What is Mistral Ocr Mcp

Mistral-ocr-mcp is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that showcases how to utilize Mistral’s Optical Character Recognition (OCR) functionality. It enables users to extract text from PDF files and images using Mistral’s OCR API.

Use cases

Use cases for mistral-ocr-mcp include converting handwritten lecture notes into digital text, extracting text from scanned documents for archiving, and facilitating data entry by transforming printed forms into editable text.

How to use

To use mistral-ocr-mcp, connect to the server with an MCP-compatible client such as Cursor or Claude Desktop. Upload your PDF or image files, and the server will process them to extract the text content.

Key features

Key features of mistral-ocr-mcp include the ability to process both images and PDF files, seamless integration with MCP-compatible clients, and the utilization of Mistral’s advanced OCR technology for accurate text extraction.

Where to use

Mistral-ocr-mcp can be used in various fields such as education for digitizing handwritten notes, in business for extracting text from documents, and in research for converting printed materials into editable formats.

Mistral OCR MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides OCR (Optical Character Recognition) functionality using Mistral’s OCR API. This server allows you to extract text content from PDF files and images through MCP-compatible clients like Cursor and Claude Desktop.

📖 For more context and practical usage examples, read the related article: How I Use Mistral Document AI to Consolidate My Notes

Usage example flowchart

Features

• Extract text from PDF files and images (JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, BMP)
• Returns structured content with page-by-page breakdown
• Integrates seamlessly with MCP clients
• Built with FastMCP for optimal performance

Prerequisites

• uv package manager
• Python 3.10.1 or higher
• Mistral API Key : https://console.mistral.ai/api-keys

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/lemopian/mistral-ocr-mcp.git
   cd mistral-ocr-mcp
   

2. Install dependencies using uv:

   uv sync
   

3. Set up environment variables:
   Create a .env file in the project root:

   echo "MISTRAL_API_KEY=your_mistral_api_key_here" > .env
   

Configuration for MCP Clients

Add the following configuration to your MCP client config file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mistral-ocr": {
      "command": "/Users/yourusername/.local/bin/uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/path/to/mistral-ocr-mcp",
        "run",
        "main.py"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Important: Replace /path/to/mistral-ocr-mcp with the actual path to your cloned repository.

Usage

Once configured, the server provides the following tool:

extract_file_content

Extracts text content from PDF files and images.

Parameters:

• file_path (string): Local path to the PDF or image file

Returns:

• Extracted text content as a string

Supported formats:

• PDF files (.pdf)
• Image files (.jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tiff, .bmp)

Example usage :

Please extract the text from this document: /path/to/your/document.pdf

Development

Running the server directly

uv run main.py

Project structure

mistral-ocr-mcp/
├── mistral_ocr/          # Package directory
│   ├── __init__.py       # Package initialization
│   └── extractor.py      # Mistral OCR functionality
├── docs/                 # Documentation
│   └── flowchart.png     # Architecture flowchart
├── main.py               # MCP server implementation
├── pyproject.toml        # Project dependencies and configuration
├── uv.lock              # Dependency lock file
├── .env                 # Environment variables (create this)
├── .gitignore           # Git ignore rules
└── README.md            # This file

Environment Variables

• MISTRAL_API_KEY: Your Mistral API key (required)

Troubleshooting

1. “MISTRAL_API_KEY must be set” error:

   • Ensure you’ve created a .env file with your Mistral API key
   • Verify the API key is valid

2. “File not found” error:

   • Check that the file path is correct and accessible
   • Ensure the file format is supported

3. MCP connection issues:

   • Verify the path to uv is correct in your MCP configuration
   • Ensure the repository path is absolute and correct
   • Check that all dependencies are installed with uv sync