PaperDock

Connect Claude or ChatGPT to PaperDock through MCP.

Also works with Codex, Gemini CLI, and other MCP-capable assistants. Agent connections are always free.

Guide last updated .

What is PaperDock MCP?

MCP lets your assistant work in your PaperDock projects. Sign in once with PaperDock OAuth to use every project you can access, including projects created or shared later. Your Owner, Editor, or Viewer permissions still apply. You can revoke the connection at any time.

How do I connect my AI assistant to PaperDock?

Choose your assistant to see its connection steps.

Platform

Follow these steps in order.

  1. Find PaperDock in Plugins.

    Open PaperDock in ChatGPT

  2. Install and Connect the PaperDock plugin.

    PaperDock shows "Disabled by admin"?

    Choose one of the following options.

    A. Add PaperDock manually as a personal connection in this workspace.
    1. Open Settings -> Plugins -> Developer mode -> Enable Developer mode.
    2. Open Settings -> Plugins -> Add MCP server.
    3. Enter these values:
      Namepaperdock
      TypeStreamable HTTP
      URLhttps://billing-api-recheck-20261112.paperdock.dev/api/mcp
    4. Select "Save".
    5. Search for "paperdock" in the "MCPs" category and select "Authenticate".
    B. Switch to your Personal workspace in ChatGPT.

    Switch to your Personal workspace, search for "PaperDock" in Plugins, and select Install.

    If Developer mode is also disabled by your administrator, PaperDock requires administrator approval in this workspace.

  3. Start a new chat and verify the connection in your AI assistant.

    PromptShow my PaperDock projects to confirm the connection.

Why does PaperDock ask me to sign in?

Sign-in connects the AI environment to your PaperDock account so PaperDock can check your current project memberships and roles. You sign in on PaperDock's domain, and the AI environment receives an OAuth authorization rather than your sign-in credentials. You can deny the request or disconnect and authorize again later. The AI provider you choose processes project information you ask it to use under its own terms and privacy policy.

What should I ask my AI assistant first?

Replace the project name or task with your own.

Create a PaperDock project named Research Draft. We'll use this project for the rest of our work.
Read main.tex, propose a clearer abstract, apply the edit, and tell me exactly what you changed.
Read main.tex and leave your suggestions in Comments and Chat. Reply to the Comments I have already added with your thoughts.
Compile main.tex in Research Draft and inspect the PDF. If compilation fails, explain the filtered diagnostics and suggest a fix. Tell me if the job is still pending or you cannot inspect the PDF.

What can my AI assistant do in a LaTeX project?

From Codex, Claude Code, Gemini CLI, or another MCP-capable agent, your assistant works in the same project your team edits, comments on, and compiles in the browser.

Work from your local environment

List PaperDock projects, inspect file trees, search LaTeX source, read text, and retrieve uploaded assets from the tools you already use.

Edit the shared web project

Create or edit text files, upload local figures or PDFs, and rename or move existing text and binary files without changing their contents.

Compile and inspect a PDF

Compile server-saved files, check the job, and retrieve its PDF through a private link valid for at most 10 minutes. Existing matching PDFs or active jobs are reused. PDF checks report whether the saved inputs are current, outdated, or unknown; unsaved browser edits are not included. The assistant must support PDF inspection to discuss its contents or layout.

Continue through Comments and Chat

Read active Comments, add one to a passage in a .tex file, reply to it, and join the same project Chat your collaborators use on the web.

How do I review an AI assistant's edits?

PaperDock applies MCP text edits to the shared file immediately and records each one for Review changes. In the web app, inspect the inline Diff, keep or revert individual changes, edit changed lines, move between changed files, or keep or revert the full file.

  • Stale edits are rejected.

    Ask your agent to read the current file before editing. Revision checks reject stale edits, so the agent must read the latest content again instead of overwriting newer work.

  • Renames and moves skip Review changes.

    File path changes apply immediately and are not part of the text Review changes Keep/Revert workflow. They preserve file contents but do not update LaTeX or bibliography references automatically.

  • Binary replacements need explicit approval.

    Binary replacements are not part of text Review changes. Your assistant should name the project and file and ask for explicit approval before replacing it. The previous binary cannot be restored through PaperDock history; keep a local copy if needed.

How do PaperDock permissions work through MCP?

Effective access is the intersection of OAuth permission, your current PaperDock role, and PaperDock's MCP safety policy. Role changes and membership removal take effect on the existing connection.

What the connected agent can doOwner or EditorViewer
List, search, and read project files and assetsYesYes
Retrieve existing compiled PDFsYesYes
Create and reply to Comments on .tex files, and use ChatYesYes
Create, upload, and edit text filesYesNo
Upload or replace binary assetsYesNo
Rename existing files or move them within the same projectYesNo
Request compilesYesNo

Any connected user can list accessible projects and create a new PaperDock project. Compiling also requires the OAuth permission compile:run and follows the same limits as the web app.

Which actions stay in the web app?

PaperDock keeps its MCP surface small. Open the same project in the web app for these actions.

