Groupdocs MCP Server

MCP server for GroupDocs.Annotation — add, list, update, remove document annotations via AI agents.

Local serverstdio

What is the Groupdocs MCP server?

If you already use Groupdocs, the groupdocs mcp server is the piece that lets your assistant work with it directly. MCP server for GroupDocs.Annotation — add, list, update, remove document annotations via AI agents.

What the server does

MCP server that exposes GroupDocs.Annotation as AI-callable tools for Claude, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and other MCP agents.

Available tools

The toolset is worth reading before you wire it up, because it tells you what the integration is really for:

  • AddAnnotation — Add a textfield / area / point / arrow / highlight / underline / strikeout annotation; saves the annotated file as _annotated.
  • GetAnnotations — List all annotations in a document as JSON (id, type, message, page, box, user, replies)
  • UpdateAnnotation — Modify an existing annotation's message and/or bounding box by id
  • RemoveAnnotations — Remove annotations by id list, or all if none specified
  • AddReply — Add a reply / comment thread to an existing annotation
  • RemoveReplies — Remove replies by reply-id list, by user name, or all
  • ImportAnnotations — Import annotations from an XML file or another annotated document into a target file
  • ExportAnnotations — Extract annotations from a document and save them as XML (re-importable via ImportAnnotations)
  • GetDocumentInfo — Return file type, page count, size, and per-page dimensions as JSON (no modification)
  • GeneratePagesPreview — Render up to 5 document pages as inline PNG images so AI clients display them directly

Installation

Setup follows the usual MCP pattern — install or clone the server, register it in your client's configuration file, restart the client. The configuration blocks on this page cover the common clients.

Credentials and setup notes

Configuration is passed through the environment: GROUPDOCS_MCP_STORAGE_PATH, GROUPDOCS_LICENSE_PATH, GROUPDOCS_MCP_OUTPUT_PATH. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.

Where it fits

Among the developer tooling options, the useful question is rarely "what can it do" but "what does it cost you to run" — permissions, credentials, and how much of your context its toolset consumes. Groupdocs's toolset — AddAnnotation, GetAnnotations, UpdateAnnotation and 7 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by groupdocs-annotation; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

SyncDev reviews every entry in this directory against the project's own documentation before publishing, and revisits them as servers change.

Worth knowing first

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • With 10 tools registered it takes up a noticeable share of the context window; turn it off in projects that never touch Groupdocs.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
AddAnnotationAdd a textfield / area / point / arrow / highlight / underline / strikeout annotation; saves the annotated file as <name>_annotated.<ext>
GetAnnotationsList all annotations in a document as JSON (id, type, message, page, box, user, replies)
UpdateAnnotationModify an existing annotation's message and/or bounding box by id
RemoveAnnotationsRemove annotations by id list, or all if none specified
AddReplyAdd a reply / comment thread to an existing annotation
RemoveRepliesRemove replies by reply-id list, by user name, or all
ImportAnnotationsImport annotations from an XML file or another annotated document into a target file
ExportAnnotationsExtract annotations from a document and save them as XML (re-importable via ImportAnnotations)
GetDocumentInfoReturn file type, page count, size, and per-page dimensions as JSON (no modification)
GeneratePagesPreviewRender up to 5 document pages as inline PNG images so AI clients display them directly

How to install the Groupdocs MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "groupdocs-annotation": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "dnx",
      "args": ["GroupDocs.Annotation.Mcp", "--yes"],
      "env": {
        "GROUPDOCS_MCP_STORAGE_PATH": "/path/to/documents"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
GROUPDOCS_MCP_STORAGE_PATHFilesystem location the server is allowed to use.Optional
GROUPDOCS_LICENSE_PATHFilesystem location the server is allowed to use.Optional
GROUPDOCS_MCP_OUTPUT_PATHFilesystem location the server is allowed to use.Optional

Example prompts to try

  • Use Groupdocs to AddAnnotation.
  • Use Groupdocs to GetAnnotations.
  • Use Groupdocs to UpdateAnnotation.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Groupdocs to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 10 tools (AddAnnotation, GetAnnotations, UpdateAnnotation, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Groupdocs directly.