An MCP server for HTML → editable InDesign

An agent that can write a good HTML layout still can't hand you an InDesign file, because InDesign can't open HTML. This server closes that gap, so the conversion happens inside the agent's own workflow and you never upload anything by hand.

What it does

The server exposes the same engine the idmly website runs. It renders your HTML in a real browser, reads the computed layout and builds the InDesign document directly, with no PDF in the chain. You get real text frames that reflow, named paragraph and character styles, tables that stay tables, charts redrawn as editable vectors, fonts bound by name and images placed and linked.

Connect it

You need Node 20 or newer. The server runs through npx, so there is nothing to clone. Start without a key and the free trial just works.

# Claude Code
claude mcp add idmly -- npx -y idmly-mcp

# Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf: add to claude_desktop_config.json / mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "idmly": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "idmly-mcp"] }
  }
}

# Codex CLI: ~/.codex/config.toml
[mcp_servers.idmly]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "idmly-mcp"]

# With a license, pass the key from your purchase email
claude mcp add idmly -e IDMLY_LICENSE_KEY=<your key> -- npx -y idmly-mcp

Remote agents that can't run a local process can use the hosted endpoint instead. It is a stateless Streamable HTTP MCP endpoint:

https://idmly-production.up.railway.app/mcp
Authorization: Bearer <your license key>   # omit for the free trial

The hosted endpoint returns a one-time download link for the finished file, which is deleted once fetched or after ten minutes.

The two tools

• →convert_to_indesign: give it exactly one of html (the document as a string), path (a local .html file) or url (a public link to a hosted .html). It writes <name>.idml and returns the path, pages converted, the fonts InDesign needs active, and a geometry check. A design with images comes back as a folder holding the .idml and a Links/ directory.
• →idmly_status: reports whether the engine is reachable and whether a license key is configured.

Writing HTML that converts well

• ✓Make each page a fixed-size block with class page (or slide); a two-page spread is class spread.
• ✓Keep the file self-contained: inline CSS, fonts from Google Fonts or embedded, images as data URIs or absolute URLs.
• ✓Draw charts as inline SVG or HTML, not raster images, so they stay editable.

A longer guide to prompting for clean output: how to convert an AI-generated design to InDesign.

Pricing and privacy

The first two pages of any design convert free, no key needed. The $49 lifetime license covers the website, this MCP server and the REST endpoint for one person's use, on up to 10 devices. Files are converted then deleted; nothing is stored or used for training. For team seats or volume, use the form on the API page.

Frequently asked questions