Rescope pdf-research → pdf-viewer: expose annotation, form-filling, signing#1
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bryan-anthropic merged 4 commits intobryan-anthropic:add-pdf-research-pluginfrom Mar 26, 2026
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The underlying @modelcontextprotocol/server-pdf gained an `interact` tool with 10 annotation types (highlight, underline, strikethrough, note, rectangle, circle, line, freetext, stamp, image), form filling, auto-highlight-text, page extraction, and annotated-PDF download. This reshapes the plugin around interactive workflows: - Rename plugin: pdf-research → pdf - Rename skill: pdf-reading → pdf (unified, covers all capabilities) - Commands: drop /summarize, rename /read → /open, add /annotate, /fill-form, /sign - SKILL.md: document interact tool, all annotation types, coordinate system, interactive workflows (AI-driven annotate, form filling, visual signing) - Positioning: explicitly steer AWAY from viewer for pure ingestion (use native Read instead) — the viewer's value is user interactivity - /sign disclaimer: visual signature image, not certified digital sig Out of scope (documented): summarization, cert signing, PDF generation.
Accuracy: - list_pdfs: 'remote origins' → 'local directories' (server has no remote allowlist, any HTTPS works) - get_screenshot: 'PNG' → 'image' (server returns JPEG) - Supported sources: clarify only arXiv auto-converts /abs/→PDF; others need direct PDF URLs Conventions (matching legal/, productivity/ patterns): - Add argument-hint frontmatter to all 4 commands - Add CONNECTORS.md callout to all commands Positioning — form filling: - Emphasize this is VISUAL form filling (vs programmatic tools) - Document the unnamed-field workflow: screenshot → match bounding boxes to visual labels → fill by name. Many real PDFs have fields named 'Text1', 'Field_7' with labels only on the rendered page. - User gets live feedback and can edit directly in viewer
Plugin name: pdf → pdf-viewer - 'Viewer' makes the interactive/visual modality self-evident - Naturally explains why NOT to use for summarization - Matches enterprise-search precedent (capability-named, not job-function) Skill name: pdf → view-pdf - Verb-noun matches repo convention (review-contract, triage-nda) Trigger description (SKILL.md frontmatter): - Hybrid style: situation framing + verb list for keyword matching - Includes 'open, show, view' so bare 'open this PDF' triggers the skill — SKILL body then disambiguates viewer vs Read - Keeps 'Not for summarization (use Read)' guard Marketplace/plugin.json description: - Marketing-oriented (benefits-first) to match other plugins' style - 'View, annotate, sign... Mark up contracts, fill forms with visual feedback, stamp approvals, place signatures — download annotated copy' Updated all /pdf:* cross-references → /pdf-viewer:*
Without -y, npx prompts 'Ok to proceed? (y)' on first install of a package, which hangs the stdio MCP connection (no TTY to answer). Keeping version unpinned (auto-latest) — currently pulls 1.3.1 which has the interact/annotation capabilities. Tested end-to-end via 'claude --plugin-dir pdf-viewer/'.
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Summary
Proposes amendments to anthropics#72 based on the
interacttool capabilities merged in modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps#506. The underlying@modelcontextprotocol/server-pdfnow supports 10 annotation types (including image for signatures), form filling, auto-highlight, page extraction, and annotated-PDF download — none of which the originalpdf-researchscoping exposed.Changes
Identity
pdf-research→pdf-viewer— the name self-documents the interactive/visual modalitypdf-reading→view-pdf— verb-noun to match repo convention (review-contract,triage-nda)Commands
/read/pdf-viewer:open/summarize/pdf-viewer:annotate/pdf-viewer:fill-form/pdf-viewer:signPositioning
Every file now steers Claude away from the viewer for pure ingestion ('summarize this PDF' → use native Read) and toward it for interactive workflows. The viewer's value is showing the user the document and collaborating on markup.
SKILL.md (147 lines)
Form-filling differentiator
Unlike programmatic form tools, this gives live visual feedback and handles PDFs with cryptic/unnamed fields (
Text1,f1_2) where the label is printed on the rendered page rather than in field metadata — screenshot → match bounding boxes → fill by name.Related