Server

NextPDF Connect

Deterministic PDF execution for AI systems — three transports, one engine.

Free · Apache-2.0 — Pro/Enterprise tools require nextpdf/premiumNextPDF ^3.0 · RoadRunner 2024.x · symfony/yaml ^7.2 · psr/log ^3.0 · PHP 8.4+

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NextPDF Connect exposes a deterministic execution surface for PDF operations — creation, analysis, signing, validation — accessible via MCP (stdio), REST API, or gRPC. All three transports share the same ToolRegistry, ToolExecutor, and application services. All operations are deterministic, and dangerous operations require human confirmation.

How it fits

Built into your workflow

One registry, every tool

A single ToolRegistry exposes 13 free Core tools to AI systems for deterministic PDF execution. Install nextpdf/premium and the registry discovers 8 Pro and 8 Enterprise tools by class existence, snapping them in as a soft dependency. Tools stay identical no matter which transport calls them.

Human-in-the-loop gating

Risky operations such as signing or final output are marked Approval-Required and pause at a human-in-the-loop gate. The gate issues a confirmation challenge before the operation may proceed. Routine tools run uninterrupted; only the operations that warrant review wait for a human decision.

Redacted audit trail

Every Caution-and-above operation is recorded through a PSR-3 logger, giving you a ledger of what the AI executed. Sensitive parameters are redacted in the log so the trail stays reviewable without exposing secrets. The same audit path applies across all three transports.

Get started

Install

terminal

composer require nextpdf/server

In code

How it works

MCP (stdio) — Claude Desktop / Cursor

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nextpdf": {
      "command": "php",
      "args": ["vendor/bin/nextpdf-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

HTTP REST API

bash

# Start HTTP server (port 8080)
rr serve -c .rr.yaml

# Render a PDF (stateless, single request)
curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/api/v1/render \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer npk_live_k8a3b2c1_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"page_size": "A4", "operations": [
    {"type": "add_text", "content": "Hello World", "x": 10, "y": 20}
  ]}' --output document.pdf

Unlock more tools

bash

# Add Pro + Enterprise tools (extract, compare, redact, sign, forensics, compliance, etc.)
composer require nextpdf/premium

Capabilities

What you get

Three transports — MCP (JSON-RPC over stdio), HTTP REST (OpenAPI 3.1, port 8080), and gRPC (Protobuf v3, port 9090)
13 free Core tools, including create_pdf, add_page, add_text, add_image, add_table, set_font, preview_layout, and output_pdf
Soft dependency — install nextpdf/premium to add 8 Pro + 8 Enterprise tools via class_exists() discovery, no code changes
Human-in-the-loop — risk-level gating; Approval-Required tools (output_pdf, sign_pdf) issue a confirmation challenge
Audit logging — Caution-level and above logged via PSR-3, with sensitive parameters redacted
AI Skills — auto-generates reference files for Claude, Codex, Gemini, and function-calling platforms

When to use it

Reach for Connect when an AI agent or service needs a deterministic, risk-gated PDF execution surface. Expose it over MCP, REST, or gRPC, and add nextpdf/premium to unlock the Pro and Enterprise tool tiers.

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