How to Start with the FileConvert MCP Server in 5 Minutes

Five steps, no SDK to install. At the end your AI assistant can convert documents, images, audio and video by asking it to.

1. Create an account and an API key

Sign up on file-convert.online (free), sign in, and open file-convert.online/account/api-keys. Give the key a label, click Create key, and copy it. The page also shows client snippets pre-filled with your new key, so steps 3 and 4 become copy and paste. If you prefer a terminal:

# 1. Sign in (or use the account you created on file-convert.online)
curl -s https://file-convert.online/api/identity/v1/auth/login \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email":"[email protected]","password":"your-password"}'
# -> data.access_token

# 2. Create a key with that token (shown once - store it)
curl -s -X POST https://file-convert.online/api/identity/v1/api-keys \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <access_token>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"label":"my-agent"}'
# -> data.key = fc_live_...

Copy the key now; it is not shown again.

2. Check the server answers you

A single request lists the tools and proves the key works:

curl -s https://file-convert.online/api/mcp/v1/mcp \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer fc_live_YOUR_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json, text/event-stream" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/list"}'

You should get a JSON-RPC result with eight tools. A 401 means the header is malformed or the key is wrong.

3. Add the server to your client

Claude Code:

claude mcp add --transport http fileconvert https://file-convert.online/api/mcp/v1/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer fc_live_YOUR_KEY"

Cursor (Settings, MCP, add server) or any client with an mcpServers JSON file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fileconvert": {
      "url": "https://file-convert.online/api/mcp/v1/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer fc_live_YOUR_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

VS Code, in .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "fileconvert": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://file-convert.online/api/mcp/v1/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:fc_api_key}" }
    }
  },
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "fc_api_key",
      "description": "file-convert.online API key",
      "password": true
    }
  ]
}

Claude Desktop, Windsurf, ChatGPT and n8n are covered in the client setup article at file-convert.online/blog/add-file-conversion-mcp-server-to-claude-cursor-vscode.

4. Verify the tools appear

Restart the client, open its MCP or tools panel and confirm the fileconvert server is connected with tools named convert_file, upload_file, start_conversion, get_job_status, get_download_url, get_balance, list_formats and get_upload_url. In Claude Code, /mcp shows the connection state.

5. Run your first conversion

Ask in plain language. For example:

Convert https://example.com/report.docx to PDF and give me the download link.

The agent calls convert_file with source_format docx and target_format pdf, polls get_job_status until the job is Completed, then calls get_download_url and gives you the link, which works without any login until the file expires. For a file you paste or attach in the chat, the agent uses upload_file followed by start_conversion instead.

What to try next

• Ask for the balance: "How many conversion credits do I have left?" calls get_balance.
• Chain conversions: the output file_id of one job can be the input of start_conversion for the next.
• Batch work: an agent can loop over a list of URLs and convert each one; every job costs credits according to its category.
• Automate without a chat window: the n8n walkthrough shows the same tools inside a workflow.

Reference: file-convert.online/blog/file-convert-mcp-server-readme. Questions: file-convert.online/blog/file-convert-mcp-server-faq.