Any MCP client + pdfmcp: setup guide

The generic recipe: one URL, one header, every MCP client that speaks Streamable HTTP.

What you need: a free pdfmcp API key — sign in with your email (no password) and copy the key shown at first login. Then replace pdfmcp_live_YOUR_KEY in the config below.

Where it goes: Wherever your client keeps its MCP server list

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pdfmcp": {
      "url": "https://mcp.pdfmcp.org/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "pdfmcp_live_YOUR_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Steps

Get a free API key from the pdfmcp dashboard.
Add a remote server with URL https://mcp.pdfmcp.org/mcp and an X-API-Key header carrying your key (Authorization: Bearer <key> works too).
Your client must speak MCP Streamable HTTP and send Accept: application/json, text/event-stream on requests.
Verify by calling tools/list — you'll get the full operation catalog with typed schemas.

Raw handshake, for debugging or hand-rolled clients:

Config

curl -X POST https://mcp.pdfmcp.org/mcp \
  -H "X-API-Key: pdfmcp_live_YOUR_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json, text/event-stream" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/list"}'

Troubleshooting

401 / unauthorized: the key header is missing or mistyped. The header name is exactly X-API-Key (Claude Code uses Authorization: Bearer … — both work).
Tools don't appear: fully restart the client after editing its config; most clients only load MCP servers at startup.
Server unreachable: check the public status page — and your network's outbound HTTPS to mcp.pdfmcp.org.

Try it with

On-devicePDF info & metadataPage count, page sizes, metadata, encryption status as JSON.On-deviceMerge PDFsCombine multiple PDF files into one, in upload order.On-devicePDF to textExtract plain text, one form-feed separated section per page.

More clients: Claude Desktop MCP setup · Claude Code MCP setup · ChatGPT MCP setup · All MCP setup guides · REST API quickstart