How to Install OfficeCLI on Windows: PowerShell Setup Guide

OfficeCLI is a self-contained binary that installs on Windows with a single PowerShell command (irm ... | iex), requiring no separate .NET runtime or Microsoft Office installation.

OfficeCLI from the iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI repository is a cross-platform command-line tool for creating and manipulating Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. Because it bundles the .NET runtime into a single static executable, you can install OfficeCLI on Windows without installing .NET or Microsoft Office first.

Prerequisites

• Windows PowerShell 3.0 or higher
• Administrator privileges (for default installation to C:\Program Files\OfficeCLI)

One-Line PowerShell Installation

The fastest way to install OfficeCLI on Windows uses the official install.ps1 script. This script handles architecture detection, binary downloads, and PATH configuration automatically.

Run this command in PowerShell:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/main/install.ps1 | iex

What the Installer Does

According to the source code in install.ps1, the script performs three critical tasks:

1. Downloads the appropriate binary for your host architecture (x64 or ARM64)
2. Copies the binary to a directory on the system PATH (default: C:\Program Files\OfficeCLI)
3. Installs the OfficeCLI skill file (SKILL.md) into configuration folders for supported AI agents (Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, etc.)

Verify Your Installation

After the script completes, confirm the binary is accessible from any directory:

officecli --version

If the command returns the version number, the installation succeeded and you can start using the CLI immediately.

Manual Installation Method

If you prefer not to execute the install script, you can download the Windows x64 executable directly from the releases page and add it to your PATH manually:

# Replace VERSION with the latest release tag (e.g., v1.0.0)

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/releases/download/vVERSION/officecli-win-x64.exe" `
  -OutFile "$env:USERPROFILE\officecli.exe"

# Add to PATH for the current session

$env:PATH += ";$env:USERPROFILE"

Install the AI Skill File Manually

The automated installer registers the skill file with AI agents, but you can manually install SKILL.md for specific agents if needed.

For Claude Code:

irm https://officecli.ai/SKILL.md -OutFile "$HOME\.claude\skills\officecli.md"

For other agents (Cursor, VS Code, etc.), copy the file into the agent's designated skill directory.

Summary

• OfficeCLI requires no external dependencies because it is a self-contained .NET binary that bundles the runtime
• The install.ps1 script in the iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI repository automates architecture detection, binary placement at C:\Program Files\OfficeCLI, and AI agent integration
• Verify successful installation by running officecli --version
• Manual installation is available via direct download from the GitHub releases page for users who prefer not to run scripts

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to install Microsoft Office to use OfficeCLI?

No. OfficeCLI is a standalone tool that does not require Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, or PowerPoint to be installed on your system. It handles document creation and manipulation independently through its bundled .NET runtime, as implemented in the officecli.csproj build configuration.

What version of PowerShell is required to install OfficeCLI?

You need Windows PowerShell 3.0 or higher to run the installation script. The irm (Invoke-RestMethod) and iex (Invoke-Expression) commands used in the one-line installer are available in PowerShell 3.0 and later, making the installation compatible with most modern Windows systems.

Where is the OfficeCLI binary installed by default?

The install.ps1 script places the binary in C:\Program Files\OfficeCLI by default and adds this location to your system PATH. If you use the manual installation method, you can place the executable anywhere you choose, provided you update your PATH environment variable accordingly.

Can I install OfficeCLI without administrator privileges?

The default installation to C:\Program Files\OfficeCLI requires administrator privileges. However, you can use the manual installation method to place the binary in a user directory (such as $env:USERPROFILE) and modify your user PATH variable instead, which does not require elevated permissions.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}