NextPDF Connect
NextPDF Connect
At a glance
Section titled “At a glance”NextPDF Connect is the nextpdf/server package. It runs as a long-lived service that exposes the NextPDF PDF 2.0 engine to artificial intelligence (AI) agents and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) clients. The same tool registry is available through three transports: Model Context Protocol (MCP) over standard input and output, a Representational State Transfer (REST) Application Programming Interface (API) described by an OpenAPI 3.1 document, and gRPC defined by the nextpdf.connect.v1 Protocol Buffers package. Every tool declares a risk level. Tools at the highest level must pass a human-in-the-loop (HITL) confirmation gate before they run.
Use this section when you operate or integrate the server. Start with the Overview to understand the architecture, choose a transport, then use the API reference for exact tool and service symbols.
Section map
Section titled “Section map”These pages cover the server’s concepts, configuration, and operations.
| Page | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Overview | The package boundary, the three transports, and why tool count is a runtime property. |
| Quickstart | A runnable first MCP handshake and the matching REST render request. |
| Configuration | The MCP YAML file, NEXTPDF_* environment variables, and the upgrade-only risk override. |
| Boot and discovery | How each transport connects its server and discovers tools and tiers at boot. |
| Tool catalog | The verified, always-available core tool set and how runtime computes the total count. |
| HITL risk tiers | The four-level risk model and the confirmation challenge for tools that require approval. |
| Deployment | RoadRunner worker profiles, Docker, Redis-backed stores, and gRPC mutual Transport Layer Security (TLS). |
| Security and operations | Authentication, transport security, the threat model, and the data-residency posture. |
Each transport has its own reference page.
| Transport page | Use it for |
|---|---|
| MCP transport | JavaScript Object Notation Remote Procedure Call (JSON-RPC) 2.0 framing over stdio, and the initialize / tools/list / tools/call methods. |
| REST transport | The RoadRunner PSR-15 pipeline, OpenAPI 3.1 contract, bearer authentication, and tier-gated routes. |
| gRPC transport | The nextpdf.connect.v1.NextPDFConnect service, server-streaming RPCs, and metadata authentication. |
Primary APIs
Section titled “Primary APIs”Use these two pages when you build against the server.
| Page | Role |
|---|---|
| API reference | Every registered tool by name and class, gRPC service and message symbols, the error model, and rate limits. |
| Developer guide | The architecture boundary, runtime lifecycle, tier resolution, confirmation gate, extension points, and testing checklist. |
See also
Section titled “See also”- Overview — the conceptual entry point for the package
- API reference — exact tool, RPC, and message symbols
- Developer guide — how to build, extend, and operate the server
- Security and operations — authentication and the threat model