# Carbone MCP

Generates PDF, Word, and Excel files from templates and JSON data or converts 100+ file types via the Carbone API inside your coding agent.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed, Gemini CLI · ★ 6
- Author: carboneio
- License: Apache-2.0 · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/carboneio/carbone-mcp
- Updated: 2026-10-22
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/carbone-mcp

## What it 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`.

## Requirements
- Needs: Node.js (commands run via npx)
- Remote server: `https://mcp.carbone.io`
- Environment variables: `CARBONE_API_KEY`, `CARBONE_BASE_URL` — keys and tokens: ask the human for the values, never commit them or put them in shared files.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
claude mcp add --transport http carbone-mcp https://mcp.carbone.io
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
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
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Codex

1. **Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
codex mcp add carbone-mcp --url https://mcp.carbone.io
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
codex mcp add carbone-mcp --env CARBONE_API_KEY=<CARBONE_API_KEY> --env CARBONE_BASE_URL=<CARBONE_BASE_URL> -- npx -y carbone-mcp
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Cursor

**Config file**
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "carbone-mcp": {
            "url": "https://mcp.carbone.io"
        }
    }
}
```
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "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

### GitHub Copilot

**Config file**
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "carbone-mcp": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.carbone.io"
        }
    }
}
```
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "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

### Gemini CLI

1. **Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
gemini mcp add -t http carbone-mcp https://mcp.carbone.io
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini mcp add -e CARBONE_API_KEY=<CARBONE_API_KEY> -e CARBONE_BASE_URL=<CARBONE_BASE_URL> carbone-mcp npx -y carbone-mcp
```
Replace <…> with your own values

## When to use it
- 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
- 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.

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