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PDF.co MCP Server

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create_fillable_forms

Add fillable form fields like text boxes and checkboxes to a PDF document by specifying annotation properties including position, size, and type.

Instructions

Create new fillable form elements in a PDF document.

Example annotations format:
[
    {
        "text": "prefilled text",
        "x": 10,
        "y": 30,
        "size": 12,
        "pages": "0-",
        "type": "TextField",
        "id": "textfield1"
    },
    {
        "x": 100,
        "y": 150,
        "size": 12,
        "pages": "0-",
        "type": "Checkbox",
        "id": "checkbox1"
    }
]

Ref: https://developer.pdf.co/api-reference/pdf-add#create-fillable-pdf-forms.md

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
urlYesURL to the source PDF file. Supports publicly accessible links including Google Drive, Dropbox, PDF.co Built-In Files Storage. Use 'upload_file' tool to upload local files.
annotationsYesList of form annotations to create. Each annotation can be a textfield or checkbox with properties like 'x', 'y', 'size', 'pages', 'type', and 'id'.
nameNoFile name for the generated output. (Optional)
httpusernameNoHTTP auth user name if required to access source url. (Optional)
httppasswordNoHTTP auth password if required to access source url. (Optional)
api_keyNoPDF.co API key. If not provided, will use X_API_KEY environment variable. (Optional)

Implementation Reference

  • The main handler for the 'create_fillable_forms' tool. It takes a URL, annotations list, optional name, HTTP auth credentials, and API key, constructs a ConversionParams object, and delegates to fill_pdf_form_fields with annotations.
    @mcp.tool(name="create_fillable_forms")
    async def create_fillable_forms(
        url: str = Field(
            description="URL to the source PDF file. Supports publicly accessible links including Google Drive, Dropbox, PDF.co Built-In Files Storage. Use 'upload_file' tool to upload local files."
        ),
        annotations: list = Field(
            description="List of form annotations to create. Each annotation can be a textfield or checkbox with properties like 'x', 'y', 'size', 'pages', 'type', and 'id'."
        ),
        name: str = Field(
            description="File name for the generated output. (Optional)", default=""
        ),
        httpusername: str = Field(
            description="HTTP auth user name if required to access source url. (Optional)",
            default="",
        ),
        httppassword: str = Field(
            description="HTTP auth password if required to access source url. (Optional)",
            default="",
        ),
        api_key: str = Field(
            description="PDF.co API key. If not provided, will use X_API_KEY environment variable. (Optional)",
            default="",
        ),
    ) -> BaseResponse:
        """
        Create new fillable form elements in a PDF document.
    
        Example annotations format:
        [
            {
                "text": "prefilled text",
                "x": 10,
                "y": 30,
                "size": 12,
                "pages": "0-",
                "type": "TextField",
                "id": "textfield1"
            },
            {
                "x": 100,
                "y": 150,
                "size": 12,
                "pages": "0-",
                "type": "Checkbox",
                "id": "checkbox1"
            }
        ]
    
        Ref: https://developer.pdf.co/api-reference/pdf-add#create-fillable-pdf-forms.md
        """
        params = ConversionParams(
            url=url,
            httpusername=httpusername,
            httppassword=httppassword,
            name=name,
        )
    
        return await fill_pdf_form_fields(params, annotations=annotations, api_key=api_key)
  • The 'create_fillable_forms' tool is registered via the @mcp.tool(name="create_fillable_forms") decorator on the async handler function.
    @mcp.tool(name="create_fillable_forms")
  • The ConversionParams model is used for input schema, defining fields like url, name, httpusername, httppassword used by the create_fillable_forms tool.
    class ConversionParams(BaseModel):
        url: str = Field(
            description="URL to the source file. Supports publicly accessible links including Google Drive, Dropbox, PDF.co Built-In Files Storage. Use 'upload_file' tool to upload local files.",
            default="",
        )
        httpusername: str = Field(
            description="HTTP auth user name if required to access source url. (Optional)",
            default="",
        )
        httppassword: str = Field(
            description="HTTP auth password if required to access source url. (Optional)",
            default="",
        )
        pages: str = Field(
            description="Comma-separated page indices (e.g., '0, 1, 2-' or '1, 3-7'). Use '!' for inverted page numbers (e.g., '!0' for last page). Processes all pages if None. (Optional)",
            default="",
        )
        unwrap: bool = Field(
            description="Unwrap lines into a single line within table cells when lineGrouping is enabled. Must be true or false. (Optional)",
            default=False,
        )
        rect: str = Field(
            description="Defines coordinates for extraction (e.g., '51.8,114.8,235.5,204.0'). (Optional)",
            default="",
        )
        lang: str = Field(
            description="Language for OCR for scanned documents. Default is 'eng'. See PDF.co docs for supported languages. (Optional, Default: 'eng')",
            default="eng",
        )
        line_grouping: str = Field(
            description="Enables line grouping within table cells when set to '1'. (Optional)",
            default="0",
        )
        password: str = Field(
            description="Password of the PDF file. (Optional)", default=""
        )
        name: str = Field(
            description="File name for the generated output. (Optional)", default=""
        )
        autosize: bool = Field(
            description="Controls automatic page sizing. If true, page dimensions adjust to content. If false, uses worksheet’s page setup. (Optional)",
            default=False,
        )
    
