MCP Google Sheets Server
<a href="https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/@freema/mcp-gsheets"> <img width="380" height="200" src="https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/@freema/mcp-gsheets/badge" /> </a>
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Google Sheets API integration. Enables reading, writing, and managing Google Sheets documents directly from your MCP client (e.g., Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.).
Key Features
- Complete Google Sheets Integration: Read, write, and manage spreadsheets
- Advanced Operations: Batch operations, formatting, charts, and conditional formatting
- Flexible Authentication: Support for both file-based and JSON string credentials
- Production Ready: Built with TypeScript, comprehensive error handling, and full test coverage
Requirements
- Node.js v20 or higher
- Google Cloud Project with Sheets API enabled
- Service Account with JSON key file
- npm
Getting Started
Quick Install (Recommended)
Add the following config to your MCP client:
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-gsheets": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-gsheets@latest"],
"env": {
"GOOGLE_PROJECT_ID": "your-project-id",
"GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS": "/absolute/path/to/service-account-key.json"
}
}
}
}
NOTE
Using mcp-gsheets@latest ensures that your MCP client will always use the latest version of the MCP Google Sheets server.
MCP Client Configuration
<details> <summary>Claude Code</summary> Use the Claude Code CLI to add the MCP Google Sheets server (<a href="https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/mcp">guide</a>):claude mcp add mcp-gsheets npx mcp-gsheets@latest
After adding, edit your Claude Code config to add the required environment variables:
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-gsheets": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["mcp-gsheets@latest"],
"env": {
"GOOGLE_PROJECT_ID": "your-project-id",
"GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS": "/absolute/path/to/service-account-key.json"
}
}
}
}
Add to your Claude Desktop config:
- macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json - Windows:
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json - Linux:
~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-gsheets": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-gsheets@latest"],
"env": {
"GOOGLE_PROJECT_ID": "your-project-id",
"GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS": "/absolute/path/to/service-account-key.json"
}
}
}
}
Go to Cursor Settings → MCP → New MCP Server. Use the config provided above.
Follow https://docs.cline.bot/mcp/configuring-mcp-servers and use the config provided above.
</details> <details> <summary>Other MCP Clients</summary>For other MCP clients, use the standard configuration format shown above. Ensure the command is set to npx and include the environment variables for Google Cloud authentication.
Google Cloud Setup
- Go to Google Cloud Console
- Create a new project or select existing
- Enable Google Sheets API:
- Navigate to "APIs & Services" → "Library"
- Search for "Google Sheets API" and click "Enable"
- Create Service Account:
- Go to "APIs & Services" → "Credentials"
- Click "Create Credentials" → "Service Account"
- In the service accounts list, click the three dots in the
Actionscolumn →Manage keys→Add key→Create new key→ select JSON format - Download the JSON key file
- Share your spreadsheets:
- Open your Google Sheet
- Click Share and add the service account email (from JSON file)
- Grant "Editor" permissions
Alternative Authentication Methods
Option 1: JSON String Authentication
Instead of using a file path for credentials, you can provide the service account credentials directly as a JSON string. This is useful for containerized environments, CI/CD pipelines, or when you want to avoid managing credential files.
