Pdf MCP Server

37 tools to read, create, merge, split, watermark, fill, redact & search PDFs. Local, no API key.

Local serverstdio

What is the Pdf MCP server?

Pdf MCP server exists for a simple reason — assistants are far more useful when they can act on Pdf directly instead of describing what you should do. 37 tools to read, create, merge, split, watermark, fill, redact & search PDFs. Local, no API key.

What you get

A comprehensive MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for PDF operations. 37 tools for reading, searching, creating, merging, splitting, watermarking, stamping, form filling, redacting, annotating, comparing, optimizing, and more.

Setting it up

Installation goes through your MCP client rather than a global install: point it at pdf-suite-mcp on npm and it is fetched when the client starts. The copy-paste blocks for Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor are further down this page.

What the assistant can call

Once Pdf is connected, these are the calls the assistant has available:

  • Category — Tools
  • Read — Extract text (per-page), PDF info & metadata
  • Search — Full-text search with context, compare two PDFs
  • Create — Generate PDFs from text (with headings), images to PDF
  • Manipulate — Merge, split, rotate, delete, extract, reorder, insert, reverse, blank pages, crop, overlay PDF, N-up page layout
  • Overlay — Watermark, page numbers, add text, add image, headers/footers, business stamps, signatures
  • Annotate — Redact regions, highlight, draw shapes (rect/line/ellipse)
  • Forms — Read form fields, fill forms (text/checkbox/dropdown/radio)
  • Metadata — Set title, author, subject, keywords, creator, producer
  • Security — Decrypt password-protected PDFs
  • Optimize — Flatten forms, compress, validate, repair
  • Attachments — Embed files inside a PDF

Configuration and credentials

  • Node.js >= 18 (tested on Node 18, 20, 22, 24) - npm or compatible package manager

Before you rely on it

  • 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 14 tools registered it takes up a noticeable share of the context window; turn it off in projects that never touch Pdf.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the pdf mcp server does with a few real requests.

Choosing this one

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. Pdf's toolset — Category, Read, Search and 11 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by beepboop2025; 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.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
CategoryTools
ReadExtract text (per-page), PDF info & metadata
SearchFull-text search with context, compare two PDFs
CreateGenerate PDFs from text (with headings), images to PDF
ManipulateMerge, split, rotate, delete, extract, reorder, insert, reverse, blank pages, crop, overlay PDF, N-up page layout
OverlayWatermark, page numbers, add text, add image, headers/footers, business stamps, signatures
AnnotateRedact regions, highlight, draw shapes (rect/line/ellipse)
FormsRead form fields, fill forms (text/checkbox/dropdown/radio)
MetadataSet title, author, subject, keywords, creator, producer
SecurityDecrypt password-protected PDFs
OptimizeFlatten forms, compress, validate, repair
AttachmentsEmbed files inside a PDF
ReadingThe Reading tool exposed by this server.
SearchingThe Searching tool exposed by this server.

How to install the Pdf MCP server

### From a local clone

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pdf-suite": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/pdf-suite-mcp/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

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

Configuration

  • Node.js >= 18 (tested on Node 18, 20, 22, 24) - npm or compatible package manager

Example prompts to try

  • Use Pdf to Category.
  • Use Pdf to Read.
  • Use Pdf to Search.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Pdf to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 14 tools (Category, Read, Search, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Pdf directly.