view-pdf

# PDF Viewer — Interactive Document Workflows You have access to a local PDF server that renders documents in a live viewer and lets you annotate, fill forms, and place signatures with real-time visual feedback. ## When to use this skill **Use the PDF viewer when the user wants interactivity:** - "Show me this contract" / "Open this paper" - "Highlight the key terms and let me review" - "Help me fill out this form" - "Sign this on page 3" / "Add my initials to each page" - "Stamp this CONFIDENTIAL" / "Mark this as approved" - "Walk me through this document and annotate the important parts" **Do NOT use the viewer for pure ingestion:** - "Summarize this PDF" → use the native Read tool directly - "What does page 5 say?" → use Read - "Extract the table from section 3" → use Read The viewer's value is showing the user the document and collaborating on markup — not streaming text back to you. ## Tools ### `list_pdfs` List available local PDFs and allowed local directories. No arguments. ### `display_pdf` Open a PDF in the interactive viewer. **Call once per document.** - `url` — local file path or HTTPS URL - `page` — initial page (optional, default 1) - `elicit_form_inputs` — if `true`, prompts the user to fill form fields before displaying (use for interactive form-filling) Returns a `viewUUID` — pass this to every `interact` call. Calling `display_pdf` again creates a **separate** viewer; interact calls with the new UUID won't reach the one the user is looking at. Also returns `formFields` (name, type, page, bounding box) if the PDF has fillable fields — use these coordinates for signature placement. ### `interact` All follow-up actions after `display_pdf`. Pass `viewUUID` plus one or more commands. **Batch multiple commands in one call** via the `commands` array — they run sequentially. End batches with `get_screenshot` to verify changes visually. **Annotation actions:** - `add_annotations` — add markup (see types below) - `update_annotations` — modify existing (id + type required) - `remove_annotations` — delete by id array - `highlight_text` — auto-find text by query and highlight it (preferred over manual rects for text markup) **Navigation actions:** - `navigate` (page), `search` (query), `find` (query, silent), `search_navigate` (matchIndex), `zoom` (scale 0.5–3.0) **Extraction actions:** - `get_text` — extract text from page ranges (max 20 pages). Use for reading content to decide what to annotate, NOT for summarization. - `get_screenshot` — capture a page as an image (verify your annotations) **Form action:** - `fill_form` — fill named fields: `fields: [{name, value}, ...]` ## Annotation Types All annotations need `id` (unique string), `type`, `page` (1-indexed). Coordinates are PDF points (1/72 inch), origin **top-left**, Y increases downward. US Letter is 612×792pt. | Type | Key properties | Use for | |------|----------------|---------| | `highlight` | `rects`, `color?`, `content?` | Mark important text | | `underline` | `rects`, `color?` | Emphasize terms | | `strikethrough` | `rects`, `color?` | Mark deletions | | `note` | `x`, `y`, `content`, `color?` | Sticky-note comments | | `freetext` | `x`, `y`, `content`, `fontSize?` | Visible text on page | | `rectangle` | `x`, `y`, `width`, `height`, `color?`, `fillColor?` | Box regions | | `circle` | `x`, `y`, `width`, `height`, `color?`, `fillColor?` | Circle regions | | `line` | `x1`, `y1`, `x2`, `y2`, `color?` | Draw lines/arrows | | `stamp` | `x`, `y`, `label`, `color?`, `rotation?` | APPROVED, DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, etc. | | `image` | `imageUrl`, `x?`, `y?`, `width?`, `height?` | **Signatures, initials**, logos | **Image annotations** accept a local file path or HTTPS URL (no data: URIs). Dimensions auto-detected if omitted. Users can also drag & drop images directly onto the viewer. ## Interactive Workflows ### Collaborative annotation (AI-driven) 1. `display_pdf` to open the document 2. `interact` → `get_text` on relevant page range to understand content 3. Propose a batch of annotations to the user (describe what you'll mark) 4. On approval, `interact` → `add_annotations` + `get_screenshot` 5. Show the user, ask for edits, iterate 6. When done, remind them they can download the annotated PDF from the viewer toolbar ### Form filling (visual, not programmatic) Unlike headless form tools, this gives the user **live visual feedback** and handles forms with cryptic/unnamed fields where the label is printed on the page rather than in field metadata. 1. `display_pdf` — inspect returned `formFields` (name, type, page, bounding box) 2. If field names are cryptic (`Text1`, `Field_7`), `get_screenshot` the pages and match bounding boxes to visual labels 3. Ask the user for values using the **visual** labels, or infer from context 4. `interact` → `fill_form`, then `get_screenshot` to show the result 5. User confirms or edits directly in the viewer For simple well-labeled forms, `display_pdf` with `elicit_form_inputs: true` prompts the user upfront instead. ### Signing (visual, not certified) 1. Ask for the signature/initials image path 2. `display_pdf`, check `formFields` for signature-type fields or ask which page/position 3. `interact` → `add_annotations` with `type: "image"` at the target coordinates 4. `get_screenshot` to confirm placement **Disclaimer:** This places a visual signature image. It is **not** a certified or cryptographic digital signature. ## Supported Sources - Local files (paths under client MCP roots) - arXiv (`/abs/` URLs auto-convert to PDF) - Any direct HTTPS PDF URL (bioRxiv, Zenodo, OSF, etc. — use the direct PDF link, not the landing page) ## Out of Scope - **Summarization / text extraction** — use native Read instead - **Certified digital signatures** — image stamping only - **PDF creation** — this works on existing PDFs only