InDesign MCP

Control Adobe InDesign directly from Codex, Claude, OpenCode, and other MCP clients.

Installation · Tools · Security · Development

InDesign MCP is a Model Context Protocol server that automates Adobe InDesign on Windows through COM and ExtendScript. It enables AI assistants to inspect documents, edit content, and perform exports using structured tools.

✨ Highlights

19 tools ready for editing, inspection, and export.
npm installation, with no InDesign plugin or startup script required.
Native integration with Codex, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and OpenCode.
Local execution over stdio; your documents are not sent through MCP.
Secure by default, with arbitrary JSX execution disabled.

📋 Requirements

Windows 10 or 11
Adobe InDesign 2024 or later
Node.js 18 or later
PowerShell 5.1 or later

InDesign must be open while the server is in use. No startup script or firewall configuration is required.

📦 npm Installation

You do not need to clone the repository or install the package globally. Configure your MCP client to run:

npx -y mcp-indesign

Codex

Add the following to ~/.codex/config.toml:

[mcp_servers.indesign]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "mcp-indesign"]
startup_timeout_sec = 30

[mcp_servers.indesign.env]
INDESIGN_MCP_LANGUAGE = "en"

Claude Desktop or Claude Code

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "indesign": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-indesign"],
      "env": { "INDESIGN_MCP_LANGUAGE": "en" }
    }
  }
}

OpenCode

{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "indesign": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": ["npx", "-y", "mcp-indesign"],
      "environment": { "INDESIGN_MCP_LANGUAGE": "en" },
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}

Restart the client, open InDesign, and run check_connection.

🧰 Tools

Tool	Function
`check_connection`	Checks communication with InDesign
`list_documents`	Lists open documents
`get_document_info`	Returns document pages and properties
`get_page_info`	Returns information about a page
`get_text`	Reads text from the selection, page, document, or frame
`insert_text`	Inserts text into a frame
`set_frame_text`	Replaces, appends, or prepends text
`replace_text`	Finds and replaces text
`list_frames`	Lists text frames
`create_text_frame`	Creates a text frame
`list_styles`	Lists document styles
`apply_style`	Applies styles to the selection or a frame
`list_colors`	Lists color swatches
`create_color_swatch`	Creates an RGB, CMYK, LAB, or GRAY swatch
`export_pdf`	Exports a PDF
`export_image`	Exports a JPG, PNG, or TIFF image
`quick_export`	Quickly exports to a selected format
`batch_export`	Exports multiple documents and formats
`run_jsx`	Runs ExtendScript when explicitly enabled

🔐 Security

The runtime defaults to English. Set the interface language in your MCP environment when needed:

INDESIGN_MCP_LANGUAGE=en     # English
INDESIGN_MCP_LANGUAGE=pt-BR  # Portuguese (pt and pt-PT are also accepted)
INDESIGN_MCP_LANGUAGE=es     # Spanish

run_jsx allows arbitrary ExtendScript execution and is disabled by default. Enable it only in trusted environments:

INDESIGN_MCP_ENABLE_RUN_JSX=1

To use an external installation of BatchExportProfessional.jsx:

INDESIGN_MCP_BATCH_SCRIPT=C:\path\BatchExportProfessional.jsx

🛠️ Development

git clone https://github.com/SanNw/Indesign-MCP.git
cd Indesign-MCP
npm install
npm test

The test starts the server, validates all 19 tools, and confirms that run_jsx remains blocked by default.

🩺 Troubleshooting

Run check_connection before using the other tools.
Confirm that InDesign is open in the same Windows session.
Restart the MCP client after changing its configuration.
Export presets vary by InDesign version and language.

⚠️ Limitations

The 0.1.x series supports Windows only.
Operations may modify the open document but do not save it automatically.
Compatibility has been directly validated with InDesign 2025; other versions should be tested by the community.

📄 License

MIT

Built to bring artificial intelligence and editorial design closer together.

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