How to integrate Excel MCP with Pydantic AI

This guide walks you through connecting Excel to Pydantic AI using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Excel agent that can add sales data row to q2 table, create bar chart from revenue column, share this workbook with your manager through natural language commands. This guide will help you understand how to give your Pydantic AI agent real control over a Excel account through Composio's Excel MCP server. Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

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Introduction

This guide will help you understand how to give your Pydantic AI agent real control over a Excel account through Composio's Excel MCP server.

Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

Also integrate Excel with

ChatGPT OpenAI Agents SDK Claude Agent SDK Claude Code Claude Cowork Codex OpenCode Cursor VS Code OpenClaw Hermes CLI Google ADK LangChain Vercel AI SDK Mastra AI LlamaIndex CrewAI

TL;DR

Here's what you'll learn:

How to set up your Composio API key and User ID
How to create a Composio Tool Router session for Excel
How to attach an MCP Server to a Pydantic AI agent
How to stream responses and maintain chat history
How to build a simple REPL-style chat interface to test your Excel workflows

What is Pydantic AI?

Pydantic AI is a Python framework for building AI agents with strong typing and validation. It leverages Pydantic's data validation capabilities to create robust, type-safe AI applications.

Key features include:

Type Safety: Built on Pydantic for automatic data validation
MCP Support: Native support for Model Context Protocol servers
Streaming: Built-in support for streaming responses
Async First: Designed for async/await patterns

What is the Excel MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Excel MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Excel account. It provides structured and secure access to your spreadsheets, so your agent can perform actions like adding data, creating tables, managing worksheets, generating charts, and sharing workbooks on your behalf.

Automated data entry and updates: Let your agent add rows, columns, or clear specific ranges in any worksheet—keeping your data fresh, organized, and accurate.
Effortless table and worksheet management: Direct your agent to create tables, add new worksheets, or organize data structures for seamless tracking and reporting.
Dynamic chart generation: Have your agent visualize your data instantly by adding charts to any worksheet for quick insights and analysis.
Advanced filtering and sorting: Ask your agent to apply filters or custom sorts to tables, making it easy to focus on what matters most in your datasets.
Secure sharing and permission control: Empower your agent to grant access or update permissions on workbooks, ensuring your team can collaborate safely and efficiently.

What is the Composio tool router, and how does it fit here?

What is Composio SDK?

Composio's Composio SDK helps agents find the right tools for a task at runtime. You can plug in multiple toolkits (like Gmail, HubSpot, and GitHub), and the agent will identify the relevant app and action to complete multi-step workflows. This can reduce token usage and improve the reliability of tool calls. Read more here: Getting started with Composio SDK

The tool router generates a secure MCP URL that your agents can access to perform actions.

How the Composio SDK works

The Composio SDK follows a three-phase workflow:

Discovery: Searches for tools matching your task and returns relevant toolkits with their details.
Authentication: Checks for active connections. If missing, creates an auth config and returns a connection URL via Auth Link.
Execution: Executes the action using the authenticated connection.

Step-by-step Guide

Step by step09 STEPS

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:

Python 3.9 or higher
A Composio account with an active API key
Basic familiarity with Python and async programming

Getting API Keys for OpenAI and Composio

OpenAI API Key

Go to the OpenAI dashboard and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models, or you can connect to another model provider.
Keep the API key safe.

Composio API Key

Log in to the Composio dashboard.
Navigate to your API settings and generate a new API key.
Store this key securely as you'll need it for authentication.

Install dependencies

bash

pip install composio pydantic-ai python-dotenv

Install the required libraries.

What's happening:

composio connects your agent to external SaaS tools like Excel
pydantic-ai lets you create structured AI agents with tool support
python-dotenv loads your environment variables securely from a .env file

Set up environment variables

bash

COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_composio_api_key_here
USER_ID=your_user_id_here
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key

Create a .env file in your project root.

