@pressa/mcp

@pressa/mcp

MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for Pressa - a LaTeX-to-PDF compilation service. This server lets AI assistants compile LaTeX documents and check API usage through a standardized interface.

Setup

Add this to your MCP client configuration (e.g. Claude Desktop, Cursor):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pressa": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@pressa/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "PRESSA_API_KEY": "pressa_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables

Variable	Required	Default	Description
PRESSA_API_KEY	Yes	-	Your Pressa API key (starts with pressa_)
PRESSA_API_URL	No	https://api.pressa.dev	API base URL

Tools

compile

Compile LaTeX source code into a PDF.

Input:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
latex	string	Yes	Complete LaTeX source code. Must contain \documentclass, \begin{document}, \input{}, or \include{}. Plain text, markdown, or raw notes are rejected with not_latex_source (422). The AI agent should generate LaTeX itself, not bounce back to the user.
compiler	string	No	"pdflatex" (default), "xelatex", or "lualatex" (Pro and Business plans only)

Each plan has limits on pages per document, LaTeX source size, PDF output size, and compile timeout. If a compile exceeds your plan's page limit, the document does not count against your monthly quota and the MCP response includes the limit and an upgrade URL. Non-LaTeX input is rejected with a structured requirements list and an example_template so the LLM can self-correct without user intervention.

Output (success):

{
  "job_id": "ffc2bd62-3b67-45d6-be14-b529c4b9489f",
  "pdf_url": "https://api.pressa.dev/api/v1/pdfs/ffc2bd62...?sig=xxx&exp=xxx",
  "expires_at": "2026-04-09T20:44:55Z",
  "pages": 1,
  "compilation_time_ms": 359,
  "usage": {
    "plan": "free",
    "compilations_this_month": 9,
    "monthly_limit": 50
  }
}

Output (error): Compilation log and error line number.

usage

Get current API usage statistics.

Input: None.

Output:

{
  "user": {
    "email": "[e-mail]",
    "username": "user",
    "plan": "free"
  },
  "usage": {
    "compilations_this_month": 9,
    "monthly_limit": 50,
    "remaining": 41,
    "resets_at": "2026-04-30T23:59:59Z"
  },
  "api_key": {
    "prefix": "pressa_a",
    "name": "my-key",
    "total_requests": 15,
    "last_used_at": "2026-04-08T20:44:55Z"
  }
}

save_template

Save or update a LaTeX template by name. Paid plans only. Upserts: a second call with the same name overwrites the first.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
name	string	Yes	Template name (max 100 chars). Unique per user.
latex_content	string	Yes	Full LaTeX source for the template body.
description	string	No	Short human-readable summary (max 500 chars). Shown in list_templates.
instructions	string	No	Agent playbook (prose markdown, max 50000 chars). Describes how to fill the template - defaults, workflow rules, edge cases, conditional logic. Optional but recommended for templates with dynamic parts. See note below.

description vs instructions: description is the one-line UI summary ("Standard Toptal monthly invoice"). instructions is the longer playbook your AI agent reads alongside the LaTeX when filling the template ("Ask the user only for total amount; date is today; invoice number format YYYYMMDD-N where N is sequential count for the calendar year; for EU clients add VAT line"). They are different fields.

list_templates

List the user's saved templates. Does not include latex_content or instructions to keep the response small.

Input: None.

Each item in the returned array carries id, name, description, updated_at, latex_size_bytes, and has_instructions (boolean). Use the has_instructions flag to decide whether a follow-up get_template call will return a useful playbook.

get_template

Fetch a single template by ID or name. Returns the full latex_content plus instructions (if any) in one round trip - your agent gets the layout and the playbook together.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
id_or_name	string	Yes	Numeric ID or URL-safe template name.

delete_template

Delete a template by ID or name.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
id_or_name	string	Yes	Numeric ID or URL-safe template name.

Development

npm install
npm run build
npm start

License

MIT