XLSX

This skill covers spreadsheet work including creation, editing, analysis, formulas, and formatting with emphasis on formula integrity and professional standards.

Documents & Office FilesOfficial Plugin marketplace

Install

Claude Code plugin
/plugin marketplace add anthropics/skills

Then run /plugin to install the skill set that includes it. In Claude.ai and the Claude app, Anthropic skills are built in: turn them on in Settings → Capabilities.

skills CLI (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and more)
npx skills add anthropics/skills --skill xlsx
Manual install
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/anthropics/skills.git /tmp/skills
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/skills/skills/xlsx ~/.claude/skills/xlsx

Personal skills live in ~/.claude/skills. Use .claude/skills in a project folder to share a skill with your team.

What this skill does

Comprehensive spreadsheet creation, editing, and analysis with support for formulas, formatting, data analysis, and visualization. When Claude needs to work with spreadsheets (.xlsx, .xlsm, .csv, .tsv, etc) for: (1) Creating new spreadsheets with formulas and formatting, (2) Reading or analyzing data, (3) Modify existing spreadsheets while preserving formulas, (4) Data analysis and visualization in spreadsheets, or (5) Recalculating formulas.

Trigger phrases

Claude loads this skill automatically when you say things like:

“Excel”“spreadsheet”“xlsx file”“create spreadsheet”“Excel formulas”“data analysis”

How it works

  1. Ensure every Excel model has ZERO formula errors
  2. Match established formats when modifying existing files
  3. Use color coding (Blue inputs, Black formulas, Green links)
  4. Always use Excel formulas instead of hardcoded values
  5. Run recalc.py after creating/modifying files with formulas

When to use it

  • When creating or editing Excel spreadsheets
  • When analyzing data in spreadsheet format
  • When building financial models

Best practices

  • Never hardcode calculated values - use formulas
  • Document assumptions with source, date, and reference
  • Use pandas for analysis, openpyxl for formulas and formatting

From the SKILL.md

# XLSX creation, editing, and analysis

| Task | Approach |
|---|---|
| **Create** or **edit** with formulas/formatting | `openpyxl` — see gotchas below |
| **Bulk data** in or out | `pandas` (`read_excel`, `to_excel`) |
| **Quick look** at a sheet | `markitdown file.xlsx` — `## SheetName` per sheet; reads `.xlsm` too. No cell coordinates, so don't plan edits from it |
| **Read** a model (formulas *and* values) | two `load_workbook` passes — see gotchas |

> `openpyxl`, `pandas`, and `markitdown` are preinstalled — do not run `pip install` first; write the script and import directly. Only if an import fails (or the `markitdown` command is missing): `pip install` the missing package.

> Script paths below are relative to this skill's directory.

## Requirements for every output

- **Professional font** (Arial, Times New Roman) throughout, unless the user says otherwise.
- **Zero formula errors.** Never ship while `recalc.py` reports `errors_found`. If you think an error predates you, prove it: load the *original* with `data_only=True` and look at that cell. An error you introduced looks exactly like one you inherited.
- **Use formulas, never hardcoded results.** Write `sheet['B10'] = '=SUM(B2:B9)'`, not the Python-computed total. The sheet must recalculate when its inputs change.
- **Follow the user's spec literally.** Exact tab names, exact column headers, and the formula they spelled out. A redesign that computes something else fails, however elegant.
Read the full skill on GitHub

Details

Skill name
xlsx
Repository
anthropics/skills
Path
skills/xlsx/SKILL.md
Listed in
anthropics/skills (official), BehiSecc/awesome-claude-skills, ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills, heilcheng/awesome-agent-skills, hesreallyhim/awesome-claude-code, karanb192/awesome-claude-skills, skillmatic-ai/awesome-agent-skills, travisvn/awesome-claude-skills

FAQ

What does the XLSX skill do?

Comprehensive spreadsheet creation, editing, and analysis with support for formulas, formatting, data analysis, and visualization. When Claude needs to work with spreadsheets (.xlsx, .xlsm, .csv, .tsv, etc) for: (1) Creating new spreadsheets with formulas and formatting, (2) Reading or analyzing data, (3) Modify existing spreadsheets while preserving formulas, (4) Data analysis and visualization in spreadsheets, or (5) Recalculating formulas.

How do I install the XLSX skill?

Claude Code plugin: /plugin marketplace add anthropics/skills. Skills go in ~/.claude/skills (personal) or .claude/skills (project), and Claude loads them automatically when a task matches the description.

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