  • Rename or delete a project
  • Manage project members, invitations, or roles
  • Delete files, or rename, move, or copy folders
  • View or restore file history
  • Resolve or delete Comments
  • Cancel a compile or inspect full compilation logs

How do I fix a connection problem?

Open the item that matches what you are seeing.

I cannot find PaperDock or a connector menu.

Use the platform tab above. In ChatGPT, open the official PaperDock Plugin; in Codex CLI, type /plugins and install PaperDock. In Claude, open Customize, then Connectors. Claude Code has no connector menu: add PaperDock as a remote MCP server with the values in Manual setup, then authenticate it with /mcp. Gemini CLI users can follow the commands in the Gemini tab. Managed workspaces may restrict plugin or connector controls; if ChatGPT shows "Disabled by admin," open the fallback options in the ChatGPT guide.

My projects do not appear.

Confirm that you approved the same PaperDock account that owns or belongs to the project, then ask the agent to list PaperDock projects again.

The agent says I do not have permission.

PaperDock checks your current role on every tool call, so a role change applies to an existing connection immediately. A Viewer cannot change project files or start a compile. Ask the project Owner to review your role in the web app, or reconnect if the compile permission listed under Roles was not granted.

I am asked to sign in again.

Reauthentication can be needed after a disconnect, revoked access, or a long period of inactivity. In ChatGPT or Claude, open How do I change the connected PaperDock account? under its tab above and follow those steps. In Gemini CLI, run /mcp auth paperdock again. For a manual connection, remove the PaperDock server from your client and add it again.

The PDF is outdated, or compilation failed.

Save your changes, then ask your assistant to compile the intended .tex entry file and check that exact job. Compilation uses saved project files and compiler settings, and a newer edit can make a completed PDF outdated. Pending jobs should be checked at the suggested interval rather than repeatedly starting compiles.

Failed jobs return a short summary and up to 8 filtered errors or warnings, with project-relative file paths and line numbers when available. For troubleshooting, your assistant can request a filtered diagnostic report through a private link valid for 5 minutes. This is not a raw log and may be incomplete if full logs have expired. Successful jobs omit diagnostics by default. Open the web app's Log tab for full details.

My assistant cannot upload a local figure or PDF.

Connecting through MCP does not give an assistant access to your computer or permission to send files. Automatic uploads depend on its file-transfer tools and normal approvals. If those are not available, ask for a PaperDock browser upload link and choose the file yourself. An upload is complete only when it is confirmed as created or replaced, not while it is awaiting transfer.

An older PaperDock connection no longer works.

Remove the old connection and reconnect with the account-level URL shown in the guide above. Do not add a project ID or other query parameters to the URL.

Still stuck? Contact PaperDock at support@paperdock.dev.

Connection details for clients and reviewers.

For MCP clients, administrators, and directory review.

Name
PaperDock MCP
MCP URL
https://billing-api-recheck-20261112.paperdock.dev/api/mcp
Transport
Streamable HTTP
Authentication
PaperDock OAuth with PKCE S256
Connection scope
One PaperDock account, with current project memberships
Official Registry name
dev.paperdock/paperdock
View all 17 available MCP tools

These 17 tools follow your current project role and granted OAuth permissions.

Projects

2

  • List projectsShow projects you can access and your role in each.

    list_projects

  • Create projectCreate a project with a starter main.tex file.

    create_project

Files

10

  • List filesList project files without loading their contents.

    list_files

  • Search filesFind text across editable files when its location is unknown.

    search_files

  • Read fileRead a text file or up to 400 selected lines with revision context, or get a private asset download link.

    read_file

  • Read PDFRead a compiled PDF, check a compile job and saved-source freshness, or request filtered diagnostics. Does not compile.

    read_pdf

  • Compile PDFCompile saved project files into a PDF as an Owner or Editor, reusing matching cached results or active jobs.

    compile_pdf

  • Upload fileUpload text, images, and PDFs. Replacing an existing binary requires explicit approval and version checks; file transfer depends on your AI environment.

    upload_file

  • Create fileCreate a new editable text file.

    create_file

  • Edit fileEdit text with revision checks, guarded operations, or a short-lived token for selected lines, and record the edit in Review changes.

    edit_file

  • Rename fileRename a text or binary file without changing its contents. Text references are not updated automatically.

    rename_file

  • Move fileMove a text or binary file within the project without changing its contents. Text references are not updated automatically.

    move_file

Comments

3

  • List commentsList active comments and replies.

    list_comments

  • Create commentAdd a comment to a passage in a .tex file.

    create_comment

  • Reply to commentReply to an open comment.

    reply_to_comment

Chat

2

  • List chat messagesRead recent project chat messages.

    list_chat_messages

  • Send chat messagePost a message to project chat.

    send_chat_message

compile_pdf returns a job without waiting for it to finish. Use read_pdf with its jobId to check that job and retrieve its PDF; it will not substitute an older job's PDF. read_pdf never starts a compile. Request includeDiagnostics only for troubleshooting or when you want warnings or logs; the returned report is filtered diagnostics, not a raw log. Keep PDF and report links private.

Ready to connect?

Open PaperDock, then give your assistant its first prompt.

Open PaperDock