Add Excel logo

Add Excel

Organization
microsoft
add-excel

Adds Excel Online (Business) connector to a Power Apps code app. Use when reading or writing Excel workbook data from OneDrive or SharePoint.

Overview

Publishermicrosoft
Repositorypower-platform-skills
Skill nameadd-excel
Stars
895
Forks
182
Bundled files
Instructions only
LicenseMIT
Links
  • Markdown instructions

    A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.

  • Works with any LLM

    AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.

  • Self-contained

    Everything the model needs lives in the instructions — no extra files to sync.

  • Open source

    Published by microsoft on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Add Excel AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

1

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

  1. Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
  2. Choose "Install from GitHub".
  3. Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
  4. Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.
Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.
2

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/power-platform-skills.git /tmp/power-platform-skills
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/power-platform-skills/plugins/code-apps/skills/add-excel .claude/skills/add-excel
Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Add Excel in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Add Excel on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Add Excel is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

  • Loaded only when it is needed

    The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.

  • Switch models mid-chat

    Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

📋 Shared Instructions: shared-instructions.md - Cross-cutting concerns.

Add Excel Online

Workflow

  1. Check Memory Bank → 2. Gather → 3. Add Connector → 4. Configure → 5. Build → 6. Update Memory Bank

Step 1: Check Memory Bank

Check for memory-bank.md per shared-instructions.md.

Step 2: Gather

Ask the user:

  1. Where is the workbook? (OneDrive or SharePoint)
  2. Workbook file name
  3. Which table(s) in the workbook to access

Step 3: Add Connector

First, find the connection ID (see connector-reference.md):

Run the /list-connections skill. Find the Excel Online (Business) connection in the output. If none exists, direct the user to create one using the environment-specific Connections URL — construct it from the active environment ID in context (from power.config.json or a prior step): https://make.powerapps.com/environments/<environment-id>/connections+ New connection → search for the connector → Create.

Excel Online is a tabular datasource -- requires -c (connection ID), -d (drive), and --table (table name in workbook):

bash
# OneDrive workbook
pa app add data-source --connector excelonlinebusiness -c <connection-id> -d 'me' --table 'Table1'

# SharePoint workbook -- dataset is the document library path
pa app add data-source --connector excelonlinebusiness -c <connection-id> -d 'sites/your-site' --table 'Table1'

Run for each table the user needs.

Step 4: Configure

AddRowIntoTable -- adds a row to an Excel table:

typescript
// OneDrive workbook
await ExcelOnlineBusinessService.AddRowIntoTable({
  source: "me",
  drive: "me",
  file: "MyWorkbook.xlsx",
  table: "Table1",
  body: { column1: "value1", column2: "value2" } // Flat object, NO "items" wrapper
});

// SharePoint workbook
await ExcelOnlineBusinessService.AddRowIntoTable({
  source: "sites/your-site",
  drive: "drive-id",
  file: "SharedWorkbook.xlsx",
  table: "Table1",
  body: { column1: "value1", column2: "value2" }
});

Key points:

  • source: "me" and drive: "me" for OneDrive personal files
  • For SharePoint, use the site path and drive ID
  • The body is a flat key-value object matching column headers -- do NOT wrap in { items: ... }

Use Grep to find specific methods in src/generated/services/ExcelOnlineBusinessService.ts (generated files can be very large -- see connector-reference.md).

Step 5: Build

bash
npm run build

Fix TypeScript errors before proceeding. Do NOT deploy yet.

Step 6: Update Memory Bank

Update memory-bank.md with: connector added, workbook/table configured, build status.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Add Excel AI skill do?

Adds Excel Online (Business) connector to a Power Apps code app. Use when reading or writing Excel workbook data from OneDrive or SharePoint.

Why use Add Excel on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Add Excel is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Add Excel in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/microsoft/power-platform-skills/tree/main/plugins/code-apps/skills/add-excel. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Add Excel?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Add Excel?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Add Excel with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Add Excel AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by microsoft under the MIT license. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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