# PDF MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor

PDF MCP server: a remote server that lets Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and Claude Code turn HTML or any URL into a PDF. No install, just one URL.

**Quick answer.** Add the remote server at `https://html-pdf.com/mcp` to your MCP client. In Claude Code, run this one command, then ask the agent for a PDF.

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http html-pdf https://html-pdf.com/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer $HTML_PDF_KEY"
```

## What a PDF MCP server does

This section explains what the server adds to your agent. [MCP (Model Context Protocol)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) is how AI agents get new tools, and a PDF MCP server gives your agent a tool like `html_to_pdf`.

The agent writes the document as HTML and CSS (invoices, reports, proposals, certificates). The server renders it with headless Chrome and hands back a PDF.

That's different from an agent drawing a PDF with Python libraries in a sandbox. HTML and CSS give you real layout (flexbox, grid, web fonts, tables that break cleanly across pages), so the result looks like a designed document.

## Remote vs local MCP servers

This comparison helps you pick the right kind of server. Most PDF MCP servers you'll find are **local**. You install them with `npx` or `pip`, and they run a browser on your machine.

| | remote (html-pdf.com) | local (npx / pip) |
|---|---|---|
| install | none, add a URL | Node or Python + a Chromium download |
| works in Claude.ai / ChatGPT web | yes | no (needs a local process) |
| works on teammates' machines | same URL for everyone | each person installs it |
| updates | automatic | you update the package |
| cost | per page (100 free) | free, uses your CPU/RAM |

Local servers are a good fit when documents must never leave your machine. For everything else, a remote server is simpler.

## html-pdf.com MCP server

These are the connection details and the tools your agent gets. The endpoint uses Streamable HTTP.

```
https://html-pdf.com/mcp
```

**Auth:** OAuth 2.1 login (Claude.ai, ChatGPT and Claude Code ask you to log in when you connect), a header `Authorization: Bearer <API key>`, or `https://html-pdf.com/mcp?api_key=<key>` for clients that only accept a URL.

No key yet? You don't need one. Add the server URL and your client opens an html-pdf.com login. New accounts get 100 free credits.

### Tools

| tool | what it does |
|---|---|
| `html_to_pdf` | Render HTML to PDF. Returns a download link (24 h), page count and credits left. Options: format, landscape, margin, css, header/footer with page numbers, wait for JS, max pages. |
| `url_to_pdf` | Render a public web page to PDF. |
| `get_credits` | Remaining credits. |
| `buy_credits` | A Stripe payment link for a credit pack, to hand to the user. |

## Connect it

This section has the setup for the most common clients.

**One click:** [Add to Cursor](cursor://anysphere.cursor-deeplink/mcp/install?name=html-pdf&config=eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2h0bWwtcGRmLmNvbS9tY3AifQ==) · [Add to VS Code](https://insiders.vscode.dev/redirect/mcp/install?name=html-pdf&config=%7B%22type%22%3A%22http%22%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fhtml-pdf.com%2Fmcp%22%7D). Both log you in with OAuth, so there's no key to paste.

**Claude Code**

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http html-pdf https://html-pdf.com/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer $HTML_PDF_KEY"
```

**Cursor** (`~/.cursor/mcp.json`)

```json
{ "mcpServers": { "html-pdf": { "url": "https://html-pdf.com/mcp", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer hp_live_..." } } } }
```

**Claude.ai / Claude Desktop.** Add a custom connector with `https://html-pdf.com/mcp`, click Connect and log in.

Step-by-step for every client: [Claude](https://html-pdf.com/guides/claude) · [Claude Code](https://html-pdf.com/guides/claude-code) · [ChatGPT](https://html-pdf.com/guides/chatgpt) · [Cursor](https://html-pdf.com/guides/cursor) · [VS Code](https://html-pdf.com/guides/vscode) · [Codex](https://html-pdf.com/guides/codex).

## Prompts that work well

These example prompts show what you can ask once the server is connected.

- "Make a one-page A4 invoice for Acme: 3 hours of consulting at $120, due in 30 days. Use a clean modern layout."
- "Turn this meeting summary into a two-page PDF report with a title page and page numbers in the footer."
- "Save https://example.com/pricing as a PDF in landscape."
- "How many html-pdf credits do I have left?"

Tip: ask for "a complete HTML document with inline CSS" if you want to tweak the design before rendering.

## Pricing

This is what the MCP server costs. 1 credit = 1 PDF page. You get 100 free pages, then packs from $10 for 1,000 pages down to $0.005 per page.

There is no subscription, and purchased credits never expire. That suits agents whose usage comes in bursts.

[Get a free API key](https://html-pdf.com/login) · [MCP reference](https://html-pdf.com/mcp) · [API docs](https://html-pdf.com/docs)

## FAQ

### How do I add a PDF MCP server to Claude Code?

Run `claude mcp add --transport http html-pdf https://html-pdf.com/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer $HTML_PDF_KEY"`. The agent can then call `html_to_pdf` and `url_to_pdf`.

### Does the PDF MCP server work in Claude.ai and ChatGPT on the web?

Yes. It is a remote server, so you add it as a custom connector with `https://html-pdf.com/mcp`, log in with OAuth, and nothing runs on your machine.

### Do I need an API key to use the PDF MCP server?

No. Add the server URL and your client opens an html-pdf.com login (OAuth). New accounts get 100 free credits and no card is needed.

### How long do the PDF download links last?

Download links returned by `html_to_pdf` and `url_to_pdf` last 24 hours. Your HTML is not stored.