Setting up the Google Sheets MCP Server

This guide walks you through setting up the Google Sheets MCP Server step by step. You will learn how to configure the necessary API permissions in the Google Cloud Console and set up the server locally in your AI client.

Step 1: Set Up a Google Cloud Project

To interact with the Google Sheets API, you must create a GCP project:
Log into the [Google Cloud Console](https://console.cloud.google.com/).
Create a new project or select an existing one.
Search for the Google Sheets API and click Enable.
Search for the Google Drive API and enable it as well.

Step 2: Create API Credentials (Two Methods)

You can connect either via a personal OAuth authentication flow or using a dedicated Service Account.

### Method A: Service Account (Recommended for Automation)
In GCP, navigate to IAM & Admin > Service Accounts.
Click Create Service Account and assign a name.
After creation, open the Service Account details, switch to the Keys tab, and click Add Key > Create New Key > JSON.
Store the downloaded JSON key file securely on your computer. It contains the service account's email address.
Open your Google Sheet in your browser and click "Share" to share edit permissions with the service account's email address.

### Method B: OAuth 2.0 (Recommended for Personal Everyday Use)
Navigate to APIs & Services > Credentials.
Click Create Credentials > OAuth client ID.
Select Desktop App as the application type and click Create.
Download the credentials JSON and rename it to gcp-oauth.keys.json.

Step 3: Configure Claude Desktop

Add the server process inside your local configuration file.

### Using the Python Version (xing5) via uv:
Add the server entry to your claude_desktop_config.json and point it to your credentials path:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-sheets": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-google-sheets",
        "--credentials",
        "/path/to/your/service-account-key.json"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Save the file and restart Claude Desktop.

Step 4: Test Your Spreadsheet Tools

Once the server is connected, test its capabilities with prompts like these:
"Read the values from columns A to C in my shared spreadsheet."
"Append a new row with today's sales numbers at the end of the sheet."
"Write a sum formula in cell D2 adding B2 and C2."