Refigure

What the refigure MCP server does

The refigure MCP server converts Word documents and Excel workbooks into Markdown for agent workflows. Its output includes document text, native chart data, warnings, and metadata such as chart and composite-figure counts through the underlying typed conversion result.

Charts embedded in DOCX or XLSX files are read from OOXML cache structures, including numeric and string values. This preserves the values stored in the document rather than attempting to recover them from a rendered image. Composite figures in DOCX files that cannot be reconstructed are represented with positioned markers, including available caption or legend text, instead of being silently split or discarded.

How it works

The refigure MCP server uses the same conversion path as the project’s Python API and command-line interface. MCP clients communicate with the refigure-mcp process over stdio or Streamable HTTP. The server also supports batch conversion, with failures isolated per input file so one invalid source does not necessarily stop the remaining work.

Native chart extraction is the default path and does not require a GPU, OCR engine, or vision model. An optional VLM path can be enabled for composite figures or screenshots that have no native chart data. That path can use OpenRouter by default, or direct providers including OpenAI, Ollama, vLLM, LM Studio, and Anthropic when the corresponding configuration is supplied.

Setup and configuration

Install the MCP extra with the package, then start the refigure-mcp console command. The project also provides a Docker image with the server and LibreOffice included, as well as a one-click Claude Desktop bundle limited to DOCX and XLSX support.

VLM interpretation is optional. It requires the VLM extra, a provider configuration such as OPENROUTER_API_KEY for OpenRouter, and the system soffice or LibreOffice binary unless using the Docker image. Direct provider selection is available through the project’s --vlm-provider option. Strict mode can turn a missing LibreOffice binary into an error; other VLM failures remain degradable according to the README.

Tools and capabilities

The refigure MCP server provides MCP tools, resources, and prompts for document conversion. The supplied material does not specify individual tool names or their exact argument schemas, so clients should inspect the server’s published MCP interface after startup.

Supported capabilities include:

• DOCX-to-Markdown conversion.
• XLSX-to-Markdown conversion.
• Native OOXML chart-data extraction from Word and Excel files.
• Positioned markers for DOCX composite figures.
• Batch conversion with per-file isolation.
• Optional VLM descriptions and Mermaid diagrams for figures without native chart data.

Limitations and notes

VLM interpretation is not required for ordinary native chart extraction, but it is intended for figures such as dashboard screenshots that contain no recoverable chart part. The VLM route depends on an available provider and, outside the Docker image, the system LibreOffice installation needed for rendering.

The provided material does not document client-specific setup beyond Claude Desktop, and it does not list the individual MCP tool schemas. The Claude Desktop bundle supports DOCX and XLSX only. For other clients, use the stdio or Streamable HTTP server and configure the client according to its MCP connection settings.