VS Code

Install VS Code, sign in to GitHub Copilot with access to MCP tools, and complete the PDF.co MCP prerequisites. Both methods below add PDF.co to your user configuration, keeping your API key outside project files that could be committed or shared. Start with the installation link, or use the manual method to edit the same user configuration.

Install with one click (recommended)

Install PDF.co in VS Code

Open the installation link above and allow your browser to open Visual Studio Code. It opens the MCP Server: pdfco details page.
Review the name pdfco, type stdio, command uvx, argument pdfco-mcp, and environment variable X_API_KEY. These fields are read-only on this page.
Select Install to add the server to your user configuration. Use this option for the setup in this guide.

VS Code PDF.co MCP details page showing Install and Install in Workspace buttons and the placeholder server configuration — Select Install to add PDF.co to your user configuration.

After installation, select the gear icon > Show Configuration (JSON).

Installed PDF.co MCP server in VS Code with the gear menu open and Show Configuration (JSON) highlighted — Open Show Configuration (JSON) after installation to edit the API key.

Enter your API key only in your user configuration, typically %APPDATA%\Code\User\mcp.json. Do not put it in a project’s .vscode/mcp.json or .mcp.json; those files can be committed or shared. If you selected Install in Workspace, remove only the workspace’s pdfco entry and follow Manual setup to add it to your user configuration.

Confirm that Show Configuration (JSON) opened your user configuration. Find pdfco and replace YOUR_PDFCO_API_KEY under env.X_API_KEY with your key from the PDF.co dashboard. Preserve the other settings and save.

VS Code user mcp.json showing the pdfco server under servers and its X_API_KEY placeholder selected for replacement — Replace the placeholder value for X_API_KEY in your user configuration.

Continue with Start PDF.co to start or restart the server after saving your key.

VS Code does not let you edit the API key on the installation details page. Install first, then replace the placeholder through Show Configuration (JSON) before running a conversion. The server can show Running and list tools while it still contains the placeholder.

The user installation shown above saves to %APPDATA%\Code\User\mcp.json and uses the servers property. Profile locations can differ; MCP: Open User Configuration opens the file for your current profile. The manual method below uses this same user-profile format. The key is stored locally in that file; keep it and screenshots containing it private. If pdfco is already configured in your user profile, reuse that entry and continue with the startup check.

If the installation link does not open VS Code

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

vscode:mcp/install?%7B%22name%22%3A%22pdfco%22%2C%22type%22%3A%22stdio%22%2C%22command%22%3A%22uvx%22%2C%22args%22%3A%5B%22pdfco-mcp%22%5D%2C%22env%22%3A%7B%22X_API_KEY%22%3A%22YOUR_PDFCO_API_KEY%22%7D%7D

The link uses uvx from your PATH. If VS Code cannot find it, replace the command with the full executable path from the prerequisites. The key placeholder must be replaced locally before processing.

Manual setup

Press Ctrl+Shift+P and run MCP: Open User Configuration. This opens your user-profile mcp.json, outside the project.
Add the pdfco entry inside the existing servers object, preserving other entries and settings. For an empty file, use the complete example below:

{
  "servers": {
    "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 command with the full path returned by (Get-Command uvx -ErrorAction Stop).Source, using doubled backslashes in JSON. Replace YOUR_PDFCO_API_KEY in this user configuration with your key from the PDF.co dashboard.
Save, then continue with Start PDF.co. This configuration passes the key through env; it does not show a separate key-input prompt.

Start PDF.co

Save the configuration.
Open the Command Palette with Ctrl+Shift+P and run MCP: List Servers.
Select pdfco and choose Start, or Restart if it is already running. Review and accept the server trust prompt if shown.

Run a sample conversion

Send this prompt in your Copilot 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 PDF.co tool calls when requested. Open the final text file after the job completes. See Verify your connection.

Troubleshooting

If the server is missing, run MCP: Open User Configuration and check that pdfco is inside servers in your current user profile.
If PDF.co appears more than once, keep the entry in your user configuration and remove only the duplicate pdfco entries from the project’s .vscode/mcp.json or .mcp.json. Preserve other servers and settings.
If the server cannot start, inspect its output through MCP: List Servers and check the executable path.
If tools load but processing fails, inspect the PDF.co error response, check env.X_API_KEY, and confirm that you replaced the placeholder with your actual key.

For configuration locations and connection controls, see Add and manage MCP servers in VS Code.

Welcome

MCP

Extraction

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PDF Conversion

Excel Conversion

PDF Merging & Splitting

Forms

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Glossary

Site Index

Install with one click (recommended)

Manual setup

Start PDF.co

Run a sample conversion

Troubleshooting

​Install with one click (recommended)

​Manual setup

​Start PDF.co

​Run a sample conversion

​Troubleshooting

Install with one click (recommended)

Manual setup

Start PDF.co

Run a sample conversion

Troubleshooting