Pressa - LaTeX to PDF

Compile LaTeX to PDF without installing TeX Live.

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What it can do

    What data it sees

    Do you need an account

    No: the server works without sign-in

    Compile LaTeX to PDF without installing TeX Live. No API key needed to start.

    How to connect

    How to connect Pressa - LaTeX to PDF to Claude

    The server address to paste into Claude settings:

    https://api.pressa.dev/mcp

    1. Open Claude (claude.ai or the desktop app).
    2. Go to Settings → Connectors.
    3. Click Add custom connector.
    4. Paste the server address copied below into Remote MCP server URL and click Add.
    5. In a chat, click + → Connectors and switch the new connector on.

    Custom connectors are available on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans (Free is limited to one). On Team and Enterprise an organization Owner adds the connector first under Organization settings → Connectors.

    Authorization

    After you click Add, a sign-in window for the service opens. Sign in with your own account and approve access. Claude never sees your password.

    How to connect Pressa - LaTeX to PDF to ChatGPT

    The server address to paste into ChatGPT settings:

    https://api.pressa.dev/mcp

    1. Open ChatGPT in a browser (chatgpt.com). A Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise or Edu plan is required.
    2. Turn on developer mode once: Settings → Apps → Advanced settings → Developer mode.
    3. Open Settings → Connectors and click Create.
    4. Fill in the form: Name (anything), Description (one line about what the service does), MCP server URL (copy it below).
    5. Under Authentication choose OAuth if the service requires sign-in, otherwise None. Click Create.
    6. In a new chat open + → Apps/Connectors and enable the connector.

    OpenAI has renamed this section before (Connectors → Apps/Plugins). If the label differs, search settings for "developer mode". On Business/Enterprise workspaces an admin must allow custom connectors first.

    Authorization

    On first use ChatGPT opens the service's sign-in window. Sign in and approve access.

    How to connect Pressa - LaTeX to PDF to Cursor

    The server address to paste into Cursor settings:

    https://api.pressa.dev/mcp

    Fastest: click Open in Cursor below and confirm the prompt.

    Manually:

    1. In Cursor open Settings → Cursor Settings → MCP and click Add new global MCP server.
    2. Paste the JSON copied below into ~/.cursor/mcp.json (per project: .cursor/mcp.json in the repo root).
    3. Save the file. The server appears in the MCP list; authorize it there if asked.

    Authorization

    If the service needs sign-in, an authorize button appears next to the server in the MCP list.

    Server tool list (4)

    Raw names from tools/list. Only developers need these.

    compileCompile LaTeX source into a PDF. Returns a PDF URL, page count and compile time. USE THIS WHEN: you have LaTeX source (or a \documentclass) and no local pdflatex / TeX Live installation to run it with. This is that missing compiler, available over HTTP. Also use it whenever the user asks for a document where typesetting matters - an invoice, contract, report, letter, CV, certificate, or academic paper - since you can write the LaTeX yourself and compile it here. DO NOT USE THIS TO: convert HTML to PDF, merge, split or compress existing PDF files, or extract text from a PDF. This compiles LaTeX source and nothing else. No API key is required. Anonymous callers get a small number of compilations per day and failed attempts do not count, so you can iterate on your LaTeX for free. Send an API key in the Authorization header to raise the limits. With a key, a document over the plan's page or size limit still returns a PDF: `preview: true`, the first pages the plan allows, `total_pages`, and `plan_required` naming the plan that covers the whole document. Show the user the preview and relay `warning`; never drop pages silently. IMPORTANT: This tool compiles LaTeX, NOT plain text. You must generate complete, valid LaTeX source yourself before calling it. Do not pass plain text, markdown or JSON directly - convert them to LaTeX first, and never ask the user to write LaTeX. A minimal valid document is: \documentclass{article}\begin{document}<content>\end{document}. Escape these in body text: % & $ # _ { } and backslash. If compilation fails the response includes a `diagnosis` naming the cause and a concrete suggested fix, often a missing \usepackage. Apply it and call again yourself rather than showing the user a TeX log.
    list_public_templatesList Pressa's public, professionally designed document templates (resumes, CVs, cover letters, invoices, reports, certificates), each with a one-line summary and a preview image URL. Use this when the user wants one of these documents and has no layout of their own, or asks to see designs to choose from. Works without an API key.
    get_public_templateGet a public template's fields (JSON schema), sample data, filling instructions and LaTeX source. Read the instructions before collecting data from the user. To make the PDF, pass the data to `render_public_template`; to change the layout itself, edit the source and use `compile`.
    render_public_templateFill a public template with the user's data and return a PDF link. Data must match the template's schema (see get_public_template); a missing field comes back as a list of what to ask for, and costs nothing. All resume templates take the same data, so switching style is the same call with a different slug. Works without an API key within the daily free limit.