How to Install OfficeCLI on Windows: Complete Setup Guide

OfficeCLI installs on Windows via a single PowerShell command that downloads the self-contained binary and configures AI agent integration automatically.

OfficeCLI is a cross-platform command-line interface for creating and manipulating Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. According to the iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI source code, the tool distributes as a self-contained binary that bundles the .NET runtime, eliminating dependencies on external runtimes or Office installations. This guide covers the Windows installation process using the official PowerShell installer.

Prerequisites

• Windows PowerShell 3.0 or later
• Administrator privileges (to write to C:\Program Files)

One-Line PowerShell Installation

The fastest method uses the irm (Invoke-RestMethod) shortcut to download and execute the official install script from the repository root.

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

This command fetches install.ps1 and pipes it to iex (Invoke-Expression) for immediate execution.

What the Install Script Does

According to the install.ps1 source in the iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI repository, the installer performs three distinct tasks:

1. Downloads the architecture-specific binary – Detects x64 or ARM64 and pulls the appropriate executable from GitHub Releases.
2. Copies the binary to the system PATH – Places the file in C:\Program Files\OfficeCLI by default and updates environment variables.
3. Installs the OfficeCLI skill file – Copies SKILL.md into configuration folders for Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, and other supported AI agents.

Verifying the Installation

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

officecli --version

This should return the installed version number without requiring a shell restart.

Installing the Skill File Manually

If you skipped automatic skill installation or need to configure a new AI agent, download SKILL.md directly from the repository:

# For Claude Code

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

For other agents, place the file in the agent's designated skill directory (e.g., .cursor/skills/ for Cursor).

Manual Binary Installation

If you prefer not to run the install script, download the Windows x64 executable directly from the releases page and place it on your PATH:

# 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"

Alternative Installation via npm

The repository includes an npm wrapper documented in npm/README.md. This method downloads the native binary during the npm install process:

npm install -g @iofficeai/officecli

This approach uses the same underlying binaries defined in officecli.csproj but manages updates through npm.

Summary

• OfficeCLI is self-contained: The binary bundles the .NET runtime, requiring no separate framework installation.
• Single-line installation: Run irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/main/install.ps1 | iex in PowerShell.
• Automatic AI setup: The installer registers SKILL.md with Claude Code, Cursor, and VS Code automatically.
• Flexible deployment: Use PowerShell, manual download, or npm depending on your environment requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to install .NET Runtime before running OfficeCLI?

No. According to the officecli.csproj configuration in the iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI repository, the binary is built as a self-contained deployment that bundles the .NET runtime. You do not need the .NET SDK or runtime installed on the host machine.

Which Windows architectures are supported?

The install.ps1 script detects and downloads binaries for both x64 and ARM64 architectures. The install.sh counterpart handles macOS and Linux systems, making the tool truly cross-platform.

Where is the OfficeCLI binary installed by default?

The PowerShell installer places the executable in C:\Program Files\OfficeCLI and updates the system PATH environment variable. You can verify the location by running where officecli in Command Prompt or Get-Command officecli in PowerShell.

How do I update OfficeCLI to the latest version?

Repeat the one-line installation command. The install.ps1 script automatically downloads the latest release from GitHub and overwrites the existing binary in C:\Program Files\OfficeCLI. For npm installations, run npm update -g @iofficeai/officecli.

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