Cursor

Install Cursor and complete the PDF.co MCP prerequisites.

Install with one click (recommended)

Open the installation link above and allow your browser to open Cursor.
Review the server: Name pdfco, Type Command, Command uvx, and Arguments pdfco-mcp.
Under Secrets, replace YOUR_PDFCO_API_KEY with your key from the PDF.co dashboard. Keep the variable name X_API_KEY.
Select Install, then continue with Connect and check the tools.
Run a sample conversion to verify that PDF.co can process a file.

Replace YOUR_PDFCO_API_KEY under Secrets in the installation dialog before selecting Install. Keep the variable name X_API_KEY. The placeholder will not authorize PDF.co conversions.

Cursor installation dialog showing pdfco, uvx, pdfco-mcp, and the editable X_API_KEY placeholder under Secrets — Replace the placeholder under Secrets before installing PDF.co.

If pdfco is already configured, reuse that entry and continue with the connection check.

If the installation link does not open Cursor

Copy this URL into Chrome or Edge’s address bar, press Enter, and select Open Cursor when prompted:

cursor://anysphere.cursor-deeplink/mcp/install?name=pdfco&config=eyJ0eXBlIjoic3RkaW8iLCJjb21tYW5kIjoidXZ4IiwiYXJncyI6WyJwZGZjby1tY3AiXSwiZW52Ijp7IlhfQVBJX0tFWSI6IllPVVJfUERGQ09fQVBJX0tFWSJ9fQ%3D%3D

The link uses uvx from your PATH. If Cursor cannot find it, use the full executable path from the prerequisites or follow the manual setup below.

Manual setup

Open your MCP configuration

Use %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json to make PDF.co available across your projects. Create the .cursor directory and mcp.json file if needed.

Windows File Explorer showing mcp.json inside the user .cursor directory — The personal MCP configuration in the Windows user folder.

Add PDF.co

For a new file, paste the following configuration. For an existing file, merge pdfco into mcpServers and preserve the other servers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pdfco": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "C:\\Users\\YOUR_WINDOWS_USER\\.local\\bin\\uvx.exe",
      "args": ["pdfco-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "X_API_KEY": "YOUR_PDFCO_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace the command with the path returned by (Get-Command uvx -ErrorAction Stop).Source, using doubled backslashes in JSON. Replace the API-key placeholder locally.

Cursor editing the personal mcp.json file with the pdfco command, package argument, and X_API_KEY environment variable — A PDF.co server entry with an API-key placeholder.

Save the file and reopen Cursor.

Connect and check the tools

Open a local chat. Select + > MCP in the chat composer.
Find Pdfco and turn its toggle on if it is disabled. In versions with a Customize page, you can also manage the server there.

Cursor chat context menu with the MCP option highlighted — Open the MCP menu from the chat composer.

Cursor MCP menu showing Pdfco as a User MCP server with its toggle switched on — The personal PDF.co MCP server enabled in a local Cursor chat.

Run a sample conversion

Send the following prompt in the local chat:

Use the PDF.co MCP server (pdfco) and its pdf_to_text tool to convert this PDF:
https://pdfco-test-files.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/pdf-to-text/sample.pdf
If a job ID is returned, use wait_job_completion to wait for completion.
Give me the resulting text-file link.

Approve the calls when requested and open the final text file. Check that processing succeeded, not just that the server appeared in the tool list. See Verify your connection.

Cursor showing the PDF.co conversion prompt and a successful one-page text-file result — A completed PDF-to-text conversion in Cursor.

Troubleshooting

If the server is absent, check which configuration location you edited and that the JSON is valid.
If the server is configured but the chat does not use its tools, open + > MCP, check that Pdfco is enabled, and explicitly name the PDF.co MCP in your prompt.
If it cannot start, check the executable path and server output. pdfco-mcp must be an argument, not part of the executable path.
If tools are available but conversion fails, check X_API_KEY and the PDF.co error response.

For configuration and tool controls, see Cursor’s MCP documentation.

Welcome

MCP

Extraction

Editing

PDF Conversion

Excel Conversion

PDF Merging & Splitting

Forms

Find & Search

Document, File & System

Pages

Barcodes

Glossary

Site Index

Install with one click (recommended)

Manual setup

Open your MCP configuration

Add PDF.co

Connect and check the tools

Run a sample conversion

Troubleshooting

​Install with one click (recommended)

​Manual setup

​Open your MCP configuration

​Add PDF.co

​Connect and check the tools

​Run a sample conversion

​Troubleshooting

Install with one click (recommended)

Manual setup

Open your MCP configuration

Add PDF.co

Connect and check the tools

Run a sample conversion

Troubleshooting