A few weeks ago we connected PDF Content Search to Claude — so Claude can search through your indexed documents, read OCR text and summarize results. Technically elegant, but: setup took four steps, including manually pasting a JSON configuration into a config file. Fine for developers. A stumbling block for everyone else.
We fixed that. With PDF Content Search 1.17 (build 178), the entire Claude Desktop setup shrinks to one click.
No JSON, no "find the config file," no copying API tokens by hand. Press a button, confirm an explanation dialog, restart Claude Desktop. Done.
Why a one-click setup?
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that connects AI assistants like Claude with local applications. We built PDF Content Search as an MCP server — the app exposes 22 tools that let Claude search your documents, read OCR text, extract metadata and reveal items in the Finder on request. (For a deeper primer on the protocol, see our MCP basics article.)
Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from its configuration file claude_desktop_config.json. The format is JSON and — unlike Claude Code — only accepts stdio-based servers. HTTP servers like ours simply get ignored. This created a small trap in the old setup instructions: our snippet worked fine for Claude Code, but for Claude Desktop you had to rewrite it into a stdio variant and paste it into the correct file yourself.
With version 1.17, that friction disappears entirely. The app knows which format Claude Desktop needs, places the right helper program in its own bundle, writes the entry, and asks you once for permission to access Claude's config file. That's it.
Setup in under 60 seconds
What you need: PDF Content Search 1.17 (build 178) or newer and Claude Desktop on your Mac.
- Open PDF Content Search and go to Settings → More Options. In the MCP section you'll find the new button "Set up Claude Desktop".
- Click the button. The app shows a short explanation dialog. Confirm with "Continue".
- Grant access once. macOS sandbox security requires you to explicitly allow the app to write to Claude Desktop's configuration file. A Finder window opens with the correct file preselected — just click "Grant Access".
- Restart Claude Desktop. The app recognizes the new MCP server automatically.
In your next Claude chat, pdf-content-search shows up as a tool collection, and on first use Claude asks for your permission — the usual handshake. From then on you can ask in natural language:
- "Which contract contains the cancellation terms for the server room?"
- "List all invoices over 500 euros from the last quarter."
- "Compare the warranty terms in these two documents."
Claude searches your indexed documents, reads the OCR text, summarizes, links back.
What happens under the hood?
In short: the app delivers exactly the stdio-compatible configuration Claude Desktop expects, together with a small helper program that forwards your requests locally to the app's HTTP interface. Two worlds, one bridge — literally:
In detail:
- Enable the API server if needed. The app's local HTTP server (port 44477) starts if not already running.
- Generate an access token if none exists yet. The token stays on your Mac — between the app, the helper program and Claude Desktop.
- Install the helper binary. A tiny program called
pdf-content-search-mcplives inside the app bundle. Claude Desktop launches this binary as a subprocess and exchanges MCP messages with it over stdin/stdout. The binary relays them over HTTP to the app — and back. To Claude it looks like a local stdio MCP server; to the app, like an ordinary HTTP client. - Extend the configuration file. A new entry for PDF Content Search is added under
mcpServersin~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. All existing entries (other MCP servers, preferences etc.) are preserved — the app performs a clean JSON merge and overwrites nothing.
There's a second button for the reverse: "Remove from Claude Desktop" takes the entry back out of the config without touching anything else.
For other MCP clients: HTTP/stdio snippets
If you work with Claude Code, a custom integration, or another MCP-capable tool that supports HTTP or SSE transport: the old route still works. In the same MCP section in settings there's a button "Configuration snippet for other MCP clients…". It gives you both the HTTP snippet (for Claude Code & co.) and the stdio variant (in case you want to experiment manually) to copy.
Privacy: nothing new, but clarified
The switch to one-click doesn't change the data-flow architecture. Just to be sure, a summary:
- Your PDF files stay on your disk. No cloud uploads of the original documents.
- OCR and search run entirely locally via Apple Vision and a SQLite database in the app container.
- The MCP server listens only on
127.0.0.1. No other machine on your LAN or on the internet can reach it. Access is token-protected. - The helper binary talks only to the app on your Mac, never to an external server.
- What Claude sees are the text excerpts from documents it needs to answer your question — the same excerpts you would otherwise have copy-pasted into the chat yourself. That these snippets are processed by Anthropic's servers for answer generation is inherent to Claude itself. Details in Anthropic's privacy policy; in the Claude business tier, inputs are not used for training.
Download and update
PDF Content Search 1.17 is a free update for all existing license holders.
- Mac App Store: the update appears automatically. If not: App Store → Updates → check manually.
- Direct download: PDFContentSearch.dmg — the file is notarized and signed for both Apple Silicon & Intel.
- New here? 30-day trial at store.juergenkoller.software.
FAQ
What changes with version 1.17?
The Claude Desktop setup becomes one click instead of four steps. Technically, everything that used to be manual — enabling the API server, generating a token, editing the configuration file — now runs automatically from version 1.17 onward.
Do I have to re-add my folders?
No. Indexed folders and OCR data persist across updates. The only exception: if you switch from a developer debug build to the release version, the folder bookmarks need to be re-selected once due to different code signatures. Not an issue for regular users.
Does this work with Claude Code or other MCP clients?
Yes. For Claude Code and other clients that support HTTP or SSE transport, the app still ships the classic configuration snippets — just click "Configuration snippet for other MCP clients…" in the MCP section of settings.
Why does the setup ask me to grant file access?
macOS sandboxing prevents an app from directly accessing files outside its own container. Claude Desktop's configuration file lives outside. A short explanation dialog and the Finder panel let you grant the app that access once. The app remembers it; future updates don't show the dialog again.
Can I undo the registration?
Yes, the "Remove from Claude Desktop" button in the same section takes the entry back out. Other MCP servers in your config remain untouched.
What about iOS?
The MCP integration is macOS-specific for now, since Claude Desktop runs only on the Mac. No comparable MCP client infrastructure exists on iOS yet.