@bigapi/mcp

@bigapi/mcp

MCP server for bigapi.dev – deterministic file operations for AI agents.

Gives Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, Windsurf and any MCP-capable agent the file operations an LLM cannot do itself – over plain HTTPS, with one key, nothing to install server-side:

Tool	What it does
render	HTML / Markdown / URL → PDF or PNG via server-side Chromium (reports, invoices, offers, documentation)
screenshot	Any public URL, real device presets (desktop / laptop / tablet / mobile), full page
ocr	Scanned PDF or photo → searchable PDF, plain text, or per-page JSON (deu, eng, deu+eng, …)
office_to_pdf	DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, ODT, RTF, CSV, TXT → PDF via server-side LibreOffice
pdf_to_pdfa	PDF → archival PDF/A-2b with embedded fonts (long-term storage, compliance)
pdf_merge · pdf_split · pdf_rotate · pdf_compress	The PDF basics
pdf_to_images	PDF pages → JPEG/PNG, e.g. to look at a document with a vision model
pdf_to_markdown	PDF → clean, reflowed Markdown (summarising, RAG ingestion)
pdf_extract_tables	Tables out of a PDF as JSON rows or CSV (invoices, reports, statements)
pdf_info	Page count, title, PDF version, encryption, page size – as JSON
url_to_markdown	Any public web page (JavaScript included) → GitHub-flavoured Markdown
md_to_docx	Markdown – e.g. an LLM answer – → formatted Word document
find_tool	Describe your task in plain words → the matching operation with example, price and guide. Free, no key
text_chunk	Text/Markdown → RAG-ready chunks (token-based, heading-aware, overlap)
docx_to_markdown / xlsx_to_markdown / pptx_to_markdown / epub_to_markdown	Office files & e-books → clean Markdown
pdf_outline	Bookmark/chapter outline with target pages as JSON
pdf_attachments	Embedded files out of a PDF – ZUGFeRD / Factur-X e-invoice XML, CSVs, images. JSON or ZIP
html_to_markdown	HTML you already have → readable Markdown, navigation stripped. No browser, milliseconds
pdf_protect / pdf_unlock	AES-256 password protection on and off
pdf_compare	Page-by-page visual diff – JSON report or red-highlighted diff PDF
pdf_redact	Guaranteed removal: rasterise, black out, rebuild – text provably gone
pdf_sanitize	Strip the invisible: JavaScript, open-actions, form fields, embedded files – rewritten, so orphaned objects go too
pdf_linearize	Fast web view: browsers show page one before the whole file has loaded
pdf_verify_signature	Who signed, when, unchanged since? (integrity, no CA chain)
email_to_pdf	.eml emails → clean archive PDFs
template_render	Handlebars + JSON data → PDF / PNG / HTML
chart_render	Chart.js config → chart PNG, server-side
qr_code	Text/URL → QR code (PNG/SVG)
image_to_pdf	Images → one PDF (auto size or A4/Letter)
image_c2pa_sign / image_c2pa_verify	C2PA Content Credentials for AI images (EU AI Act Art. 50)
image_ai_label	Visible "AI-generated" stamp + EXIF marking
image_process	Resize, crop, rotate, convert (webp/avif/…), compress, strip EXIF, watermark – one call
image_info	Format, dimensions, color space, EXIF/ICC presence
get_access	Free API key, instantly, no signup – 100 free operations that never expire
get_balance · get_usage · set_monthly_cap · get_pricing	Account

$0.01 per operation. 100 free. Free operations and balance never expire. Failed calls are free. Servers in Germany, GDPR, files deleted after delivery.

Also listed in the official MCP Registry as dev.bigapi/mcp.

Lean by default

The server starts lean: it lists only four tools, so your context stays free.

Tool	What it does
find_tool	Describe your task in plain words, get the matching operation with a ready-to-run example. Free, no key.
run_operation	Run any bigapi operation by name, including ones added after your client started.
enable_tools	Load dedicated tools on demand, e.g. ["pdf_redact","ocr"] or ["all"].
get_access / get_balance	Get a free key, check credit.

All 40+ operations are available from the first second through run_operation; the dedicated tools are a convenience, not a requirement. Want the full list right away? Set BIGAPI_TOOLS=all in the server environment.

Why: every tool definition costs context in your client, and a model choosing between five descriptions picks better than one scanning forty-six.

Install

Requires Node 18+. No API key needed up front – the agent can call get_access itself.

Claude Desktop

claude_desktop_config.json (Settings → Developer → Edit Config):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bigapi": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@bigapi/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop. Then: "Get bigapi access and render this text as a PDF on my Desktop."

Cursor / Windsurf / Cline

Same block in the respective MCP settings (.cursor/mcp.json, ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json, Cline → MCP Servers → Configure).

With an existing key

"bigapi": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "@bigapi/mcp"], "env": { "BIGAPI_KEY": "bigapi_..." } }

How files work

Inputs are local paths (/Users/me/report.pdf, C:\Users\me\scan.pdf). Outputs are written to output_path if given, otherwise to a temp folder (BIGAPI_OUTPUT_DIR to change). Every result includes the cost, what it was charged from, and the remaining balance.

Pricing

Flat $0.01 per operation – every operation, no exceptions (per page for ocr, office_to_pdf, pdf_to_markdown, pdf_extract_tables, pdf_compare and pdf_redact). Prepaid from $5 – no subscription, no signup, balance never expires, failed calls are free. Machine-readable: get_pricing or GET /v1/pricing.

Environment

Variable	Default	Purpose
BIGAPI_KEY	–	Use this key instead of the stored one
BIGAPI_CONFIG_DIR	~/.bigapi	Where get_access stores the key (config.json, mode 600)
BIGAPI_OUTPUT_DIR	OS temp dir	Default output folder
BIGAPI_URL	https://api.bigapi.dev	API base (for self-hosting / testing)

Without MCP

Plain HTTP works everywhere (n8n, Make, Zapier, LangChain, your code):

curl -X POST https://api.bigapi.dev/v1/keys                       # → key
curl -o out.pdf https://api.bigapi.dev/v1/render \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $KEY" -H "content-type: application/json" \
  -d '{"markdown":"# Hello from an agent"}'

OpenAPI: https://api.bigapi.dev/openapi.json · Docs: https://api.bigapi.dev/docs · Guides: https://bigapi.dev/guides/ · llms.txt: https://api.bigapi.dev/llms.txt

License

MIT