Connect Claude, Cursor and other AI agents (MCP)
Open Settings → Agents (MCP), name a key, choose its permissions and click Create agent key. Copy the ready-made setup for your client. Each tool call counts as one agent & automation run.
Updated 2 min read Available on Free, Pro and Business Counts toward agent & automation runs
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PDFBetter runs an MCP server, so an AI agent can work on your documents: merge, split, fill, convert, OCR, extract data and ask cited questions. Results come back as new documents and short-lived links. More background: PDFBetter for MCP.
Create an agent key
Step 1: Open Agents (MCP)
Click Settings at the bottom of the sidebar, then Agents (MCP).
Step 2: Name the key
Enter a Key name such as "Claude Code on my laptop". One key per client makes it easy to revoke just that one.
Step 3: Choose permissions
Tick what the agent may do, or click Read documents only. The agent only sees tools these permissions allow, and everything it does acts as you.
Step 4: Create and copy it
Click Create agent key and copy it. It's shown once; a lost key can't be recovered, only revoked and replaced.
Step 5: Set up your client
Under Client setup, pick Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor or Other clients and click Copy. After you create a key, the snippets include it.
Client notes
| Client | Where the setup goes |
|---|---|
| Claude Code | A claude mcp add command to run in your terminal. Add --scope user to use it in every project. |
| Claude Desktop | claude_desktop_config.json (Settings → Developer → Edit config), then restart Claude. It uses the open-source mcp-remote bridge, which needs Node.js. |
| Cursor | ~/.cursor/mcp.json, or .cursor/mcp.json in a project. |
| Other clients | Any MCP client that supports Streamable HTTP with custom headers. Keep the trailing slash in the endpoint URL. |
Permissions
| Permission | Lets the agent |
|---|---|
| Read documents | List, inspect, read fields, export |
| Create and fill documents | Import, upload, fill fields, use templates |
| Run PDF tools | Merge, split, rotate, convert, compress, OCR |
| Use AI | Cited summaries and answers (AI credits) |
| Read extractions / Run extractions | Read or extract fields to JSON/CSV |
| Read workflows / Run workflows | See recipes; start runs and approve review steps |
| Read workspaces / Manage workspaces | See collections; add documents and ask across them |
| Read forms and responses, Read templates, Read share analytics | Read-only access to those |
Usage
Each tool call counts once as an agent & automation run; failed calls don't count. The work an agent triggers uses the same allowances as the app (exports, conversions, OCR pages, AI credits). The Usage section on the page shows this period's count.
| Feature | No account | Free | Pro | Business |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agent & automation runs | — | 200 | 5,000 | Unlimited |
How do I cut off an agent?
Click the trash icon next to its key and confirm Revoke key. Agents using it lose access immediately.
Can I use my Business API key instead?
Yes, a pb_live_ API key also works on the MCP endpoint on Business. An agent key works on every plan with an account, and you can revoke it without touching your API integrations.
Do I need an account?
Yes. Agent access isn't available without an account. Free accounts include 200 runs a month.
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