Optional integration for enhanced audio file processing and transcription capabilities (.mp3, .wav files) in the MarkItDown conversion process
Core functionality of the server is converting various file formats to Markdown, providing a universal converter that handles multiple document, image, audio, web, archive, and data file types
MarkItDown-MCP-NPX
NPX wrapper for Microsoft's MarkItDown MCP server - No Docker Required!
This package provides an NPX-compatible wrapper for Microsoft's markitdown-mcp, allowing you to run the MarkItDown MCP server without Docker dependencies.
✨ Features
- 🚀 No Docker Required: Run directly with "node"
- 🔧 Automatic Setup: Handles Python environment and dependencies automatically
- 🔄 Full Compatibility: Works exactly like the original Docker version
- 💻 Cross-Platform: Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux
- ⚡ Fast: Reuses virtual environment after first setup
📋 Prerequisites
Required
- Node.js 16+: Required for running the local script
- Python 3.10+: Required for MarkItDown functionality
- Internet Connection: For initial package installation
Optional (for enhanced functionality)
- FFmpeg: For audio file processing and transcription (.mp3, .wav files)
- ExifTool: For advanced image metadata extraction
💡 Note: MarkItDown works perfectly for most file types (PDF, Word, Excel, basic images) without the optional dependencies. They're only needed for audio files and advanced image metadata.
Windows users: See WINDOWS_SETUP.md for easy installation of optional dependencies.
🚀 Quick Start
Using Local Installation (Recommended)
Future NPX Usage (if published to NPM)
Local Installation
🔧 Configuration for Claude Desktop
The local version can be used as a drop-in replacement for the Docker version in Claude Desktop.
Claude Desktop Configuration
For Local Installation:
For NPX version (if published to NPM):
For HTTP transport:
Comparison with Docker Version
Feature | Docker Version | Local Node Version |
---|---|---|
Setup | Requires Docker | Requires Node.js + Python |
Command | docker run ... | node path/to/markitdown-mcp-npx.js |
Dependencies | Isolated in container | Managed in virtual environment |
Performance | Container overhead | Direct execution |
File Access | Requires volume mounts | Direct file system access |
📖 Usage Examples
Basic STDIO Mode (Default)
HTTP/SSE Mode
With Custom Host/Port
🛠️ Available Options
🔍 How It Works
- Environment Detection: Automatically detects Python 3.10+ installation
- Virtual Environment: Creates isolated Python environment in temp directory
- Package Installation: Installs
markitdown-mcp
and dependencies - Process Management: Spawns and manages the Python MCP server process
- Signal Handling: Properly handles termination signals
🐛 Troubleshooting
Python Not Found
Solution: Install Python 3.10+ and ensure it's in your PATH
Permission Errors
Solution: Check write permissions to your temp directory
Installation Failures
Solution: Check internet connectivity and proxy settings
Port Already in Use
Solution: Use a different port with --port <number>
🧪 Testing with MCP Inspector
You can test the server using the MCP Inspector:
📂 File Structure
🔐 Security Considerations
- The server runs with the same privileges as the user executing it
- No authentication is provided for HTTP/SSE modes
- For HTTP mode, bind to
localhost
unless specifically needed otherwise - Virtual environments provide isolation for Python dependencies
🆚 vs. Docker Version
Advantages of Local Node Version:
- ✅ No Docker installation required
- ✅ Direct file system access (no volume mounts)
- ✅ Faster startup (no container overhead)
- ✅ Easier to debug and troubleshoot
Advantages of Docker Version:
- ✅ Complete isolation
- ✅ Consistent environment across systems
- ✅ No Python installation required on host
📄 License
This project follows the same MIT license as the original markitdown project.
🔧 Expected Tool Behavior
✓ Single Tool: MarkItDown MCP provides exactly 1 tool called convert_to_markdown
✓ Universal Converter: This one tool handles all file types:
- 📄 Documents: PDF, Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), PowerPoint (.pptx)
- 🖼️ Images: JPG, PNG, GIF, etc. (with OCR support)
- 🎧 Audio: MP3, WAV (with transcription if FFmpeg installed)
- 🌐 Web: HTTP/HTTPS URLs
- 🗃️ Archives: ZIP files
- 📊 Data: CSV, JSON, XML
✓ URI Parameter: Accepts http:
, https:
, file:
, or data:
URIs
💡 Note: Seeing "1 tools available" in Claude Desktop is correct behavior!
🚫 Troubleshooting
FFmpeg Warning
This warning is harmless! It means:
- ✅ MarkItDown is working correctly
- ✅ All file types work (PDF, Word, Excel, images)
- ⚠️ Audio files (.mp3, .wav) processing will be limited
To resolve: Install FFmpeg (see WINDOWS_SETUP.md for Windows)
Python Not Found
Solution: Install Python 3.10+ and ensure it's in your PATH
Permission Errors
Solution: Check write permissions to your temp directory
Installation Failures
Solution: Check internet connectivity and proxy settings
Port Already in Use
Solution: Use a different port with --port <number>
🤝 Contributing
This is an unofficial wrapper for Microsoft's MarkItDown MCP server. For issues with the core MarkItDown functionality, please refer to the original repository.
For issues specific to this wrapper:
- Check the troubleshooting section
- Verify your Python and Node.js installations
- Test with the MCP Inspector
🙏 Acknowledgments
- Microsoft AutoGen Team: For creating the original MarkItDown and MCP server
- Model Context Protocol: For the MCP specification
- Claude Desktop: For MCP integration
Note: This is an unofficial wrapper for MarkItDown MCP. For the official Docker version, visit the original repository.
This server cannot be installed
Converts various file types (documents, images, audio, web content) to markdown format without requiring Docker, supporting PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, audio files, web URLs, and more.
- ✨ Features
- 📋 Prerequisites
- 🚀 Quick Start
- 🔧 Configuration for Claude Desktop
- 📖 Usage Examples
- 🛠️ Available Options
- 🔍 How It Works
- 🐛 Troubleshooting
- 🧪 Testing with MCP Inspector
- 📂 File Structure
- 🔐 Security Considerations
- 🆚 vs. Docker Version
- 📄 License
- 🔧 Expected Tool Behavior
- 🚫 Troubleshooting
- 🤝 Contributing
- 🙏 Acknowledgments
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