Does this Excel file have macros? Is it safe? Free check.

What we check

We look for two things that decide whether a workbook is safe to open. First, VBA macros — the small programs that can run when you open the file. We report whether any are present and, when they are, roughly how big the macro project is. Second, external links — formulas that pull values from other files or network shares, which can leak file paths or break when the file is moved.

We never run the macros

This is a read-only inspection. We do not extract, display, or execute macro code — by design. Reading macro source into a tool is the first step of a chain that ends in code running automatically, so we surface only enough to let you decide whether to trust the file before you open it in Excel.

What “has macros” does and doesn’t mean

Plenty of legitimate workbooks contain macros. A “yes” here is not a virus warning — it means the file can run code, so treat it like any other program from someone you don’t fully trust: review it before enabling macros, and prefer a sandboxed machine if you don’t recognize the source. A “no” means Excel won’t prompt you about macros at all.

Want this inside your AI agent, on your own machine, with no upload at all? Install xlsx-for-ai and ask Claude or Cursor to “check this workbook for macros and external links.”