NovaCV MCP server

The MCP Server for NovaCV is a powerful tool that allows you to interact with NovaCV resume services API, enabling PDF resume generation, template management, resume text parsing, and content analysis via the Model Context Protocol.

Getting Started with NovaCV MCP Server

Obtaining an API Key

Before using this service, you need to obtain a NovaCV API key:

• Visit the NovaCV API website
• Register or log in to your account
• Navigate to the "API Keys" or "Developer" section in your dashboard
• Create a new API key and copy it
• Configure this key when using the MCP service

Always keep your API key secure and never share it publicly.

Installation

You can install the MCP server globally or run it using npx:

# Global installation
npm install -g mcp-server-novacv

# Or run with npx
npx mcp-server-novacv --api_key=your_api_key

Quick Start

Method 1: Direct Execution (Recommended)

The simplest way to get started is using the quick start command:

# Build and start the service in one command
npm run run

Method 2: Using MCP Inspector for Development and Testing

# Build and start Inspector in one command
npm run debug

Usage Guide

Command Line Options

npx mcp-server-novacv [options]

Options:
  --api_key=KEY        Set NovaCV API key
  --api_base_url=URL   Set API base URL
  --timeout=MS         Set API timeout (milliseconds)
  --help, -h           Show help information
  --version, -v        Show version information

Environment Variables Configuration

You can configure the API key using environment variables:

NOVACV_API_KEY=your_api_key mcp-server-novacv

Or create a .env file:

NOVACV_API_KEY=your_api_key
NOVACV_API_BASE_URL=https://api.nova-cv.com

MCP Client Configuration

Cursor Configuration

Add to Cursor configuration file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "novacv": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["mcp-server-novacv"],
      "env": {
        "NOVACV_API_KEY": "your_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cherry Studio Configuration

In Cherry Studio:

• Open settings (click the settings icon in the bottom left or use Ctrl+,/Cmd+,)
• Find the MCP or Model Context Protocol settings area
• Add a new service with these settings:

Name: novacv

• Command: npx
• Arguments: mcp-server-novacv
• Environment Variables: Add NOVACV_API_KEY with your API key

For JSON configuration:

{
  "novacv": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["mcp-server-novacv"],
    "env": {
      "NOVACV_API_KEY": "your_api_key"
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

The MCP server provides these powerful tools:

• generate_resume_from_text: Convert resume text to a professional PDF resume with various templates
• get_templates: Retrieve all available resume templates with details including template ID, name, and thumbnails
• convert_resume_text: Transform plain text resumes into standardized JSON Resume format
• analyze_resume_text: Perform deep analysis of resume text, providing professional assessment and improvement suggestions

Usage Examples

Getting Template List

Use mcp_novacv_get_templates command in an MCP-compatible client to retrieve all available resume templates.

Generating a Resume

Use mcp_novacv_generate_resume_from_text command with resume text content and template name to generate a PDF resume.

Analyzing Resume Text

Use mcp_novacv_analyze_resume_text command to analyze plain text resume content.

Converting Resume Text to JSON Resume

Use mcp_novacv_convert_resume_text command to convert resume text to structured JSON Resume format.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter setup issues:

• Confirm successful installation: npx mcp-server-novacv --version
• Verify your API key is correctly configured
• Check client logs for relevant error messages

API Key Issues

If experiencing API key-related errors:

• Ensure you've obtained a valid API key from https://api.nova-cv.com
• Check if the key has expired or exceeded usage limits
• Try generating a new API key
• Make sure the key in your environment variables or configuration files doesn't contain extra spaces or quotes

How to add this MCP server to Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > MCP and click "Add new global MCP server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "cursor-rules-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "cursor-rules-mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explictly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.