What's happening:

COMPOSIO_API_KEY authenticates your agent to Composio's API
USER_ID associates your session with your account for secure tool access
OPENAI_API_KEY to access OpenAI LLMs

Import dependencies

python

import asyncio
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from composio import Composio
from pydantic_ai import Agent
from pydantic_ai.mcp import MCPServerStreamableHTTP

load_dotenv()

What's happening:

We load environment variables and import required modules
Composio manages connections to Excel
MCPServerStreamableHTTP connects to the Excel MCP server endpoint
Agent from Pydantic AI lets you define and run the AI assistant

Create a Tool Router Session

python

async def main():
    api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
    user_id = os.getenv("USER_ID")
    if not api_key or not user_id:
        raise RuntimeError("Set COMPOSIO_API_KEY and USER_ID in your environment")

    # Create a Composio Tool Router session for Excel
    composio = Composio(api_key=api_key)
    session = composio.create(
        user_id=user_id,
        toolkits=["excel"],
    )
    url = session.mcp.url
    if not url:
        raise ValueError("Composio session did not return an MCP URL")

What's happening:

We're creating a Tool Router session that gives your agent access to Excel tools
The create method takes the user ID and specifies which toolkits should be available
The returned session.mcp.url is the MCP server URL that your agent will use

Initialize the Pydantic AI Agent

python

# Attach the MCP server to a Pydantic AI Agent
excel_mcp = MCPServerStreamableHTTP(url, headers={"x-api-key": COMPOSIO_API_KEY})
agent = Agent(
    "openai:gpt-5",
    toolsets=[excel_mcp],
    instructions=(
        "You are a Excel assistant. Use Excel tools to help users "
        "with their requests. Ask clarifying questions when needed."
    ),
)

What's happening:

The MCP client connects to the Excel endpoint
The agent uses GPT-5 to interpret user commands and perform Excel operations
The instructions field defines the agent's role and behavior

Build the chat interface

python

# Simple REPL with message history
history = []
print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end.\n")
print("Try asking the agent to help you with Excel.\n")

while True:
    user_input = input("You: ").strip()
    if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit", "bye"}:
        print("\nGoodbye!")
        break
    if not user_input:
        continue

    print("\nAgent is thinking...\n", flush=True)

    async with agent.run_stream(user_input, message_history=history) as stream_result:
        collected_text = ""
        async for chunk in stream_result.stream_output():
            text_piece = None
            if isinstance(chunk, str):
                text_piece = chunk
            elif hasattr(chunk, "delta") and isinstance(chunk.delta, str):
                text_piece = chunk.delta
            elif hasattr(chunk, "text"):
                text_piece = chunk.text
            if text_piece:
                collected_text += text_piece
        result = stream_result

    print(f"Agent: {collected_text}\n")
    history = result.all_messages()

What's happening:

The agent reads input from the terminal and streams its response
Excel API calls happen automatically under the hood
The model keeps conversation history to maintain context across turns

Run the application

python

if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(main())

What's happening:

The asyncio loop launches the agent and keeps it running until you exit

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Excel and Pydantic AI:

python

import asyncio
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from composio import Composio
from pydantic_ai import Agent
from pydantic_ai.mcp import MCPServerStreamableHTTP

load_dotenv()

async def main():
    api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
    user_id = os.getenv("USER_ID")
    if not api_key or not user_id:
        raise RuntimeError("Set COMPOSIO_API_KEY and USER_ID in your environment")

    # Create a Composio Tool Router session for Excel
    composio = Composio(api_key=api_key)
    session = composio.create(
        user_id=user_id,
        toolkits=["excel"],
    )
    url = session.mcp.url
    if not url:
        raise ValueError("Composio session did not return an MCP URL")

    # Attach the MCP server to a Pydantic AI Agent
    excel_mcp = MCPServerStreamableHTTP(url, headers={"x-api-key": COMPOSIO_API_KEY})
    agent = Agent(
        "openai:gpt-5",
        toolsets=[excel_mcp],
        instructions=(
            "You are a Excel assistant. Use Excel tools to help users "
            "with their requests. Ask clarifying questions when needed."
        ),
    )

    # Simple REPL with message history
    history = []
    print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end.\n")
    print("Try asking the agent to help you with Excel.\n")

    while True:
        user_input = input("You: ").strip()
        if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit", "bye"}:
            print("\nGoodbye!")
            break
        if not user_input:
            continue

        print("\nAgent is thinking...\n", flush=True)

        async with agent.run_stream(user_input, message_history=history) as stream_result:
            collected_text = ""
            async for chunk in stream_result.stream_output():
                text_piece = None
                if isinstance(chunk, str):
                    text_piece = chunk
                elif hasattr(chunk, "delta") and isinstance(chunk.delta, str):
                    text_piece = chunk.delta
                elif hasattr(chunk, "text"):
                    text_piece = chunk.text
                if text_piece:
                    collected_text += text_piece
            result = stream_result

        print(f"Agent: {collected_text}\n")
        history = result.all_messages()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(main())

Conclusion

You've built a Pydantic AI agent that can interact with Excel through Composio's Tool Router. With this setup, your agent can perform real Excel actions through natural language. You can extend this further by:

Adding other toolkits like Gmail, HubSpot, or Salesforce
Building a web-based chat interface around this agent
Using multiple MCP endpoints to enable cross-app workflows (for example, Gmail + Excel for workflow automation)

This architecture makes your AI agent "agent-native", able to securely use APIs in a unified, composable way without custom integrations.

