Carbone MCP — Claude Code MCP server: what it does, how to install
Generates PDF, Word, and Excel files from templates and JSON data or converts 100+ file types via the Carbone API inside your coding agent.
claude mcp add --transport http carbone-mcp https://mcp.carbone.ioWhat Carbone MCP does
This server connects coding assistants to the Carbone rendering engine. It populates tags like {d.field} inside DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, or Markdown files with raw JSON structures. The tool also handles format conversions across 100+ targets, sets PDF passwords, embeds watermarks, and outputs PDF/A.
Integration works either via a local stdio runner (npx carbone-mcp) or a remote endpoint at https://mcp.carbone.io. The remote HTTP setup refuses absolute paths on your disk, requiring inputs to arrive as base64 or download links. Running it on your own machine requires Node.js 20.3 or later and an API key from account.carbone.io.
What it helps with
- render invoices and contracts in PDF from Office templates using JSON
- turn Markdown or presentation files into PDF documents
- inspect custom templates to discover expected data fields
- batch render up to 100 documents with webhook delivery
Example prompts for the agent
- Fill invoice.docx with this JSON payload and save it as a PDF.
- Inspect template contract.docx and show me what fields it needs.
- Convert this Markdown text into a password-protected PDF.
How to install Carbone MCP
1Platform CLI: remote server
claude mcp add --transport http carbone-mcp https://mcp.carbone.io2Platform CLI
claude mcp add --env CARBONE_API_KEY=<CARBONE_API_KEY> --env CARBONE_BASE_URL=<CARBONE_BASE_URL> --transport stdio carbone-mcp -- npx -y carbone-mcpReplace <…> with your own values
1Platform CLI: remote server
codex mcp add carbone-mcp --url https://mcp.carbone.io2Platform CLI
codex mcp add carbone-mcp --env CARBONE_API_KEY=<CARBONE_API_KEY> --env CARBONE_BASE_URL=<CARBONE_BASE_URL> -- npx -y carbone-mcpReplace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"carbone-mcp": {
"url": "https://mcp.carbone.io"
}
}
}{
"mcpServers": {
"carbone-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"carbone-mcp"
],
"env": {
"CARBONE_API_KEY": "<CARBONE_API_KEY>",
"CARBONE_BASE_URL": "<CARBONE_BASE_URL>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"servers": {
"carbone-mcp": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://mcp.carbone.io"
}
}
}{
"servers": {
"carbone-mcp": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"carbone-mcp"
],
"env": {
"CARBONE_API_KEY": "<CARBONE_API_KEY>",
"CARBONE_BASE_URL": "<CARBONE_BASE_URL>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
1Platform CLI: remote server
gemini mcp add -t http carbone-mcp https://mcp.carbone.io2Platform CLI
gemini mcp add -e CARBONE_API_KEY=<CARBONE_API_KEY> -e CARBONE_BASE_URL=<CARBONE_BASE_URL> carbone-mcp npx -y carbone-mcpReplace <…> with your own values
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about Carbone MCP
How to install Carbone MCP in Claude Code?
For local execution, run claude mcp add --env CARBONE_API_KEY=<CARBONE_API_KEY> --env CARBONE_BASE_URL=<CARBONE_BASE_URL> --transport stdio carbone-mcp -- npx -y carbone-mcp. For the hosted service, use claude mcp add --transport http carbone-mcp https://mcp.carbone.io.
What is the difference between local stdio and the hosted server?
The local package can read local files from your drive and write results to disk. The remote setup at https://mcp.carbone.io cannot access your hard drive, accepting only base64 strings or URLs.
Is a paid Carbone subscription required?
You can use a test key for free, which produces watermarked PDFs with no limit. The Free plan offers 100 clean documents without watermarks per month.
