Overview
What is Nutrient DWS MCP Server?
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects AI assistants to the Nutrient Document Web Service (DWS) Processor API, enabling document creation, editing, conversion, digital signing, OCR, redaction, and more through natural language. It is designed for developers and AI users who need programmatic document manipulation.
How to use Nutrient DWS MCP Server?
Install via Claude Desktop Settings → Extensions or manually by adding an MCP server entry in your client’s configuration JSON (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json). The server is run with npx -y @nutrient-sdk/dws-mcp-server and requires a SANDBOX_PATH environment variable. Authentication uses browser-based OAuth on the first API request, or you can set NUTRIENT_DWS_API_KEY for CI/headless environments.
Key features of Nutrient DWS MCP Server
- Local stdio MCP server for Claude Desktop and compatible clients
- Browser-based OAuth with optional API-key fallback
- Document conversion, OCR, extraction, redaction, and watermarking
- PAdES-compliant digital signing with visible/invisible appearance
- Sandbox-aware local file handling with explicit output paths
- Read-only account lookup for DWS credits and usage
Use cases of Nutrient DWS MCP Server
- Merge PDFs, Office documents, and images into a single document
- Redact all social security numbers and emails from a PDF
- Digitally sign a contract with a visible signature on a specific page
- Convert a PDF to Markdown or extract text with OCR in German
- Check Nutrient credits, convert a DOCX to PDF, and inspect output location
FAQ from Nutrient DWS MCP Server
What authentication methods are supported?
Browser-based OAuth on the first API request, with an optional NUTRIENT_DWS_API_KEY environment variable for CI or headless environments.
What is sandbox mode and why should I use it?
Sandbox mode restricts file operations to a specific directory set via SANDBOX_PATH. It is strongly recommended for security to validate input paths and save outputs within that directory.
Which MCP clients are supported?
Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), LangChain, LangGraph, OpenAI Agents SDK, and any MCP-compatible system.
Can I use this server without an API key?
Yes, for local desktop use you can omit the API key and complete the browser sign-in flow on the first request that uses the Nutrient API.
What document formats are supported?
PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, images (PNG, JPEG, WebP), HTML, and Markdown. Conversions include PDF ↔ DOCX, images, PDF/A, PDF/UA, and more.