TOOLS

Supported Tools

Every Excel action and event your agent gets out of the box.

Add Chart

Add a chart to a worksheet using Microsoft Graph API.

Add SharePoint Worksheet

Add a new worksheet to a SharePoint Excel workbook using Microsoft Graph Sites API.

Add Table

Create a new table in a worksheet using the Microsoft Graph API.

Add Table Column

Add a column to a table using Microsoft Graph API.

Add Table Row

Add a row to a table using Microsoft Graph API.

Add Workbook Permission

Tool to grant access to a workbook via invite.

Add Worksheet

Add a new worksheet to an Excel workbook using Microsoft Graph API.

Apply Table Filter

Apply a filter to a table column using Microsoft Graph API.

Apply Table Sort

Apply a sort to a table using Microsoft Graph API.

Clear Range

Tool to clear values, formats, or contents in a specified worksheet range.

Clear Table Filter

Clear a filter from a table column using Microsoft Graph API.

Close Excel Session

Tool to close an existing Excel workbook session.

Convert Table To Range

Convert a table to a range using Microsoft Graph API.

Create Workbook

Tool to create a new Excel workbook file at a specified drive path.

Delete Table Column

Delete a column from a table using Microsoft Graph API.

Delete Table Row

Delete a row from a table using Microsoft Graph API.

Delete Worksheet

Tool to delete a worksheet from the workbook.

Export Workbook to PDF

Tool to export an Excel workbook to PDF via Microsoft Graph's format conversion.

Get Chart Axis

Tool to retrieve a specific axis from a chart.

Get Chart Data Labels

Tool to retrieve the data labels object of a chart.

Get Chart Legend

Tool to retrieve the legend object of a chart.

Get Range

Get a range from a worksheet using Microsoft Graph API.

Create Excel Session

Create a session for an Excel workbook using Microsoft Graph API.

Get SharePoint Range

Get a range from a worksheet in SharePoint using Microsoft Graph Sites API.

Get SharePoint Worksheet

Get a worksheet by name or ID from a SharePoint Excel workbook using Microsoft Graph Sites API.

Get table column

Tool to retrieve a specific column from a workbook table.

Get workbook

Tool to retrieve the properties and relationships of a workbook.

Get Worksheet

Get a worksheet by name or ID from an Excel workbook using Microsoft Graph API.

Get Worksheet Used Range

Tool to retrieve a worksheet's used range (active data region) without specifying a fixed range address.

Insert Range

Tool to insert a new cell range into a worksheet, shifting existing cells down or right.

List Charts

List charts in a worksheet using Microsoft Graph API.

List Chart Series

Tool to list all data series in a chart.

List Comments

Tool to list comments in an Excel workbook.

List Drive Item Children

Tool to list immediate children (files/folders) of a folder DriveItem using driveId and itemId.

List Drive Files

List files and folders in a drive root or specified path.

List Named Items

List named items in a workbook using Microsoft Graph API.

List SharePoint Tables

List tables in a SharePoint worksheet using Microsoft Graph Sites API.

List SharePoint Worksheets

List worksheets in an Excel workbook stored in SharePoint using Microsoft Graph Sites API.

List Table Columns

List columns in a table using Microsoft Graph API.

List Table Rows

List rows in a table using Microsoft Graph API.

List Tables

List tables in a worksheet using Microsoft Graph API.

List Workbook Permissions

Tool to list permissions set on the workbook file.

List Worksheets

List worksheets in an Excel workbook using Microsoft Graph API.

Merge Cells

Merge cells in a worksheet range using Microsoft Graph API.

Protect Worksheet

Tool to protect a worksheet using optional protection options.

Search Drive Files

Tool to search OneDrive drive items by query to discover Excel workbook IDs.

Sort Range

Sort a range in a worksheet using Microsoft Graph API.

Update Chart

Update a chart in a worksheet using Microsoft Graph API.

Update Chart Legend

Tool to update formatting or position of a chart legend.

Update Range

Update a range in a worksheet using Microsoft Graph API.

Update SharePoint Range

Update a range in a SharePoint worksheet using Microsoft Graph Sites API.

