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# word-mcp-live
**The only MCP server that edits Word documents while they're open**
`Live editing` · `Tracked changes` · `Per-action undo` · `124 tools` · `Cross-platform`
[](https://pypi.org/project/word-mcp-live/)
[](https://www.python.org/downloads/)
[](LICENSE)
[]()
</div>
---
word-mcp-live gives any AI assistant that supports [MCP](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) full control of Microsoft Word. Open a document, tell the AI what you need, and watch it happen — formatting, tracked changes, comments, and all. Changes appear live in your open document.
<table>
<tr>
<td width="50%">
### Without word-mcp-live
- AI can discuss your document but can't touch it
- You copy-paste between AI and Word, losing formatting
- Track changes? You do those manually after the fact
- Every edit means save → close → process → reopen
</td>
<td width="50%">
### With word-mcp-live
- "Add a tracked change replacing ABC Corp with XYZ Ltd" — done
- Changes appear live in your open Word document
- Every AI edit is one Ctrl+Z away
- Real tracked changes with your name, not XML hacks
</td>
</tr>
</table>
### See it in action
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/fbb09af4-1e25-4e49-94d0-45b363278810
## What Sets This Apart
- **Live editing** — Edit documents while they're open in Word. No save-close-reopen cycle.
- **Full undo** — Every AI action is a single Ctrl+Z. Made a mistake? Just undo it.
- **Native tracked changes** — Real Word revisions with your name, not XML hacks.
- **Threaded comments** — Add, reply, resolve, and delete comments like a human reviewer.
- **Layout diagnostics** — Detects formatting problems before they become print disasters.
- **Equations & cross-references** — Insert math formulas and auto-updating references.
- **124 tools** — The most comprehensive Word MCP server available.
## Quick Start
```bash
pip install word-mcp-live
```
Or install from source:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/ykarapazar/word-mcp-live.git
cd word-mcp-live
pip install -e .
```
## Client Installation
<details open>
<summary><b>Claude Desktop</b></summary>
Add to your `claude_desktop_config.json`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"word": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["word-mcp-live"],
"env": {
"MCP_AUTHOR": "Your Name",
"MCP_AUTHOR_INITIALS": "YN"
}
}
}
}
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Claude Code</b></summary>
Add to your `.mcp.json`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"word": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["word-mcp-live"],
"env": {
"MCP_AUTHOR": "Your Name",
"MCP_AUTHOR_INITIALS": "YN"
}
}
}
}
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Cursor</b></summary>
**One-click:** Click the install button at the top of this page.
**Manual:** Add to `~/.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"word": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["word-mcp-live"],
"env": {
"MCP_AUTHOR": "Your Name",
"MCP_AUTHOR_INITIALS": "YN"
}
}
}
}
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><b>VS Code / Copilot</b></summary>
**One-click:** [Install in VS Code](vscode:mcp/install?%7B%22name%22%3A%20%22word%22%2C%20%22command%22%3A%20%22uvx%22%2C%20%22args%22%3A%20%5B%22word-mcp-live%22%5D%7D)
**Manual:** Add to your VS Code `settings.json`:
```json
{
"mcp": {
"servers": {
"word": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["word-mcp-live"],
"env": {
"MCP_AUTHOR": "Your Name",
"MCP_AUTHOR_INITIALS": "YN"
}
}
}
}
}
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Windsurf</b></summary>
Add to `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"word": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["word-mcp-live"],
"env": {
"MCP_AUTHOR": "Your Name",
"MCP_AUTHOR_INITIALS": "YN"
}
}
}
}
```
</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Docker</b></summary>
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"word": {
"command": "docker",
"args": ["run", "-i", "--rm", "ghcr.io/ykarapazar/word-mcp-live"],
"env": {
"MCP_AUTHOR": "Your Name",
"MCP_AUTHOR_INITIALS": "YN"
}
}
}
}
```
> Note: Docker mode supports cross-platform tools only. Live editing requires a native Windows install.
</details>
> **`MCP_AUTHOR`** sets your name on tracked changes and comments (default: `"Author"`). **`MCP_AUTHOR_INITIALS`** sets comment initials.
## Two Modes
| | Works everywhere | Live editing (Word open) |
|---|---|---|
| **What it does** | Create and edit saved .docx files | Edit documents live while you work in Word |
| **Platform** | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows (COM) and macOS (JXA) |
| **Undo** | File-level saves | Per-action Ctrl+Z (Windows); per-operation undo (macOS) |
| **Best for** | Batch processing, document generation | Interactive editing, formatting, review |
Both modes work together. The AI picks the right one for the task.
