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50 starsJavaScript

InDesign MCP via UXP plugin – faster, cross-platform, no AppleScript

by theloniuser·Mar 1, 2026·1 point·0 comments

AI Analysis

●●SolidBig BrainSolve My Problem

Replaces flaky AppleScript automation with native UXP plugin; adds Windows support and structured JSON returns.

Strengths
  • Cross-platform (macOS + Windows) vs AppleScript macOS-only; direct in-process execution eliminates temp file overhead
  • Modern JavaScript (async/await, destructuring) inside InDesign vs deprecated ExtendScript (ES3 only)
  • ~130 tools covering full InDesign API — documents, pages, text, graphics, styles, exports — comprehensive feature coverage
Weaknesses
  • Requires InDesign 2024+; older versions unsupported, limiting adoption in enterprises on older releases
  • MCP is still emerging ecosystem; depends on adoption of MCP clients (Claude, others) for real utility
Target Audience

AI developers building InDesign automation; InDesign power users integrating with Claude or other MCP clients

Similar To

zachshallbetter/indesign-mcp-server (original AppleScript version) · Cursor InDesign extension · ExtendScript-based automation tools

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