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-gsheets": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-gsheets@latest"],
"env": {
"GOOGLE_PROJECT_ID": "your-project-id",
"GOOGLE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY": "{\"type\":\"service_account\",\"project_id\":\"your-project\",\"private_key_id\":\"...\",\"private_key\":\"-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----\\n...\\n-----END PRIVATE KEY-----\\n\",\"client_email\":\"...@....iam.gserviceaccount.com\",\"client_id\":\"...\",\"auth_uri\":\"https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/auth\",\"token_uri\":\"https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token\",\"auth_provider_x509_cert_url\":\"https://www.googleapis.com/oauth2/v1/certs\",\"client_x509_cert_url\":\"...\"}"
}
}
}
}
Note: When using GOOGLE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY:
- The entire JSON must be on a single line
- All quotes must be escaped with backslashes
- Newlines in the private key must be represented as
\\n - If the JSON includes a
project_id, you can omitGOOGLE_PROJECT_ID
Option 2: Private Key Authentication (Simplified)
For the most user-friendly approach, you can provide just the private key and email directly. This is the simplest method and requires only two fields from your service account JSON:
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-gsheets": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-gsheets@latest"],
"env": {
"GOOGLE_PRIVATE_KEY": "-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----\\nMIIEvgIBADANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAASCBKgwggSkAgEAAoIBAQCgR6bvMNOUHZ29\\n+YgbVHAXsT/s+L/jnXTCB193zikCzspSBSfxLu8VRDjkNq9WUoDxizTATzMFNvNf\\n...\\n-----END PRIVATE KEY-----\\n",
"GOOGLE_CLIENT_EMAIL": "spreadsheet@your-project.iam.gserviceaccount.com"
}
}
}
}
Note: When using GOOGLE_PRIVATE_KEY:
- Newlines in the private key should be represented as
\\n - The private key must include the
-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----and-----END PRIVATE KEY-----markers - The client email should be the service account email from your JSON file
GOOGLE_PROJECT_IDis optional when using this method
Local Development Setup
If you want to develop or contribute to this project, you can clone and build it locally:
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/freema/mcp-gsheets.git
cd mcp-gsheets
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Build the project
npm run build
Interactive Setup Script
Run the interactive setup script to configure your local MCP client:
npm run setup
This will:
- Guide you through the configuration
- Automatically detect your Node.js installation (including nvm)
- Find your Claude Desktop config
- Create the proper JSON configuration
- Optionally create a .env file for development
Manual Local Configuration
If you prefer manual configuration with a local build, add to your MCP client config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-gsheets": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/mcp-gsheets/dist/index.js"],
"env": {
"GOOGLE_PROJECT_ID": "your-project-id",
"GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS": "/absolute/path/to/service-account-key.json"
}
}
}
}
📦 Build & Development
Development Commands
# Development mode with hot reload
npm run dev
# Build for production
npm run build
# Type checking
npm run typecheck
# Clean build artifacts
npm run clean
# Run MCP inspector for debugging
npm run inspector
# Run MCP inspector in development mode
npm run inspector:dev
Task Runner (Alternative)
If you have Task installed:
# Install dependencies
task install
# Build the project
task build
# Run in development mode
task dev
# Run linter
task lint
# Format code
task fmt
# Run all checks
task check
Development Setup
- Create
.envfile for testing:
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your credentials:
# GOOGLE_PROJECT_ID=your-project-id
# GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS=/path/to/service-account.json
# TEST_SPREADSHEET_ID=your-test-spreadsheet-id
- Run in development mode:
npm run dev # Watch mode with auto-reload
📋 Available Tools
Reading Data
| Tool | Description | Key Parameters |
|---|---|---|