        html: str = Field(
            description="Input HTML code to be converted. To convert the link to a PDF use the /pdf/convert/from/url endpoint instead.",
            default="",
        )
        templateId: str = Field(
            description="Set to the ID of your HTML template. You can find and copy the ID from HTML to PDF Templates.",
            default="",
        )
        templateData: str = Field(
            description="Set it to a string with input JSON data (recommended) or CSV data.",
            default="",
        )
        margins: str = Field(
            description="Set to CSS style margins like 10px, 5mm, 5in for all sides or 5px 5px 5px 5px (the order of margins is top, right, bottom, left). (Optional)",
            default="",
        )
        paperSize: str = Field(
            description="A4 is set by default. Can be Letter, Legal, Tabloid, Ledger, A0, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6 or a custom size. Custom size can be set in px (pixels), mm or in (inches) with width and height separated by space like this: 200 300, 200px 300px, 200mm 300mm, 20cm 30cm or 6in 8in. (Optional)",
            default="",
        )
        orientation: str = Field(
            description="Set to Portrait or Landscape. Portrait is set by default. (Optional)",
            default="",
        )
        printBackground: bool = Field(
            description="true by default. Set to false to disable printing of background. (Optional)",
            default=True,
        )
        mediaType: str = Field(
            description="Uses print by default. Set to screen to convert HTML as it appears in a browser or print to convert as it appears for printing or none to set none as mediaType for CSS styles. (Optional)",
            default="",
        )
        DoNotWaitFullLoad: bool = Field(
            description="false by default. Set to true to skip waiting for full load (like full video load etc. that may affect the total conversion time). (Optional)",
            default=False,
        )
        header: str = Field(
            description="User definable HTML for the header to be applied on every page header. (Optional)",
            default="",
        )
        footer: str = Field(
            description="User definable HTML for the footer to be applied on every page footer. (Optional)",
            default="",
        )
    
        worksheetIndex: str = Field(
            description="Index of the worksheet to convert. (Optional)", default=""
        )
    
        def parse_payload(self, async_mode: bool = True):
            payload = {
                "async": async_mode,
            }
            if self.url:
                payload["url"] = self.url
            if self.httpusername:
                payload["httpusername"] = self.httpusername
            if self.httppassword:
                payload["httppassword"] = self.httppassword
            if self.pages:
                payload["pages"] = self.pages
            if self.unwrap:
                payload["unwrap"] = self.unwrap
            if self.rect:
                payload["rect"] = self.rect
            if self.lang:
                payload["lang"] = self.lang
            if self.line_grouping:
                payload["lineGrouping"] = self.line_grouping
            if self.password:
                payload["password"] = self.password
            if self.name:
                payload["name"] = self.name
            if self.autosize:
                payload["autosize"] = self.autosize
    
            if self.html:
                payload["html"] = self.html
            if self.templateId:
                payload["templateId"] = self.templateId
            if self.templateData:
                payload["templateData"] = self.templateData
            if self.margins:
                payload["margins"] = self.margins
            if self.paperSize:
                payload["paperSize"] = self.paperSize
            if self.orientation:
                payload["orientation"] = self.orientation
            if self.printBackground:
                payload["printBackground"] = self.printBackground
            if self.mediaType:
                payload["mediaType"] = self.mediaType
            if self.DoNotWaitFullLoad:
                payload["DoNotWaitFullLoad"] = self.DoNotWaitFullLoad
            if self.header:
                payload["header"] = self.header
            if self.footer:
                payload["footer"] = self.footer
    
            if self.worksheetIndex:
                payload["worksheetIndex"] = self.worksheetIndex
    
            return payload
  • The fill_pdf_form_fields helper function that create_fillable_forms delegates to. It accepts optional fields and annotations, builds a custom_payload, and posts to the 'pdf/edit/add' endpoint.
    async def fill_pdf_form_fields(
        params: ConversionParams,
        fields: list | None = None,
        annotations: list | None = None,
        api_key: str | None = None,
    ) -> BaseResponse:
        custom_payload = {}
        if fields:
            custom_payload["fields"] = fields
        if annotations:
            custom_payload["annotations"] = annotations
        return await request(
            "pdf/edit/add", params, custom_payload=custom_payload, api_key=api_key
        )
  • The BaseResponse model used as the return type of create_fillable_forms.
    class BaseResponse(BaseModel):
        status: str
        content: Any
        credits_used: int | None = None
        credits_remaining: int | None = None
        tips: str | None = None
Behavior2/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

No annotations provided, so description should disclose behavioral traits. It explains the annotations format but does not state whether the tool modifies the source PDF, returns a new file, or any error/rate-limit behaviors.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Concise with a clear purpose statement, a useful example, and a reference link. The example is lengthy but appropriate for complex input.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness3/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Adequately describes inputs with an example, but lacks output schema and error handling details. Missing information about return value or side effects, which is notable for a tool with 6 parameters and no output schema.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, providing baseline of 3. The description adds value by giving a detailed example of the 'annotations' parameter structure, which the schema only describes loosely. Other parameters are not further elaborated.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states 'Create new fillable form elements in a PDF document.' This is a specific verb+resource pair that distinguishes it from siblings like 'fill_forms' or 'pdf_add_annotations_images_fields'.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

No guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives. No mention of prerequisites, limitations, or when not to use it.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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