# read_by_ocr

A read tool on the MCP PDF Server MCP server.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `read_by_ocr`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/deepseekmine-mcp-pdf-reader/read-by-ocr

## Facts

- Tool: `read_by_ocr`
- Server: MCP PDF Server (`deepseekmine/mcp-pdf-reader`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/deepseekmine-mcp-pdf-reader.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/DeepSeekMine/mcp-pdf-reader
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade A, identity unverified
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 0
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "read_by_ocr",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## Why read_by_ocr is rated Low

OCR is a text extraction technique that processes PDF content to make it machine-readable. This is a read operation with no side effects—it does not modify, delete, or execute external operations. The tool only retrieves data from PDF files. Severity is low because misuse would only expose PDF content, not cause destructive or financial harm.

From the tool's own definition: "Tool name 'read_by_ocr' indicates optical character recognition (a read operation). Server description states the tool 'extracts text via normal parsing or OCR' and 'retrieves images from PDF files'."

## Use case

AI agents call read_by_ocr to retrieve information from MCP PDF Server without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Allowed**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches MCP PDF Server:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "read_by_ocr": {}
  }
}
```

## Other tools on MCP PDF Server (2)

- `read_pdf_images` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/deepseekmine-mcp-pdf-reader/read-pdf-images.md
- `read_pdf_text` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/deepseekmine-mcp-pdf-reader/read-pdf-text.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=deepseekmine-mcp-pdf-reader · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/deepseekmine-mcp-pdf-reader