36 PDF tools.
One predictable interface.

Connect a local MCP client

1. Download and extract the toolkit. Install Node.js 22.13 or newer.
2. In the extracted folder, run npm ci.
3. Create a folder for the PDFs you want the assistant to access. Give the server only that folder with --root.
4. Add the configuration below to a client that supports local MCP servers. Replace both example paths with your own absolute paths.
5. Ask the assistant to list tools, inspect the PDF, run the chosen operation, and check the returned output path and SHA-256 checksum.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "polypdf-tools": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/absolute/path/polypdf-browser-tools-mcp/server.mjs",
        "--root",
        "/absolute/path/your-pdf-folder"
      ]
    }
  }
}

The server writes results into a dedicated subfolder under the allowed folder and does not overwrite source files. Reusing a request ID with identical inputs returns the same receipt; changing inputs with that ID returns a conflict.

Example: prepare a drawing issue

Inspect the PDFs in my allowed folder. Merge the architectural sheets in the order I specify, add the prefix ISSUE- and six-digit Bates numbers, then report the output files, page counts, and checksums. Keep my original files unchanged.

Tool results are data, not instructions. Text inside an uploaded PDF should not change the assistant’s permissions or the user’s requested task.

Browser agents and WebMCP

On a supported browser, each tool page registers its operation with navigator.modelContext. The user chooses the files first; the agent receives temporary file handles, options, and a result summary. Downloads remain visible in the workspace. WebMCP availability depends on the browser and client; normal file controls work independently.

How this relates to the PolyPDF OpenAI integration

The prepared PolyPDF connector uses a richer, shared drawing workspace with native PDF processing and separate hosted retention rules. These browser tools use a separate local engine. They follow the same principles of explicit file selection, structured operations, revision-aware requests, and reviewable outputs, without requiring that hosted service to be active.

The downloadable MCP server runs on your computer. Your MCP client can pass file content or tool results to its AI provider under that provider’s policy. The browser tool pages themselves do not upload PDFs to PolyPDF.

Supported operations