Acrolinx MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates with the Acrolinx NextGen API to provide advanced text analysis and improvement capabilities to AI assistants like Claude and Cursor.

Features

• Text Rewriting: Automatically improve text for clarity, tone, and style guide compliance
• Content Analysis: Get detailed quality scores across multiple dimensions
• Writing Suggestions: Receive specific recommendations for text improvements
• Style Guide Support: AP, Chicago Manual of Style, Microsoft, and Proofpoint
• Multiple Dialects: American, British, Australian, and Canadian English
• Tone Flexibility: Academic, business, casual, conversational, formal, gen-z, informal, and technical

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18.0.0 or higher
• An Acrolinx API key

Setup

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/acrolinx/nextgen-mcp.git
cd nextgen-mcp

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Configure environment variables:

cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env and add your ACROLINX_API_KEY

4. Build the project:

npm run build

Configuration

Usage with AI IDEs

This MCP server is compatible with any IDE that supports the Model Context Protocol, including Claude Desktop and Cursor.

Configuration

The configuration is identical for all MCP-compatible IDEs. Only the configuration file location differs:

Option 1: Run directly from GitHub (recommended)

Add this configuration to your IDE's MCP configuration file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "acrolinx": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "github:acrolinx/nextgen-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ACROLINX_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Option 2: Run from local installation

For local development or if you prefer to run from a local installation:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "acrolinx": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/nextgen-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "ACROLINX_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: After updating the configuration, restart your IDE for the changes to take effect.

Using with Cursor

When using this MCP server with Cursor, you'll see a "Calling undefined" message with a "Run tool" button when the AI wants to use Acrolinx tools. This is normal behavior - simply click "Run tool" to approve the analysis. This manual approval is Cursor's security feature for MCP tool execution.

Available Tools

acrolinx_rewrite

Automatically rewrite and improve text content.

Parameters:

• text (required): The text to rewrite
• dialect: Language dialect (default: "american_english")
• tone: Desired tone (default: "formal")
• style_guide: Style guide to follow (default: "microsoft")

acrolinx_check

Analyze text for quality issues without making changes.

Parameters:

• text (required): The text to analyze
• dialect: Language dialect (default: "american_english")
• tone: Target tone to check against (default: "formal")
• style_guide: Style guide to check against (default: "microsoft")

acrolinx_suggestions

Get detailed editing suggestions for improving text.

Parameters:

• text (required): The text to get suggestions for
• dialect: Language dialect (default: "american_english")
• tone: Target tone for suggestions (default: "formal")
• style_guide: Style guide for suggestions (default: "microsoft")

acrolinx_workflow_status

Check the status of an asynchronous workflow.

Parameters:

• workflow_id (required): The workflow ID to check
• workflow_type (required): Type of workflow ("rewrites", "checks", or "suggestions")

Development

Running in Development Mode

npm run dev

Running Tests

# Test suggestions endpoint
node test-suggestions.js

# Test complete workflow
node test-suggestions-complete.js

Building

npm run build

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. "Calling undefined" message in Cursor: This is normal Cursor behavior, not an error. When you see this message with a "Run tool" button, click the button to execute the Acrolinx analysis. This is Cursor's security feature requiring manual approval for MCP tool execution.

2. "Client closed" error in Cursor: Try clearing the npx cache: npx clear-npx-cache and restart Cursor

3. API key issues: Verify your ACROLINX_API_KEY is correctly set in the environment variables

4. Permission errors: On Unix systems, ensure the compiled JavaScript file is executable (chmod +x dist/index.js)

Debug Mode

Enable debug logging by setting DEBUG=true in your environment:

DEBUG=true npm run start

Architecture

The server implements the Model Context Protocol using stdio transport and provides four main tools that interact with the Acrolinx NextGen API. Key features include:

• Cross-IDE Compatibility: Works with Claude Desktop, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible IDE
• Retry Logic: Exponential backoff for improved reliability
• Timeout Handling: Configurable timeouts for long-running operations
• Comprehensive Logging: Debug mode for troubleshooting
• Type Safety: Full TypeScript implementation with proper type guards
• Graceful Shutdown: Proper cleanup on termination

License

MIT

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Run npm run build to ensure everything compiles
5. Submit a pull request

Support

For issues and questions:

• Create an issue on GitHub
• Check the Acrolinx documentation
• Contact Acrolinx support