sheets_get_values | Read cell values from a single range | spreadsheetId, range (A1 notation), valueRenderOption |
sheets_batch_get_values | Read cell values from multiple ranges in one request | spreadsheetId, ranges (array of A1 ranges) |
sheets_get_metadata | Get spreadsheet metadata: title, locale, sheets list with IDs, row/column counts | spreadsheetId |
sheets_check_access | Verify that the service account can access a spreadsheet | spreadsheetId |
Writing Data
| Tool | Description | Key Parameters |
|---|---|---|
sheets_update_values | Write values to a single range (overwrites existing content) | spreadsheetId, range, values (2D array), valueInputOption |
sheets_batch_update_values | Write values to multiple ranges in one request | spreadsheetId, data (array of {range, values}), valueInputOption |
sheets_append_values | Append rows after the last row of an existing table. Default insertDataOption is OVERWRITE — set INSERT_ROWS to push existing rows down | spreadsheetId, range, values, valueInputOption, insertDataOption |
sheets_clear_values | Clear all values in a range (preserves formatting) | spreadsheetId, range |
sheets_insert_rows | Insert blank or pre-filled rows at a specific position | spreadsheetId, range (anchor), rows, position (BEFORE/AFTER), values |
sheets_delete_columns | Delete one or more columns using a full-column A1 range | spreadsheetId, range (e.g. Sheet1!B:D) |
sheets_delete_rows | Delete one or more rows using a full-row A1 range | spreadsheetId, range (e.g. Sheet1!2:4) |
sheets_insert_link | Insert a hyperlink formula into a cell | spreadsheetId, range, url, label |
sheets_insert_date | Insert a date/datetime value formatted correctly into a cell | spreadsheetId, range, date, format |
Sheet Management
| Tool | Description | Key Parameters |
|---|---|---|
sheets_create_spreadsheet | Create a new Google Sheets file | title, sheets (optional initial sheet configs) |
sheets_insert_sheet | Add a new sheet tab to an existing spreadsheet | spreadsheetId, title, index |
sheets_delete_sheet | Remove a sheet tab by its numeric sheet ID | spreadsheetId, sheetId |
sheets_duplicate_sheet | Copy a sheet within the same spreadsheet | spreadsheetId, sheetId, newSheetName, insertSheetIndex |
sheets_copy_to | Copy a sheet to a different spreadsheet | spreadsheetId, sheetId, destinationSpreadsheetId |
sheets_update_sheet_properties | Rename a sheet, change tab colour, toggle grid lines, etc. | spreadsheetId, sheetId, properties |
sheets_batch_delete_sheets | Delete multiple sheet tabs in one request | spreadsheetId, sheetIds (array) |
Cell Formatting
| Tool | Description | Key Parameters |
|---|---|---|
sheets_format_cells | Apply background colour, font style, alignment and number format to a range | spreadsheetId, range, format |
sheets_batch_format_cells | Apply different formats to multiple ranges in one request | spreadsheetId, requests (array of {range, format}) |
sheets_update_borders | Set or remove borders on a range (style, width, colour per side) | spreadsheetId, range, borders |
sheets_merge_cells | Merge a range of cells | spreadsheetId, range, mergeType (MERGE_ALL / MERGE_COLUMNS / MERGE_ROWS) |
sheets_unmerge_cells | Unmerge previously merged cells in a range | spreadsheetId, range |
sheets_add_conditional_formatting | Add a conditional formatting rule (gradient or boolean) to a range | spreadsheetId, range, rule |
Charts
| Tool | Description | Key Parameters |
|---|---|---|
sheets_create_chart | Create a bar, line, pie, column or other chart on a sheet | spreadsheetId, sheetId, chartSpec, position |
sheets_update_chart | Modify an existing chart's spec or position | spreadsheetId, chartId, chartSpec, position |
sheets_delete_chart | Remove a chart from a spreadsheet | spreadsheetId, chartId |
Read / Snapshot Tools
| Tool | Description | Key Parameters |
|---|---|---|
sheets_get_merged_cells | Return all merged cell ranges for a sheet, with A1 notation and raw GridRange coordinates | spreadsheetId, sheetName |
sheets_get_sheet_dimensions | Return column widths, row heights, frozen column/row counts, and hidden flags for every column and row | spreadsheetId, sheetName |
sheets_get_sheet_formatting | Read raw cell formatting (background colour, font, borders, alignment, number format) for a range without returning cell values | spreadsheetId, range |