Update Table

Update a table in a workbook using Microsoft Graph API.

Update Worksheet

Update worksheet properties (name, position) in an Excel workbook using Microsoft Graph API.

Upload Workbook from URL

Tool to upload an external Excel file from a URL into OneDrive/SharePoint.

FRAMEWORKS

How to build Excel MCP Agent with another framework

ChatGPT

Use Excel MCP with ChatGPT

OpenAI Agents SDK

Use Excel MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK

Claude Agent SDK

Use Excel MCP with Claude Agent SDK

Claude Code

Use Excel MCP with Claude Code

Claude Cowork

Use Excel MCP with Claude Cowork

Codex

Use Excel MCP with Codex

Cursor

Use Excel MCP with Cursor

OpenClaw

Use Excel MCP with OpenClaw

Hermes

Use Excel MCP with Hermes

CLI

Use Excel MCP with CLI

Google ADK

Use Excel MCP with Google ADK

LangChain

Use Excel MCP with LangChain

Vercel AI SDK

Use Excel MCP with Vercel AI SDK

Mastra AI

Use Excel MCP with Mastra AI

LlamaIndex

Use Excel MCP with LlamaIndex

CrewAI

Use Excel MCP with CrewAI

OpenCode

Use Excel MCP with OpenCode

VS Code

Use Excel MCP with VS Code

MORE TOOLKITS

Explore Other Toolkits

Toolkit marketplace

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Addressfinder

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Agentql

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Agentql is a toolkit that connects AI agents to the web using a specialized query language. It enables structured web interaction and data extraction for smarter automations.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

With a standalone Excel MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Excel tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Excel and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

Yes, you can. Pydantic AI fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Excel tools.

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Excel scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Excel data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

Start with Excel.It takes 30 seconds.

Managed auth, hosted MCP servers, and every Excel tool your agent needs.Free to start.

Start building

Customer stories

Teams ship real agents on Composio

GET STARTED FOR FREE BOOK A DEMO

Karan skipped his own birthday party to fix our critical issue. It was 10pm and he diverted his Waymo to help us instead. This really sets the bar — it shows the commitment you need when users rely on your software.

Harsha Gaddipati

Co-founder, Slashy

A lot of students tell us that the moment their connected tools start talking to each other inside Opennote feels almost magical. The agent just knows them, and it's immensely helped keep new users on the platform.

Abhi Arya

Co-founder, Opennote

We chose Composio over Pipedream because it delivered depth where it mattered — niche tools and tricky edge cases other platforms simply ignored. That gave us confidence to scale without compromising.

Nirman Dave

CEO, Zams

As a solo builder, shipping fast is life or death. The only way I can outcompete incumbents is by outmanoeuvring them. Getting bogged down managing agent auth would have been a death sentence.

Ryan Yu

Founder, Extra Thursday

Before Composio, adding tool integrations was slow and resource-intensive. Each one could take weeks of engineering time, and maintaining them meant constantly keeping up with API changes.

Tomisin Jenrola

Founder & CEO, SwarmZero

With hands-on help from their founder, we integrated Gmail and Google Drive in just 30 minutes. This level of personal support and commitment is exactly what startups should strive for.

Jerome Leclanche

Co-Founder, Ingram Technologies

How to integrate Excel MCP with Pydantic AI

Connect Excel without auth hassles

Introduction

Also integrate Excel with

TL;DR

What is Pydantic AI?

What is the Excel MCP server, and what's possible with it?

What is the Composio tool router, and how does it fit here?

What is Composio SDK?

How the Composio SDK works

Step-by-step Guide

Prerequisites

Getting API Keys for OpenAI and Composio

Install dependencies

Set up environment variables

Import dependencies

Create a Tool Router Session

Initialize the Pydantic AI Agent

Build the chat interface

Run the application

Complete Code

Conclusion

Supported Tools

How to build Excel MCP Agent with another framework

ChatGPT

OpenAI Agents SDK

Claude Agent SDK

Claude Code

Claude Cowork

Codex

Cursor

OpenClaw

Hermes

CLI

Google ADK

LangChain

Vercel AI SDK

Mastra AI

LlamaIndex

CrewAI

OpenCode

VS Code

Explore Other Toolkits

21risk

Abstract

Addressfinder

Agentql

Frequently asked questions

What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Excel MCP?+

Can I use Tool Router MCP with Pydantic AI?+

Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Excel while using Tool Router?+

How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?+

Start with Excel.It takes 30 seconds.

Teams ship real agents on Composio