Parsel
Turn logistics PDFs—Bills of Lading, customs forms, invoices—into DCSA-shaped JSON inside an agent workflow without hand-keying fields.
Overview
Parsel is a MCP server for the Build phase that parses logistics PDFs into DCSA JSON via a remote Apify-backed integration.
What is this MCP server?
- Parses logistics PDFs: Bills of Lading, customs declarations, and invoices
- Outputs structured JSON aligned with DCSA conventions for downstream systems
- Remote streamable-http MCP at Apify actor endpoint (v1.0.0)
- Bearer Apify API token required via Authorization header
- GitHub repo ahutto87/parsel documents the MCP registry entry
- MCP server version 1.0.0
- Remote type: streamable-http on Apify actor MCP URL
- Document types: Bills of Lading, customs declarations, invoices
What problem does it solve?
Shipping and customs PDFs are painful to retype, and agents cannot reliably invent structured BL or invoice fields from unstructured scans without a dedicated parser.
Who is it for?
Indie builders prototyping logistics, supply-chain, or trade-finance tools who already use MCP and want PDF-to-JSON without building parsers first.
Skip if: General-purpose document OCR, non-logistics PDFs, or teams that cannot use cloud Apify actors or send trade documents to third-party services.
What do I get? / Deliverables
After you connect Parsel with an Apify API token, your agent can call the remote MCP and receive DCSA-oriented JSON from BoL, customs, and invoice PDFs for your app or pipeline.
- DCSA-oriented JSON extracted from BoL, customs, or invoice PDFs
- Agent-callable remote MCP integration without self-hosted OCR
- Structured records ready for your API, database, or validation scripts
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Journey fit
Parsing and normalizing trade documents is integration work you wire while building logistics, freight, or ops automation products. Parsel is a remote MCP bridge to an Apify actor that performs document extraction—classic build-phase external integration.
How it compares
Remote document-extraction MCP on Apify, not an on-device PDF skill or a customs compliance consultant.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is Parsel for?
Builders creating logistics or operations software who need Bills of Lading, customs declarations, and invoices converted to structured JSON through an agent.
When should I use Parsel?
Use it while building integrations that ingest real shipping PDFs—prototypes, ETL steps, or agent-assisted data entry—before you invest in a custom parser.
How do I add Parsel to my agent?
Add the streamable-http MCP remote URL from the registry, set Authorization to Bearer YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN from console.apify.com/account/integrations, then invoke Parsel tools from Claude Code or another HTTP MCP client.