# MarkItDown-MCP

> [!IMPORTANT]
> The MarkItDown-MCP package is meant for **local use**, with local trusted agents. In particular, when running the MCP server with Streamable HTTP or SSE, it binds to `localhost` by default, and is not exposed to other machines on the network or Internet. In this configuration, it is meant to be a direct alternative to the STDIO transport, which may be more convenient in some cases. DO NOT bind the server to other interfaces unless you understand the [security implications](#security-considerations) of doing so.


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The `markitdown-mcp` package provides a lightweight STDIO, Streamable HTTP, and SSE MCP server for calling MarkItDown.

It exposes one tool: `convert_to_markdown(uri)`, where uri can be any `http:`, `https:`, `file:`, or `data:` URI.

## Installation

To install the package, use pip:

```bash
pip install markitdown-mcp
```

## Usage

To run the MCP server, using STDIO (default), use the following command:


```bash	
markitdown-mcp
```

To run the MCP server, using Streamable HTTP and SSE, use the following command:

```bash	
markitdown-mcp --http --host 127.0.0.1 --port 3001
```

## Running in Docker

To run `markitdown-mcp` in Docker, build the Docker image using the provided Dockerfile:
```bash
docker build -t markitdown-mcp:latest .
```

And run it using:
```bash
docker run -it --rm markitdown-mcp:latest
```
This will be sufficient for remote URIs. To access local files, you need to mount the local directory into the container. For example, if you want to access files in `/home/user/data`, you can run:

```bash
docker run -it --rm -v /home/user/data:/workdir markitdown-mcp:latest
```

Once mounted, all files under data will be accessible under `/workdir` in the container. For example, if you have a file `example.txt` in `/home/user/data`, it will be accessible in the container at `/workdir/example.txt`.

## Accessing from Claude Desktop

It is recommended to use the Docker image when running the MCP server for Claude Desktop.

Follow [these instructions](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/quickstart/user#for-claude-desktop-users) to access Claude's `claude_desktop_config.json` file.

Edit it to include the following JSON entry:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "markitdown": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "markitdown-mcp:latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

If you want to mount a directory, adjust it accordingly:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "markitdown": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
	"run",
	"--rm",
	"-i",
	"-v",
	"/home/user/data:/workdir",
	"markitdown-mcp:latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

## Debugging

To debug the MCP server you can use the `MCP Inspector` tool.

```bash
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
```

You can then connect to the inspector through the specified host and port (e.g., `http://localhost:5173/`).

If using STDIO:
* select `STDIO` as the transport type,
* input `markitdown-mcp` as the command, and
* click `Connect`

If using Streamable HTTP:
* select `Streamable HTTP` as the transport type,
* input `http://127.0.0.1:3001/mcp` as the URL, and
* click `Connect`

If using SSE:
* select `SSE` as the transport type,
* input `http://127.0.0.1:3001/sse` as the URL, and
* click `Connect`

Finally:
* click the `Tools` tab,
* click `List Tools`,
* click `convert_to_markdown`, and
* run the tool on any valid URI.

## Security Considerations

The server does not support authentication, and runs with the privileges of the user running it. For this reason, when running in SSE or Streamable HTTP mode, the server binds by default to `localhost`. Even still, it is important to recognize that the server can be accessed by any process or users on the same local machine, and that the `convert_to_markdown` tool can be used to read any file that the server's user has access to, or any data from the network. If you require additional security, consider running the server in a sandboxed environment, such as a virtual machine or container, and ensure that the user permissions are properly configured to limit access to sensitive files and network segments. Above all, DO NOT bind the server to other interfaces (non-localhost) unless you understand the security implications of doing so.

## Trademarks

This project may contain trademarks or logos for projects, products, or services. Authorized use of Microsoft
trademarks or logos is subject to and must follow
[Microsoft's Trademark & Brand Guidelines](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/legal/intellectualproperty/trademarks/usage/general).
Use of Microsoft trademarks or logos in modified versions of this project must not cause confusion or imply Microsoft sponsorship.
Any use of third-party trademarks or logos are subject to those third-party's policies.