sheets_get_conditional_formatting | Read all conditional formatting rules and banded (alternating-colour) ranges defined on a sheet | spreadsheetId, sheetName |
sheets_get_sheet_structure | Lightweight structural metadata only — no per-cell data. Returns dimensions, frozen rows/cols, tab colour, column widths, row heights, hidden columns/rows, and all merges in A1 notation. Single fast API call | spreadsheetId, sheetName |
sheets_get_formatting_compact | Read cell formatting for a range and return it as compact A1Range→format pairs (run-length encoded). Identical adjacent cells are collapsed into rectangular ranges — reduces output by 90 %+ compared to per-cell data | spreadsheetId, sheetName, range, useEffectiveFormat, fields |
sheets_get_full_sheet_snapshot | Master one-shot tool — returns all structural and formatting metadata (merges, dimensions, conditional formatting, and optionally cell formatting) in a single API call. Supports fields filter and compactMode to limit response size | spreadsheetId, sheetName, includeFormattingRange, fields, compactMode |
sheets_get_basic_filter | Read the Basic Filter (AutoFilter) configuration for a sheet, including filtered range, sort specs, and per-column filter criteria (hidden values, conditions, colour filters) | spreadsheetId, sheetName |
sheets_get_data_validation | Read data validation rules (checkboxes, dropdowns, custom formulas) from a sheet or range. Returns compact run-length-encoded list of unique rules grouped by cell ranges | spreadsheetId, sheetName, range |
🔧 Code Quality
Linting
# Run ESLint
npm run lint
# Fix auto-fixable issues
npm run lint:fix
Formatting
# Check formatting with Prettier
npm run format:check
# Format code
npm run format
Type Checking
# Run TypeScript type checking
npm run typecheck
❗ Troubleshooting
Common Issues
"Authentication failed"
- If using file-based auth: Verify JSON key path is absolute and correct
- If using JSON string auth: Ensure JSON is properly escaped and valid
- If using private key auth: Check that the private key includes BEGIN/END markers and newlines are escaped as
\\n - Verify GOOGLE_CLIENT_EMAIL is a valid service account email
- Check GOOGLE_PROJECT_ID matches your project (or is included in JSON for full JSON auth)
- Ensure Sheets API is enabled
"Permission denied"
- Share spreadsheet with service account email
- Service account needs "Editor" role
- Check email in JSON file (client_email field)
"Spreadsheet not found"
- Verify spreadsheet ID from URL
- Format:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/[SPREADSHEET_ID]/edit
MCP Connection Issues
- Ensure you're using the built version (
dist/index.js) - Check that Node.js path is correct in Claude Desktop config
- Look for errors in Claude Desktop logs
- Use
npm run inspectorto debug
🔍 Finding IDs
Spreadsheet ID
From the URL:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BxiMVs0XRA5nFMdKvBdBZjgmUUqptlbs74OgvE2upms/edit
↑ This is the spreadsheet ID
Sheet ID
Use sheets_get_metadata to list all sheets with their IDs.
📝 Tips
- Always test with a copy of your data
- Use batch operations for better performance
- Set appropriate permissions (read-only vs edit)
- Check rate limits for large operations
- Use
sheets_check_accessto verify permissions before operations
📘 Tool Details
sheets_get_sheet_structure
Returns lightweight structural/dimensional metadata for a sheet without any per-cell data. Much faster and cheaper than sheets_get_full_sheet_snapshot when you only need layout information.
Parameters:
spreadsheetId(required): The ID of the spreadsheetsheetName(required): Name of the sheet (tab)
Returns: sheetName, sheetId, sheetIndex, tabColor, tabColorStyle, dimensions (rowCount, columnCount), frozen (rowCount, columnCount), columnWidths (array of pixel sizes), rowHeights (array of pixel sizes), hiddenColumns (0-based indices), hiddenRows (0-based indices), mergeCount, merges (A1 notation array)
sheets_get_formatting_compact
Read cell formatting for a range and return it as compact A1Range → format pairs. Adjacent cells with identical formatting are collapsed into rectangular ranges (run-length encoded), reducing output by 90 %+ compared to per-cell data.
