Content
# GroupDocs.Metadata MCP Server
MCP server that exposes [GroupDocs.Metadata](https://products.groupdocs.com/metadata) as AI-callable tools
for Claude, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and other MCP agents.
[](https://www.nuget.org/packages/GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp)
[](https://www.nuget.org/packages/GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp)
[](https://hub.docker.com/r/groupdocs/metadata-net-mcp)
[](https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/v0/servers?search=io.github.groupdocs-metadata/groupdocs-metadata-mcp)
[](https://github.com/groupdocs-metadata/GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp.Tests/actions/workflows/integration.yml)
[](LICENSE)
<!-- TODO(manual): record 30s demo per improvement-plan M1 -->
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## Installation
<!-- install-buttons:start - generated by install/generate-install-links.ps1; do not edit by hand -->
[](https://vscode.dev/redirect/mcp/install?name=groupdocs-metadata&config=%7B%22command%22%3A%22dnx%22%2C%22args%22%3A%5B%22GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp%22%2C%22--yes%22%5D%2C%22env%22%3A%7B%22GROUPDOCS_MCP_STORAGE_PATH%22%3A%22%2Fpath%2Fto%2Fdocuments%22%2C%22GROUPDOCS_MCP_OUTPUT_PATH%22%3A%22%2Fpath%2Fto%2Fdocuments%22%2C%22GROUPDOCS_LICENSE_PATH%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D) [](https://insiders.vscode.dev/redirect/mcp/install?name=groupdocs-metadata&config=%7B%22command%22%3A%22dnx%22%2C%22args%22%3A%5B%22GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp%22%2C%22--yes%22%5D%2C%22env%22%3A%7B%22GROUPDOCS_MCP_STORAGE_PATH%22%3A%22%2Fpath%2Fto%2Fdocuments%22%2C%22GROUPDOCS_MCP_OUTPUT_PATH%22%3A%22%2Fpath%2Fto%2Fdocuments%22%2C%22GROUPDOCS_LICENSE_PATH%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D&quality=insiders) [](https://cursor.com/en/install-mcp?name=groupdocs-metadata&config=eyJjb21tYW5kIjoiZG54IiwiYXJncyI6WyJHcm91cERvY3MuTWV0YWRhdGEuTWNwIiwiLS15ZXMiXSwiZW52Ijp7IkdST1VQRE9DU19NQ1BfU1RPUkFHRV9QQVRIIjoiL3BhdGgvdG8vZG9jdW1lbnRzIiwiR1JPVVBET0NTX01DUF9PVVRQVVRfUEFUSCI6Ii9wYXRoL3RvL2RvY3VtZW50cyIsIkdST1VQRE9DU19MSUNFTlNFX1BBVEgiOiIifX0%3D) [](install/generated/codex.md) [](install/generated/windsurf.md)
> One-click installs pre-fill every supported setting: edit the placeholder documents
> folder after install (output defaults to the same folder); an empty
> GROUPDOCS_LICENSE_PATH runs in evaluation mode - point it at your license to lift limits.
>
> **More clients** - ready-made configs for Claude Code, Codex CLI, Visual Studio 2022,
> Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and JetBrains Rider live in [`install/generated/`](install/generated/).
<!-- install-buttons:end -->
Requires [.NET 10 SDK](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/10.0).
**Run directly with `dnx` (recommended — no install step):**
```bash
dnx GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp --yes
```
Pulls the latest stable release on every invocation. To pin to a specific
version (recommended for shared configs and CI), append `@<version>`:
```bash
dnx GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp@26.7.3 --yes
```
**Or install as a global dotnet tool:**
```bash
dotnet tool install -g GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp
groupdocs-metadata-mcp
```
**Or run via Docker:**
```bash
docker run --rm -i \
-v $(pwd)/documents:/data \
ghcr.io/groupdocs-metadata/metadata-net-mcp:latest
```
## Native prerequisites
The underlying GroupDocs engine uses `System.Drawing` (GDI+) for some
operations. When you run the server **natively** (via `dnx` or the global
dotnet tool) on Linux or macOS, install the native `libgdiplus` library first:
