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PDF Tools

v1.0.0•File Systems•stable

🐍 - PDF download, view & manipulation utilities.

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What is PDF Tools?

PDF Tools is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to 🐍 - pdf download, view & manipulation utilities.

🐍 - PDF download, view & manipulation utilities.

This server falls under the File Systems category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.

Features

  • 🐍 - PDF download, view & manipulation utilities.

Use Cases

Download, view, and manipulate PDF documents through MCP.
Process PDF files programmatically with comprehensive utility support.
danielkennedy1

Maintainer

LicenseMIT License
Languagepython
Versionv1.0.0
UpdatedApr 12, 2026
Statushealthy
Maintenanceactive

Works with

ClaudeOpenAIwindowsmacoslinux
View SourceBrowse All Servers

Installation

Manual Installation

npx pdf-tools

Configuration

Configuration Details

Config File

claude_desktop_config.json

Performance

Response Metrics

Response Time< 200ms
ThroughputMedium

Resource Usage

Memory UsageLow
CPU UsageLow

How to Set Up and Use PDF Tools

PDF Tools MCP is a Python-based server that brings comprehensive PDF manipulation capabilities to AI assistants. It lets you download PDFs from URLs, render pages as images, extract text and metadata, merge documents, and create page snippets — all through natural language commands. Built with PyMuPDF, it handles both local and remote PDF files and stores documents with UUID4 filenames for security. Developers and researchers who regularly work with PDF documents will find it invaluable for automating document workflows from within Claude.

Prerequisites

  • Python 3.12 or higher installed
  • uv package manager (recommended) or pip
  • An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Claude Code
  • PyMuPDF and aiohttp dependencies (installed automatically)
1

Install via Smithery (recommended)

The easiest way to install PDF Tools MCP is through the Smithery CLI, which configures the server automatically for your Claude client.

npx -y @smithery/cli install @danielkennedy1/pdf-tools-mcp --client claude
2

Or clone and install manually

Alternatively, clone the repository and install it using uv or pip in editable mode.

git clone https://github.com/danielkennedy1/pdf-tools-mcp.git
cd pdf-tools-mcp
uv pip install -e .
3

Start the MCP server

Run the server using Python's module invocation. Keep this process running while using it with your MCP client.

python -m src.main
4

Add to Claude Desktop configuration

Open your Claude Desktop config file and add the server entry pointing to the installed package.

5

Verify the server is available

Restart Claude Desktop and check that the PDF Tools server appears in the MCP servers list. You can then ask Claude to perform a PDF operation to confirm it is working.

PDF Tools Examples

Client configuration

Add this block to your claude_desktop_config.json to register the PDF Tools MCP server. Adjust the path to where you cloned the repository.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pdf-tools": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "src.main"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/pdf-tools-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Prompts to try

Once connected, use these natural language prompts to interact with PDF documents through Claude.

- "Download the PDF at https://example.com/report.pdf and show me the first page"
- "Extract all text from the PDF I just downloaded"
- "What is the metadata of this PDF — author, page count, creation date?"
- "Merge pages 1-3 from document A with pages 5-7 from document B"
- "Create a text snippet from page 2 of the report"

Troubleshooting PDF Tools

Server fails to start with a PyMuPDF import error

Ensure you installed the package in editable mode with all dependencies: run 'uv pip install -e .' from the project root. PyMuPDF requires Python 3.12+.

Remote PDF download fails or times out

Check that aiohttp is installed and the URL is publicly accessible. Some PDFs behind authentication or CDNs may block programmatic access. Try a direct download link.

Claude does not see the PDF Tools server

Confirm the server is running before launching Claude Desktop. The 'cwd' in the config must point to the correct repository root containing the 'src' directory.

Frequently Asked Questions about PDF Tools

What is PDF Tools?

PDF Tools is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that 🐍 - pdf download, view & manipulation utilities. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.

How do I install PDF Tools?

Follow the installation instructions on the PDF Tools GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.

Which AI clients work with PDF Tools?

PDF Tools works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.

Is PDF Tools free to use?

Yes, PDF Tools is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.

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Quick Config Preview

{ "mcpServers": { "pdf-tools": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "pdf-tools"] } } }

Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json

Read the full setup guide →

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