### macOS Live Editing (New in v1.5.0)
Live tools now work on macOS via JavaScript for Automation (JXA). Same tool names, same parameters — the server detects your platform and uses the right automation backend.
| Feature | Windows | macOS |
|---------|---------|-------|
| Text read/write/find/replace | COM | JXA |
| Formatting (bold, font, style) | COM | JXA |
| Track changes & revisions | COM | JXA |
| Comments (add, delete, list) | COM | JXA |
| Tables (read, write, add rows) | COM | JXA |
| Page layout, headers, bookmarks | COM | JXA |
| Equations, cross-references | COM | JXA |
| Threaded comment replies | COM | Not available |
| Comment resolve/unresolve | COM | Not available |
| Undo history inspection | COM | Not available |
| Watermarks | COM | Not available |
## Configuration
| Variable | Default | Description |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `MCP_AUTHOR` | `"Author"` | Author name for tracked changes and comments |
| `MCP_AUTHOR_INITIALS` | `""` | Author initials for comments |
| `MCP_TRANSPORT` | `stdio` | Transport type: `stdio`, `sse`, or `streamable-http` |
| `MCP_HOST` | `0.0.0.0` | Host to bind (for SSE/HTTP transports) |
| `MCP_PORT` | `8000` | Port to bind (for SSE/HTTP transports) |
For remote deployment, see [RENDER_DEPLOYMENT.md](RENDER_DEPLOYMENT.md).
## Example Prompts
Just tell the AI what you want in plain language:
```
"Draft a contract with tracked changes so my colleague can review"
"Format all headings as Cambria 13pt bold and add automatic numbering"
"Add a comment on paragraph 3 asking about the deadline"
"Find every mention of 'ABC Corp' and replace with 'XYZ Ltd' as a tracked change"
"Set the page to A4 landscape with 2cm margins"
"Insert a table of contents based on the document headings"
"Add page numbers in the footer and our company name in the header"
"Insert a cross-reference to Heading 2 in paragraph 5"
```
## Usage Examples
### Example 1: Read a document (cross-platform)
**Tool call:** `get_document_text`
```json
{ "filename": "C:/Documents/report.docx" }
```
**Expected output:**
```json
{
"status": "success",
"paragraphs": [
{"index": 0, "text": "Quarterly Report", "style": "Heading 1"},
{"index": 1, "text": "Revenue increased by 15% compared to Q3.", "style": "Normal"},
{"index": 2, "text": "Key Metrics", "style": "Heading 2"}
],
"total_paragraphs": 3
}
```
### Example 2: Live editing with tracked changes (Windows)
**Tool call:** `word_live_replace_text`
```json
{
"filename": "report.docx",
"find_text": "ABC Corporation",
"replace_text": "XYZ Ltd",
"match_case": true,
"replace_all": true,
"track_changes": true
}
```
**Expected output:**
```json
{
"status": "success",
"replacements": 4,
"message": "Replaced 4 occurrences (tracked changes enabled)"
}
```
The replacements appear as tracked changes in Word with strikethrough on "ABC Corporation" and underline on "XYZ Ltd".
### Example 3: Add a comment anchored to text (cross-platform)
**Tool call:** `add_comment`
```json
{
"filename": "C:/Documents/contract.docx",
"target_text": "payment within 30 days",
"comment_text": "Should we extend this to 45 days?",
"author": "Jane Smith"
}
```
**Expected output:**
```json
{
"status": "success",
"message": "Comment added by Jane Smith on 'payment within 30 days'"
}
```
The comment appears in Word's Review panel, anchored to the specified text.
## Tool Reference
**124 tools** across two modes — see the [complete tool reference](TOOLS.md) for details.
| Category | Count |
|----------|-------|
| Cross-platform (python-docx) | 80 |
| Windows Live (COM automation) | 44 |
| macOS Live (JXA automation) | 40 (of the 44 live tools) |
## Requirements
- **Python 3.11+**
- `python-docx`, `fastmcp`, `msoffcrypto-tool` (installed automatically)
- **Windows Live tools:** Windows 10/11 + Microsoft Word + `pywin32` (installed automatically)
- **macOS Live tools:** macOS + Microsoft Word for Mac (uses built-in JXA — no extra dependencies)
> The cross-platform tools work without Word installed — only python-docx is needed.
## Contributing
See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for development setup, code style, and how to add new tools.
Found a bug? [Open an issue](https://github.com/ykarapazar/word-mcp-live/issues/new?template=bug_report.md).
Have an idea? [Request a feature](https://github.com/ykarapazar/word-mcp-live/issues/new?template=feature_request.md).
## Acknowledgments
Built on top of [GongRzhe/Office-Word-MCP-Server](https://github.com/GongRzhe/Office-Word-MCP-Server) by GongRzhe (MIT License).
Additional libraries: [python-docx](https://python-docx.readthedocs.io/) · [FastMCP](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk) · [pywin32](https://github.com/mhammond/pywin32)
## Privacy
This server runs entirely on your local machine. No data is collected, transmitted, or stored. See the full [Privacy Policy](PRIVACY.md).
## Support
- **Bug reports:** [Open an issue](https://github.com/ykarapazar/word-mcp-live/issues/new?template=bug_report.md)
- **Feature requests:** [Request a feature](https://github.com/ykarapazar/word-mcp-live/issues/new?template=feature_request.md)
- **Discussions:** [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/ykarapazar/word-mcp-live/discussions)
## License
MIT License — see [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.
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<!-- mcp-name: io.github.ykarapazar/word-mcp-live -->
