/view-pdf

name: view-pdf
description: Interactive PDF viewer. Use when the user wants to open, show, or view a PDF and collaborate on it visually — annotate, highlight, stamp, fill form fields, place signature/initials, or review markup together. Not for summarization or text extraction (use native Read instead).

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)

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