@bigapi/mcp

MCP server for bigapi.dev – the output layer for AI agents.

Your agent produced something. bigapi turns it into a finished file – and reads files back in. Merge, redact, OCR, convert, sign, validate: the operations an LLM cannot do itself, over plain HTTPS, with one key, nothing to install server-side.

$0.01 per operation. 100 free. Free operations and balance never expire. Failed calls are free. Servers in Germany, GDPR, files deleted after delivery. Every operation ships with a published proof that it does what it promises.

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

Lean by default

The server starts lean: it lists five 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.

What you can run

All 40+ operations go through run_operation (or their own tool after enable_tools). Ask find_tool in plain words instead of memorising this list:

• PDF basics — merge, split, rotate, compress, page info, outline, compare, linearize
• PDF content — to Markdown, to images, extract tables, extract attachments (ZUGFeRD / Factur-X invoice XML)
• PDF safety — redact (rasterise and rebuild, text provably gone), sanitize (JavaScript, actions, embedded files), password on/off, verify signature
• PDF archival — PDF/A-2b with embedded fonts and an output intent, checked with veraPDF
• Documents — Office and e-books to PDF or Markdown (DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, ODT, EPUB), Markdown to Word, .eml to PDF
• Web and rendering — HTML/Markdown/URL to PDF or PNG, full-page screenshots with device presets, HTML or URL to clean Markdown, Handlebars templates, charts, QR codes
• Images — resize, crop, convert (WebP/AVIF/…), compress, strip metadata, watermark, image info
• AI transparency — C2PA Content Credentials sign and verify, visible "AI-generated" label with EXIF marking (EU AI Act Art. 50)
• Text for RAG — token-based chunking, heading-aware, with overlap
• Account — free key, balance, usage, monthly cap, pricing

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