Univer is an open-source TypeScript SDK for building office applications (spreadsheets, documents, presentations, and structured-data bases) inside your own product. It is a framework rather than a hosted app or file viewer: you embed editors in a SaaS product, internal tool, BI workflow, or AI application, or run the same workbook and document logic headless on the server.
The architecture is plugin-first. Every capability is a composable plugin that can be added, replaced, or lazy-loaded, with curated presets for a quick start and manual plugin composition for full control. A Canvas-based rendering engine shared across document types and a dedicated formula engine handle large workbooks, and a single Facade API covers workbooks, ranges, formulas, documents, commands, and events in both the browser and Node.js. UI integrates with React, Vue, and Web Components, with theming including dark mode and localization.
For AI agents, Univer is positioned as an office harness. Agents inspect and modify content through structured APIs, verify their output through content inspection, rendered screenshots, and layout diagnostics, and work in isolated drafts (worktrees) that people review before merging. Agent skills, an MCP integration for driving Sheets with natural language, and a reference workspace where agents build spreadsheet-backed mini-apps are maintained alongside it.
Open-source and commercial scope differ by product area:
| Area | Open source | Univer Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Sheets | Editing, formulas, number formats, filter and sort, validation, conditional formatting, tables, comments | Collaboration, history, import and export, printing, charts, pivot tables, data connectors, server-side calculation |
| Docs | Document model and editor, lists, links, comments, drawing | Collaboration, import and export, printing, richer tables, columns, callouts, code blocks |
| Slides | Presentation model and UI in development | Pro slide model, import and export, charts and tables |
| Bases | Plugin architecture for data-centric products | Base database model, field editors, workbench UI |
| Runtime | Headless Node.js, Web Worker and RPC patterns | Collaboration server, SSR, computing delegation |
Sheets is the most mature surface. Open-source projects built on the SDK include office integrations for DeepSeek Harness, WorkBuddy, and OpenClaw, and a command-line workspace for agents to create and deliver office content.
Features
- Embeddable editors: spreadsheet, document, and presentation editing inside your own application
- Plugin architecture: every capability is a plugin that can be composed, replaced, or lazy-loaded, with presets for quick setup
- Headless runtime: the same workbook and document logic runs in Node.js for automation and agent backends
- Formula engine: a dedicated engine for spreadsheet formulas and cross-sheet references
- Canvas rendering: a shared rendering layer for large editable surfaces across document types
- Facade API: one API surface for workbooks, ranges, formulas, and documents in the browser and Node.js
- Agent workflows: structured editing, output verification via screenshots and layout checks, and isolated drafts for human review
- Framework support: React, Vue, Web Components, theming with dark mode, and localization
- Agent ecosystem: agent skills, an MCP integration for Sheets, and integrations for DeepSeek Harness, WorkBuddy, and OpenClaw
- Commercial extensions: Univer Pro adds collaboration, import and export, printing, charts, pivot tables, and server features