Parameters:
spreadsheetId(required): The ID of the spreadsheetsheetName(required): Name of the sheet (tab)range(required): Range without sheet prefix, e.g."A1:Z85"useEffectiveFormat(optional):false(default) = userEnteredFormat (only explicit overrides, smaller output);true= effectiveFormat (all inherited defaults)fields(optional): Array of format field names to include, e.g.["backgroundColor", "textFormat", "borders"]
Returns: { range, formatType, rangeCount, data: { "A1:C3": { backgroundColor: {...} }, ... } }
Supported fields: backgroundColor, backgroundColorStyle, textFormat, horizontalAlignment, verticalAlignment, wrapStrategy, textRotation, numberFormat, padding, borders
sheets_get_full_sheet_snapshot
Master one-shot tool that returns all structural and formatting metadata in a single API call.
Parameters:
spreadsheetId(required): The ID of the spreadsheetsheetName(required): Name of the sheet (tab)includeFormattingRange(optional): If provided (e.g."A1:Z100"), per-cell formatting is included in the responseuseEffectiveFormat(optional): Use effectiveFormat instead of userEnteredFormat when including cell formatting (default:false)fields(optional): Array of format field names to return, e.g.["backgroundColor", "textFormat"]— reduces API transfer size and response sizecompactMode(optional): Whentrue, identical adjacent cells are collapsed into rectangular ranges (RLE). Reduces a typical 85×28 sheet from ~60 000 lines to ~500 lines (default:false)
sheets_insert_rows
Insert new rows at a specific position in a spreadsheet with optional data.
Parameters:
spreadsheetId(required): The ID of the spreadsheetrange(required): A1 notation anchor point where rows will be inserted (e.g., "Sheet1!A5")rows(optional): Number of rows to insert (default: 1)position(optional): 'BEFORE' or 'AFTER' the anchor row (default: 'BEFORE')inheritFromBefore(optional): Whether to inherit formatting from the row before (default: false)values(optional): 2D array of values to fill the newly inserted rowsvalueInputOption(optional): 'RAW' or 'USER_ENTERED' (default: 'USER_ENTERED')
Examples:
// Insert 1 empty row before row 5
{
"spreadsheetId": "your-spreadsheet-id",
"range": "Sheet1!A5"
}
// Insert 3 rows after row 10 with data
{
"spreadsheetId": "your-spreadsheet-id",
"range": "Sheet1!A10",
"rows": 3,
"position": "AFTER",
"values": [
["John", "Doe", "john@example.com"],
["Jane", "Smith", "jane@example.com"],
["Bob", "Johnson", "bob@example.com"]
]
}
sheets_delete_columns
Delete one or more columns from a sheet using a full-column A1 range.
Parameters:
spreadsheetId(required): The ID of the spreadsheetrange(required): Full-column A1 range to delete (e.g., "Sheet1!B:D" or "Sheet1!C:C")
Examples:
// Delete columns B through D from Sheet1
{
"spreadsheetId": "your-spreadsheet-id",
"range": "Sheet1!B:D"
}
// Delete a single column from the first sheet
{
"spreadsheetId": "your-spreadsheet-id",
"range": "C:C"
}
sheets_delete_rows
Delete one or more rows from a sheet using a full-row A1 range.
Parameters:
spreadsheetId(required): The ID of the spreadsheetrange(required): Full-row A1 range to delete (e.g., "Sheet1!2:4" or "Sheet1!3:3")
Examples:
// Delete rows 2 through 4 from Sheet1
{
"spreadsheetId": "your-spreadsheet-id",
"range": "Sheet1!2:4"
}
// Delete a single row from the first sheet
{
"spreadsheetId": "your-spreadsheet-id",
"range": "3:3"
}
📋 Changelog
See CHANGELOG.md for a list of changes in each version.
🤝 Contributing
- Fork the repository
- Create your feature branch (
git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature) - Run tests and linting (
npm run check) - Commit your changes (
git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature') - Push to the branch (
git push origin feature/amazing-feature) - Open a Pull Request
👤 Author
Tomáš Grásl - tomasgrasl.cz
📄 License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.