DocTable OCR

OCR MCP server — documents to JSON and Excel from Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor

DocTable runs a remote MCP server at https://doctable.online/mcp: connect it to Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor with a DocTable API key, and the assistant can send a PDF or image to the extract_document tool and get back structured JSON — tables, fields and an arithmetic audit — plus a short-lived download link for Excel, Word or CSV. PDFs of up to 500 pages run as background jobs that the assistant follows with get_job, and every page uses 1 credit, the same as the web app. Your first 3 pages are free — scan and download, no card needed. After that, $3 buys 20 pages (one-time, no subscription).

Start — try a document in the web app

How it works

1. Create a DocTable API key on the developers page.
2. Add the server URL to your assistant's MCP settings.
3. Ask the assistant to extract a PDF or image.
4. It returns JSON and a download link for Excel, Word or CSV.

Connect it

Server URL: https://doctable.online/mcp, with the header Authorization: Bearer dt_...

For clients that cannot set custom headers, put the key in the URL: https://doctable.online/mcp/<your dt_ key>. Treat this URL like a password.

Claude Code:

claude mcp add --transport http doctable https://doctable.online/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer dt_YOUR_KEY"

The four tools

• extract_document — extract text, tables and fields from an image or PDF (file_url or file_base64; output json, excel, word, csv, pdf, qbo or xero). A PDF over 6 pages, up to 500, starts a background job and returns its job_id.
• get_job — progress of a background job and its full result once done.
• get_balance — remaining free and paid credits.
• create_topup_link — a checkout link for a credit pack.

What comes back

The result includes the extracted data, an audit object (the arithmetic check: balanced, mismatch or not_checked) and human_review_required, which is false only when the audit is balanced. Excel, Word and CSV come as download links that expire after a few minutes.

Credits and top-ups

Each page uses 1 credit, the same credits as the web app. When the balance runs out, the tool answers with a top-up link from create_topup_link. The agent cannot pay: a person signed in to the account opens the link and approves the payment.

Getting a key

Create a key on the developers page. Keep it secret and server-side; creating a new key revokes the previous one.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an MCP server for OCR?

Yes. DocTable runs a remote MCP server at https://doctable.online/mcp with a tool, extract_document, that reads PDFs and images into structured data.

How do I add an OCR MCP server to Claude?

Create a DocTable API key, then in Claude Code run claude mcp add --transport http doctable https://doctable.online/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer dt_YOUR_KEY". Other clients use the server URL and the same Authorization header.

Can ChatGPT use an OCR MCP tool?

DocTable is available as a remote MCP server for ChatGPT, Claude and Cursor. Use the server URL, with the Bearer header or, for clients that cannot set headers, the key-in-URL form; where to add it depends on your client's MCP settings.

Can the MCP tool convert a PDF to Excel?

Yes. Call extract_document with the output set to excel and it returns a short-lived download link for the.xlsx file.

How are MCP extractions billed?

1 credit per page, the same credits as the web app. Your first 3 pages are free — scan and download, no card needed. After that, $3 buys 20 pages (one-time, no subscription).

Does the MCP server keep my documents?

No. The upload is held in memory, sent over an encrypted connection to a third-party AI model provider for extraction, and not kept afterwards; see Security.