After setup, you can ask Claude natural-language questions like:

• "What are the column names and data types in the SalesData worksheet?"
• "Find all customers from New York in the CustomerInfo sheet."
• "Show all orders with a total amount greater than $1,000."
• "Which products were sold in March 2024?"
• "What is the total sales revenue for Q1 2025?"
• "Give me the average satisfaction rating from the SurveyResults worksheet."
• "Count how many new clients were added in 2023."
• "Show monthly sales totals for the past 12 months."
• "What are the top five best-selling products this year?"
• "Which salesperson had the highest revenue last quarter?"
• "Compare average salaries across different job titles."
• "List all orders with customer names included."

Claude securely executes the query using the MCP Server and responds using the live results from Excel Services.