| Platform | Setup |
|---|---|
| Windows | Nothing — GDI+ is built into the OS. |
| Linux | `sudo apt-get install -y libgdiplus libfontconfig1` |
| macOS | `brew install mono-libgdiplus` |
| Docker | Nothing — the image already bundles `libgdiplus`. |
Skipping this on Linux/macOS surfaces as `DllNotFoundException: libgdiplus` in
the tool response. The simplest zero-setup option on Linux/macOS is the
**Docker image**.
## Available MCP Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| `ReadMetadata` | Reads all metadata properties (author, title, creation date, custom properties) and returns them as JSON |
| `SearchMetadata` | Searches within one document and returns only matching properties (filter by category, name, or value) — e.g. "show me the author", "does this have GPS?" |
| `WriteMetadata` | Sets, changes, or adds a property (Author, Title, Subject, Keywords, Comments, Copyright, Company, Manager) and saves the updated file |
| `RemoveMetadata` | Removes metadata and saves a cleaned file. Strips everything by default, or only specific `categories` (gps, author, comments, company, dates, software, copyright, keywords, personal) |
| `GetDocumentInfo` | Returns the file type, MIME type, page count, byte size, and encryption status as JSON — a lightweight structural check that does not enumerate metadata properties |
## Licensing
**The MCP server itself is MIT; the underlying GroupDocs.Metadata engine requires a license
for production use.** Without one the server runs in **evaluation mode**:
- A single server process can open at most **15 documents**; further calls fail with an evaluation-cap error until the server restarts.
- Saving metadata changes (write / remove) is blocked without a license.
To lift the limits, point `GROUPDOCS_LICENSE_PATH` at your `GroupDocs.Total.lic`:
- [Get a free 30-day temporary license](https://purchase.groupdocs.com/temporary-license/)
- [Purchase a license](https://purchase.groupdocs.com/pricing/metadata/net) | [Product page](https://products.groupdocs.com/metadata/net/)
## Configuration
| Variable | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| `GROUPDOCS_MCP_STORAGE_PATH` | Base folder for input and output files | current directory |
| `GROUPDOCS_MCP_OUTPUT_PATH` | *(Optional)* separate folder for output files | `GROUPDOCS_MCP_STORAGE_PATH` |
| `GROUPDOCS_LICENSE_PATH` | Path to GroupDocs license file | (evaluation mode) |
## Usage with Claude Desktop
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"groupdocs-metadata": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "dnx",
"args": ["GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp", "--yes"],
"env": {
"GROUPDOCS_MCP_STORAGE_PATH": "/path/to/documents"
}
}
}
}
```
> To pin to a specific version, replace `"GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp"` with
> `"GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp@26.7.3"` in `args`. Pinning is recommended for
> shared / committed configs to avoid surprise upgrades.
## Usage with VS Code / GitHub Copilot
NuGet.org generates a ready-to-use `mcp.json` snippet on the [package page](https://www.nuget.org/packages/GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp).
Copy it directly into your `.vscode/mcp.json`.
Alternatively, add manually to `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
"inputs": [
{
"type": "promptString",
"id": "storage_path",
"description": "Base folder for input and output files.",
"password": false
}
],
"servers": {
"groupdocs-metadata": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "dnx",
"args": ["GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp", "--yes"],
"env": {
"GROUPDOCS_MCP_STORAGE_PATH": "${input:storage_path}"
}
}
}
}
```
> Same pinning rule as above — swap `"GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp"` for
> `"GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp@26.7.3"` to lock to a specific release.
## Usage with Docker Compose
```bash
cd docker
docker compose up
```
Edit `docker/docker-compose.yml` to point volumes at your local documents folder.
## Documentation & guides
Step-by-step deployment guides and a published-package integration test suite
live in the companion repo
[**GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp.Tests**](https://github.com/groupdocs-metadata/GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp.Tests):
- [Install from NuGet](https://github.com/groupdocs-metadata/GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp.Tests/blob/master/how-to/01-install-from-nuget.md) — `dnx`, global tool, pinned vs always-latest
- [Run via Docker](https://github.com/groupdocs-metadata/GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp.Tests/blob/master/how-to/02-run-via-docker.md)
- [Verify on the MCP registry](https://github.com/groupdocs-metadata/GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp.Tests/blob/master/how-to/03-verify-mcp-registry.md)
- [Use with Claude Desktop](https://github.com/groupdocs-metadata/GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp.Tests/blob/master/how-to/04-use-with-claude-desktop.md)
- [Use with VS Code / GitHub Copilot](https://github.com/groupdocs-metadata/GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp.Tests/blob/master/how-to/05-use-with-vscode-copilot.md)
- [Use with Cursor](https://github.com/groupdocs-metadata/GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp.Tests/blob/master/how-to/07-use-with-cursor.md)
- [Run the integration tests](https://github.com/groupdocs-metadata/GroupDocs.Metadata.Mcp.Tests/blob/master/how-to/06-run-integration-tests.md)
That repo also exercises every advertised tool against the **published** NuGet
artifact on Linux, macOS, and Windows in CI — so the snippets above are
verified end-to-end on every release.
## License
MIT — see [LICENSE](LICENSE)
<!-- mcp-name: io.github.groupdocs-metadata/groupdocs-metadata-mcp -->
